My first contact with South Korea came while I was living in New York from 1999 to 2003: In NYC I was lucky to meet Frau Schneider, Korean, fantastic thinker and singer, and after a short while my favorite dining and drinking buddy. In the company of Frau Schneider I discovered more or less all BBQ restaurants of 33rd street Koreatown  and the favorite restaurant of then UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Since then I adore Kalbi, Kim Chi and scallion pancake. At Kun Gan San Frau Schneider and I watched  as guests of honor the World Cup semi final between South Korea and Germany. Thankfully Germany won but there is no doubt that Koreans are l the biggest party animals in all over Asia.

It took almost ten more years until I made it really into South Korea. I had applied for a North Korean visa at the slightly intimidating North Korean Embassy in Beijing. But before flying from Beijing into Pyongyang I first travelled to Seoul. Western tourists still seemed to be quite rare in these Pre-Gangnam-Style times, so everybody was curious and tried to communicate with me. 

The  streets of Seoul were all shiny neon and full of High Tech Stores and Koreans eating. Everybody seemed to be in the process of eating. Soon I was eating, too. From  Seoul I took a tour to the Korean Demilitarized Zone to get a first glimpse into the darkness of North Korea. I saw the deserted railway starting meant to ease exchange between South and North, I saw a camouflaged infiltration tunnel (you can never choose your neighbour) meant to channel North Korean spies to the South. I stood right on the Demarcation Line and I knew soon I would be on the other, on the darker side of the moon. Strange feeling!

Upon my return to Seoul, just 50 kilometers away from the DMZ and the Communist North, I enjoyed the cheerful streets of Seoul even more.

We are so lucky to be free! 

Still on my bucket list: a culinary Gangnam Style S(e)oul trip with Frau Schneider.