Travel journal · Summer 2026

South Korea, between sea and lights

Busan’s sea air, a slow day in Gyeongju and the urge to keep walking, every evening, in Seoul.

Lorenzo Angelini · 17 October 2026

Busan by night. The first memory I return to.

We arrived in South Korea on a flight from Osaka, landing in Busan. Our trip was continuing, but stepping out into the city was enough to feel that a new chapter had begun: the sea air, the lights, the music and the people out on the streets.

It was a wonderful first impression. There was a cheerful energy that drew us in straight away, and sitting down to eat and share food was one of the simplest ways to feel part of it. What stayed with me was not just the places we visited, but how good it felt to be there.

🇰🇷 Our route

From the coast to the capital

Explore the itinerary

01 / Busan

Sea air and a city full of light

Busan welcomed us with that fresh air you find in seaside cities. Walking in the evening, among the lights of the buildings and the bustle of the streets, was our first way of getting to know it. There was colour, music and a cheerful mood: staying out a little longer came naturally.

The photograph of Busan at night is my favourite. Looking at it brings back that first impression: the dark sea in front, the illuminated city behind, and us newly arrived, with everything still to discover.

Then we started exploring, making our way from the colourful village of Gamcheon to the market streets. The houses crowded onto the hillside seemed to fill every space with a different colour. At the market we found another side of Busan, more everyday and less modern, full of stalls, food and people.

Eating was part of all this. Sharing dishes, tasting things, spending time at the table: I remember a warmth that made us feel at ease even so far from home. We also made it to the Sky Capsules, the little colourful cabins that run along a rail beside the coast. Another image of Busan to take with us before moving on.

Gamcheon’s colourful houses crowd a slope beneath a green hillside — Gamcheon, a hillside full of colour.

A terrace with colourful fences and seats overlooking Busan’s buildings and hills — Gamcheon’s colours, even in its little corners.

A downhill alley between flowering trees, stone walls and houses — Busan, between a stairway and a tree in bloom.

A busy Busan street with pedestrians and stalls beneath red and yellow umbrellas — Among the stalls and the life of the city.

02 / Gyeongju

A day to slow down

In Gyeongju we spent a day exploring the vast archaeological park, the temple and the village. After the energy of Busan, the pace changed here. There was room to walk slowly and look around without feeling the need to move straight on to the next thing.

The temple belongs to that sense of calm too: rows of colourful lanterns above the courtyard, the green garden and the little bridge reflected in the water. Looking back at the photographs, I remember the pleasure of taking my time with the details.

Everything felt peaceful. I also remember the older people gathering together, those small meeting places that tell you as much about life somewhere as its monuments do. We were passing through; for them it was simply somewhere to spend time together.

It was a pause I remember fondly. A whole day at a different pace, before heading to the capital.

Three older men seen from behind, sitting on a shaded bench facing Gyeongju’s grassy burial mounds — A meeting place in the shade. The calm of Gyeongju.

Rows of blue, pink and green lanterns hanging above a temple courtyard — The temple courtyard, beneath a sky of lanterns.

A stone bridge reflected in a pond surrounded by trees and shrubs — Greenery, water and time to pause.

A field of sunflowers with mountains in the distance beneath a cloudy sky — The colour of a slower day.

03 / Seoul

One more walk before heading back

Seoul is enormous and wonderful. It felt orderly, but lively at the same time, full of things that caught our attention. Evening walks were a pleasure: we would head out for a stroll and end up wanting to see one more street, one more shop.

During the day we wandered among the traditional houses, the hanok, and around the royal palace. Roofs, courtyards and details invited us to stop and look. In the photographs, I love finding these views within such a large city, with its modern side reappearing in the background.

Then came the K-pop neighbourhoods, the search for merchandise and souvenirs, the signs and the street food. We moved from one atmosphere to another, curious to see what was around the corner. For me, that was part of the joy of Seoul too.

And before returning to the hotel, there was a little mission: finding mochi. It had become our end-of-evening ritual, another reason to extend the walk. Once you are home, details like these can bring back an entire day.

A grand gate at Seoul’s royal palace with curved roofs and painted decorations — The royal palace, its courtyards and details.

A downhill alley between traditional houses with tiled roofs and Korean flags — Among the hanok, with the city in the background.

A tall, curved, illuminated bookshelf beneath a large glass roof — Seoul knows how to make you look up.

A 7-Eleven on a Seoul street corner, surrounded by illuminated signs, pedestrians and reflections on wet paving — The lights of a 7-Eleven on an evening walk.

04 / DMZ

A part of the journey to reflect on

One day we visited the DMZ. It was different from the rest of the trip, bringing us back to the complexity of the situation between the two Koreas. After our days in the cities, being there gave a different weight to a history we often encounter only from a distance.

What struck me in our guide’s stories was the desire for reunification, the hope of coming together again. That is one of the things that stayed with me: thinking about people, their connections, and what it means to live with a separation like this.

It was our guide who recommended a series, Crash Landing on You. When we returned to Italy, we watched it and really enjoyed it. A fictional story, of course, but for us also a small connection to the trip we had just finished and to that day.

What I brought home

When I think back to South Korea, I return to Busan’s sea and lights, the calm of Gyeongju and the evenings in Seoul. I remember shared dishes, people and the search for one last sweet treat before the hotel. Then there is the visit to the DMZ, which left questions and thoughts alongside the lighter memories.

It is a place worth seeing and experiencing. For us it began with a flight from Osaka and continued on our sofa at home, watching the series our guide had recommended. But if I have to choose just one image, it is still that one: Busan, the sea and the city lit up at night.