Arriving in South Korea: Our First Day in Seoul, Incheon to Myeongdong

We just landed in South Korea. It’s about a four-hour flight from Manila, and we flew Philippine Airlines, which is not my favorite. Older planes, no inflight entertainment, and they charge a lot. Abby picked it. The food was okay, but the seats we were sitting on before boarding looked like something out of a prison.

Immigration, the Won, and Pocket Wi-Fi

Immigration was quick, customs had nothing to declare, and we were handed a three-month visa, so we’re good until August. First thing to get your head around is the money. One dollar is about 1,400 Korean won, give or take.

Next stop was a counter to pick up a pocket Wi-Fi device so the whole group stays connected. For myself I use Google Fi, and it has worked great on all these trips, like I’m a local. The only real cost is calls, around 20 cents a minute, but data is unlimited, whatever unlimited means these days.

My Kind of Weather, and an Airport Unlike LAX

The pilot said it was 15 degrees Celsius on the ground, about 59 Fahrenheit. That’s my kind of weather. I can’t do hot, but cold I’m all good, and this isn’t even cold.

This is Incheon International Airport, and it does not look like LAX. LAX is out of control. Here it’s like Japan, very organized, no chaos, no traffic. I’m already excited to look at the cars and the tech, since Samsung and LG are from here. There were Hyundai Starias everywhere, a Kia EV9, an Ioniq 5 taxi, and I’m pretty sure a Tesla Model Y parked across the way.

Riding in the Hyundai Staria

We’re seven passengers with seven checked bags and four carryons, so we had to split into two vehicles. Ours was a Staria.

Abby’s mom has one and I’ve always sat up front, so this was my first time in the back. The seat belt threw me. I kept reaching for it in the usual spot, but it’s built into the seat. There’s a sunroof back there too. America needs the Staria.

A Ten-Person Room and No Elevator

It’s about an hour and a half from the airport to our first hotel, where we’re staying a couple of nights. We had to change accommodations at the last minute because Abby’s mom and her other brother ended up not coming, so we didn’t need a room for ten anymore. It was too late to cancel, so we kept it.

Bunk beds everywhere, a main bedroom off to the side, and no elevator, so we hauled every one of those bags up the stairs ourselves.

Free Breakfast and a Rooftop With a Seoul Tower View

The place is called OYO Rooftop Hostel, and breakfast is free with the room: bread and spreads, a toaster, microwave, cereal, milk and juice, and a machine that does espresso and Americano.

The name comes from the rooftop, which is a genuinely nice place to hang out. The weather had warmed into the 70s by then, a little warm for me, but from up there you can see N Seoul Tower sitting on the hill.

220 Volts and a Forgotten Adapter

Travel tip that I learned the hard way. Korea runs on 220 volts. I bought adapters for Japan last time and was ready then, but this time I didn’t bring them. So if you’re coming from North America, either bring a transformer or make sure your plugs handle both 110 and 220, or you’ll be out looking for adapters like I was.

A Walk Around the Neighborhood

We went out for a walk, and the area is packed with hostels, so it’s clearly where a lot of people stay. First thing I noticed is that unlike Japan, I hardly saw a single vending machine. There was a Porsche Taycan parked out front, a photo booth, and an Ioniq 5 taxi going by.

Into Myeongdong

We made our way into Myeongdong, which is the main shopping street around here.

It reminded me of Dotonbori in Osaka, block after block of stores. There was a photo booth, a McDonald’s I kept wondering was localized or not, a vegan kitchen, and a cart selling yogurt that I was told drives around the neighborhood. And of course, the cars.

A lot of the Kias and Hyundais look familiar, but some are clearly exclusive to Korea, which is the fun part. I finally spotted a red Ioniq 5, which I’d never seen before. Great color.

Inside a Korean 7-Eleven

We stopped into a 7-Eleven, and there was no attendant. You just ring yourself out, and it takes Apple Pay. There’s even a cold water station so you can mix your own iced coffee right there. My wife watches a lot of Korean shows, so she’s the expert here, not me.

Lunch at TwoTwo Chicken

For lunch we kept it light, if you can call Korean fried chicken light, at a spot called TwoTwo Chicken.

We ordered a soy garlic and a couple of others, including a sweet and spicy one. I asked for a local draft beer, didn’t know the name, just said “a local beer please,” and the guy hooked me up. Good beer.

The whole thing was about $40 for seven people. Not bad at all. We Googled whether tipping is expected, and it’s optional here, so we left a tip anyway.

The Hunt for a Trash Can

Here’s a real Korea travel tip. There are no littering signs and CCTV everywhere, but there are almost no public trash cans. I was carrying my kid’s trash around trying to be a good citizen, and I could not find a single one. I asked to use the bins inside stores and they all said no. I spent a solid 15 minutes on this.

Starbucks saved the day. If you’re stuck holding your trash in Korea, find a Starbucks. You follow the rules whether they make sense or not, and I just don’t want to litter.

Street Food at Night

As the day turns to night, one block near us fills up with street food vendors: castella cake, cheese and sausage, all of it.

One thing I picked up: eat your food right where you bought it. When you’re done, the vendor can toss your trash, which solves the whole problem I’d just spent 15 minutes on. We ended the day with dessert too, soft serve in Myeongdong.

Jetlag and Day Two

We hauled a pile of street food back to the hostel and I was knocked out. I’ve been overseas about a week now and still can’t shake it. Korea is only an hour ahead of Manila, but I’m still waking up at two or four in the morning.

That’s the arrival. First day in Seoul is in the books, and this is the start of the South Korea 2025 series, right after our time in the Philippines. Stay tuned for the rest.

---

This post is based on our travel vlog. Watch the full video below for all the moments, reactions, and footage from the day.