For the spring 2024 AFM 334 International Study Course trip, we were lucky enough to visit South Korea and explore all it has to offer. As the Marketing and Culture Team, we aimed to act as tour guides and plan a fun and engaging weekend that the team could reminisce about for years to come.
After a few weeks of initial research into South Korea’s most memorable landmarks, we narrowed our plan down to places that were visitable within the timespan of 3 days. We started with a trip to Namsan Park and the National Museum of Korea on Friday, followed by a train to Busan on Saturday, and finished the weekend with a walk around Gyeongbokgong Palace and a shopping trip at Lotte World Mall on Sunday.
The three biggest highlights of our weekend were seeing N Seoul Tower up close (after the toughest trek of our lives), exploring Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan, and travelling back in time by exploring Gyeongbokgong Palace in Hanbok.
While we could have admired N Seoul Tower from below the mountain, the class was feeling ambitious that day. We planned to climb just a bit of the way to get a better look at the tower, but ended up climbing the whole mountain! Sure, a ride on a cable car could’ve taken us to the same destination, but the trials and tribulations we faced made the trip much more memorable.
Executing the day trip to Busan was the most difficult since it involved taking a 3-hour bullet train to the opposite end of the country, then navigating our way through unknown, mountainous territory. Though it was a tiring day for the navigation team, it was completely worth it. While Seoul boasts a modern, busy atmosphere, Busan’s environment can be described as more laid-back yet bustling. It was a great contrast to see, as it gave the class a more well-rounded view of the country (and of the sea). Gamcheon Cultural Village was the epitome of a demure seaside village, with many cute cafes and colourful shops.
We finished off our weekend with a visit to Gyeongbokgong Palace, a must-see for first-time visitors to South Korea. While we could’ve paid the entrance fee like regular tourists, the Marketing Team decided to find a Hanbok rental shop so the class could experience Gyeongbokgong Palace to its fullest (and for free).
Overall, the weekend was a huge success! We saw everything we wanted to see, got some great photos and memories, and experienced the power of friendship. While it was a lot of fun, it’s safe to say that everyone was very tired by the end of the weekend. (We did climb two whole mountains, after all.)