---
title: "A Trip to South Korea"
summary: "A few days in South Korea took me from ICML and Seoul’s buses and markets to Gyeongbokgung Palace and a temple beside the sea in Busan. I write about the food, the language gap, the people I met, and how Korean history and folklore came together for me in Exhuma."
date: 2026-08-01
topic: "Travel"
author: "Yogendra Manawat"
---

# A Trip to South Korea

안녕하세요! (Annyeonghaseyo)

<figure className="mx-auto max-w-sm">
  <img src="/photos/kr/airplane-wing-view.webp" alt="View of the wing and sky from my flight" />
  <figcaption>On the way to South Korea.</figcaption>
</figure>

## Getting around Seoul

The buses in Seoul impressed me. I could get almost everywhere I wanted to go by bus, so I never needed a cab. Seoul was busy, but many of the other places I visited were surprisingly quiet.

People were gentle and patient. When English got us nowhere, I typed what I wanted to say into [Papago](https://papago.naver.com/) and held up my phone for everyone to read. 😂

I saw stores and print cafés running without anyone behind a counter. At the cafés, people could print things for themselves.

## ICML, and a research club in Seoul

ICML was busy: a huge poster hall, lots of researchers, and plenty of conversations. We also organized a Frontier Research Club event in Seoul. I met new people there and made some friends.

<div className="article-photo-grid">
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/icml-conference-crowd.webp" alt="Crowd of attendees inside the ICML 2026 venue" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Inside ICML 2026 in Seoul.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure className="article-photo-contain">
    <img src="/photos/kr/icml-poster-hall.webp" alt="Full view of the ICML poster hall" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>The poster hall.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure className="article-photo-contain">
    <img src="/photos/kr/at-icml-poster-cropped.webp" alt="Yogendra Manawat standing beside research posters at ICML 2026" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Me beside the posters at ICML.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/photo2.webp" alt="Attendees at the Frontier Research Club meetup at ICML 2026" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>The Frontier Research Club meetup we organized during ICML.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

## Myeongdong

Myeongdong reminded me of Sarafa Bazaar back in Indore. I walked around looking at the food stalls; the whole place had a familiar energy.

There was much more seafood than I usually see at home, and a surprising amount of sweet food too.

<div className="article-photo-grid">
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/myeongdong-seafood-stall.webp" alt="Seafood and other food displayed at a Myeongdong street stall" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>One of the street food stalls in Myeongdong.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/myeongdong-garlic-bread-stall.webp" alt="Baked snacks at a Myeongdong market stall" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Baked snacks at another stall.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/myeongdong-street-food-skewers.webp" alt="Street food skewers cooking at a Myeongdong stall" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Skewers cooking at the market.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/myeongdong-street-snacks.webp" alt="A selection of snacks at a Myeongdong stall" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Another stop among the food stalls.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

## The palace and the stories behind it

Gyeongbokgung Palace was beautiful. I learned a lot about Korean culture and history while walking around. I saw a [Joseon-era sundial](https://contents.history.go.kr/play/view.do?itemId=tz&lang=eng&levelId=tz_b21) that used the sun's shadow to tell time.

I also heard the story of [King Taejong](https://english.seoul.go.kr/telling-stories-revealing-culture-preserved-within-palaces-heart-seoul/). After violence involving his brothers at Gyeongbokgung, he didn't want to return, so he had Changdeokgung Palace built.

<div className="article-photo-grid">
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/gyeongbokgung-palace-grounds.webp" alt="View across the grounds near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>A view near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure className="article-photo-contain">
    <img src="/photos/kr/joseon-era-sundial.webp" alt="A round Joseon-era sundial with its shadow marker" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>A Joseon-era sundial.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

## A train to Busan

I took the train to Busan and visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. The path in made it feel a little hidden, and then suddenly there was a temple right beside the sea. What a beautiful place. 😍

<div className="article-photo-grid article-photo-grid-three">
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/at-the-train-platform.webp" alt="Yogendra Manawat beside a train at a station in South Korea" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>At the train platform.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/kr/busan-temple-stairway.webp" alt="Stone stairway and lanterns on the path to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Following the steps down through the temple grounds.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure>
    <img src="/photos/photo3.webp" alt="Haedong Yonggungsa Temple beside the sea in Busan" loading="lazy" />
    <figcaption>Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Busan.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

I'd watched Korean films and shows before the trip, but *Exhuma* hit differently when I saw it after coming home. I loved how it brought Korean history, shamanism, and folklore together in a horror story. Just wow. 🤯

<figure className="mx-auto max-w-xs">
  <img src="/photos/kr/exhuma-official-poster.webp" alt="Official poster for the Korean film Exhuma" loading="lazy" />
  <figcaption>Exhuma (2024).</figcaption>
</figure>

감사합니다! (Gamsahamnida)