Finding Korean culture in London

by Mollie Millington | Sep 17, 2021 | travel

One of the hardest things for me about Covid is not being able to travel.  While there is a traffic light rating system in the UK, which lets you know which countries are low risk for Covid-19 infection, it is still worrying to me.  People in London barely wear masks or social distance, so I cannot imagine sitting on a plane with recirculating air for hours on end or being somewhere where a language barrier prevents me from communicating how I feel (whether I need more space or am developing symptoms).  I wanted my summer to be one of staycations, both with different cultural themes in London and also exploring new areas of the UK.

I was so excited to be invited to the Korean Tourism Organisation’s (KTO) Korean-themed tour of London, which was co-hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre (KCCUK).  Although my brother-in-law lived in the Seoul suburbs for a few years, we never made it over for a visit.  The country and culture are not ones I am very familiar with so I was keen to learn more without having to travel there (yet).  Most of the people on the tour had an interest in Korea, some has lived there, some had visited several times and a few even spoke the language.  It was very cool to see people passionate about Korea and want you to be just as excited as they were a bout what we were about to learn.

We met on the Embankment at the Korean War Memorial (Learn more about the Korean War by watching free films.)  It is a beautiful park with views of the river.  We learned that Seoul has a large river, the Han, that the city is built around, similar to the Thames in London, providing ways to transport goods and people through the city.

Our next stop on the tour was the Korean Cultural Centre, which a short walk from Trafalgar Square.  You can visit the centre for brochures on Korean events, shops, and restaurants in London, as well as info on Korea itself.  The building is currently working on reduced hours and is open Monday through Friday.  The centre also has an exhibition space and their summer exhibit, Royal Palaces of Joseon, had just opened when we stopped by.  Unfortunately, it is just closed at the end of August and the next one is called Round and Round.  This is an audio-visual project that will take visitors through the modern history of Korea.  The film lasts 90 minutes so there are recommended arrival times to see it in its entirety.

In London, there is a block on Charing Cross Road between Leicester Square and Cambridge Circus where several Korean eateries and shops have starting opening up.  The group divided into two, each taking one side of the road.  I went into Nature Republic and purchased one of their amazing facial masks.  Next door was Bunsik, which serves corn dogs on a stick.  This area is good for an afternoon visit but if you want to spend an entire day immersed in Korean culture, try visiting New Malden in South London where there is a large Korean neighbourhood.

London has many free museums (donations accepted upon entry), which I think is brilliant as everyone, no matter what their economic situation is, is able to access them.  The British Museum has an extensive Korean Gallery which is why our tour stopped outside the gates.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late to enter so I need to go back to see the famous ‘moon jar’ and other unique pieces of art.  Sometimes, I get so caught up in living my day-to-day life, I forget that I have these incredible tourist spots to visit in the city.  If you don’t live in London, here is a virtual tour of the Korean gallery.

I am embarrassed to say that my first time eating Korean food happened on this tour.  Dinner was at HanKang, a small but modern Korean restaurant near Tottenham Court Road.  I was a little nervous but it was a lot of fun learning from my tablemates what everything was and how a Korean BBQ worked (luckily, the staff managed most of the cooking for us).  Both of them had visited Korea and were knowledge about what each dish on the table was.  They even coaxed me into trying kimchi which can come in a variety of flavours and strengths (not just as cabbage either).  Normally, my palette is set for sweet things, never bitter or sour.  I tried them all and found them to be not as bad as I had thought they would be!

After the tour, I am completely inspired to visit Korea myself one day.  There is so much more for me to learn about the country and culture and we are fortunate that KTO and KCCUK are making that happen throughout the UK.  I recommend following KTO on Instagram, as well as KCCUK, to stay up to date on events happening through the UK and tips for planning a trip to Korea.  With my goal to run a race in every country I visit, I am now eyeing races in Korea.  On the tour, I learned that Korea has an incredible mountain range and lots of outdoor activities to try.  It would be amazing to stay off the beaten path a bit while exploring the peninsula (after I run my race of course).  While in Korea, I would love to go for a hike, try Taekwondo (after all, I did Muay Thai in Thailand), visit the beaches of Busan, and eat fried chicken and beer.  I might even be tempted to register for the Jecheon Winter Half Naked Marathon if I were to visit Korea in the winter for some skiing.  It seems like there are numerous outdoor activities to try in Korea which makes it the perfect destination for me.

If you want to learn more about the London tour itself, check out my Instagram highlights.

Inspired to learn more about Korean culture?  Attend one of these upcoming events:

Festival of Korean Dance: Starts this weekend! 17-24 September at The Place WC1H 9PY

Online cooking class: Learn to make kimchi via the Korean Tourism Organisation’s Facebook Live on 22 September

K-music festival: 6 October – 11 November, venues all over London

Korean Culture Month at Foyles: Visit the Foyles on Charing Cross Road during October 2021 to meet many exciting and accomplished authors from Korea.

London Korean Film Festival: The dates for this year’s film festival were just announced.  Join us from 4-11 November 2021 here in London.  Keep an eye on the website to see what films will be shown this year.

Thanks to Korean Tourism Organisation for the tour invite and some of the photos included above.  All views are honest and my own.