Namsan Tower: Romance, Korean-style

sooo pretty

If you've ever watched a Korean movie or drama (TV show), then you've most likely heard of  Namsam Tower (I read somewhere that its name is actually "N Seoul Tower"). The viewing deck/communications tower is a pretty popular location for Korean films and shows (I saw it in My Name is Kim Sam Soon and heard it mentioned in Coffee Prince, the only two Korean dramas I have ever seen), and it is pretty obvious why: it is so beautiful and romantic up there you'd think you're in the middle of a movie set (whether you'll feel like you're playing the part of the leading lady/man or sidekick-best friend depends on who you are with, of course).


I went to the tower twice during my brief visit to Seoul last January, one in the morning (with my classmates) and the other at night (with my aunt and her Korean husband).

There are many options to go to the tower...okay, there are actually just three: (1) ride a cable car; (2) get on the Seoul City Tour Bus; and (3) if you could brave the cold/heat/exhaustion, hike up Mt. Namsan (good luck with that).

We took a cab to where the cable cars going to the Tower were because we had no idea how else to get there (most unprepared tourists ever). It wasn't such a bad idea though because, if I remember it correctly, we paid only about the equivalent of Php300 for the trip from the Yonsei University area (where we were staying) to the cable car station. On my second trip to the Tower, we took my uncle-in-law's car, making the trip  relatively hassle-free (hurray for relatives!).

There are quite a few things you can do or see once you're up there, including visiting the Teddy Bear Museum (which we didn't do because, meh), drinking coffee while enjoying the sights (which we did because it was a good way to keep warm), or going to the viewing deck on top of the Tower (we passed on this because I am afraid of heights). But one of the most popular activities there though is adding your own "love lock" to the already thousands upon thousands of them up there. Korean couples believe that if you hang a lock with you and your significant other's name on it here then throw away the lock's key, then you'll be together forever. Complete and utter nonsense, I know, but still a cute practice.

While there are bound to be more tourists at night at Namsan, I suggest you go up the Tower after sunset because you not only get to see Seoul in all its lit-up glory, but the lights just make the place so much prettier and romantic (and believe me, if anyone could make a communications tower pretty and romantic, it would be the Koreans).

the view from the cable car. As someone afraid of heights, I was terrified. haha

a wall filled with love locks

even more love locks

Now, the idea behind this funny-looking bench is that you make two people that are still in the close-friends-but-not-quite-lovers stage sit here. Since they will, inevitably, both slide to the middle of the bench, they will become closer both literally and figuratively.

 

Seoul