May 1 - 25 (Part 20) Closing the Circle in Seoul

24th May

Some journeys take you across the world.

Others take you a little closer to yourself.

My time in Seoul did both.

What started as an adventure: exciting, unfamiliar, sometimes a little overwhelming, slowly turned into something that felt… natural. Comfortable, even.

And now, without really being ready for it, my last day had arrived.

A Full Circle Moment

Waking up and realizing it was our very last day in Seoul felt surreal. Late that night, our flight home from Incheon International Airport was waiting.

But first, a few final hours in a city that had come to mean so much to me.

At the Ocloud Hotel counter, I saw a familiar face… the same kind staff member who checked me in on my very first day in Seoul.

He was there when I had trouble with my air conditioning and again when I asked if I could return to the same room after our three-week journey through South Korea.

Seeing him again on our last day… it felt like everything had come full circle. As if Seoul quietly closed this chapter for me in the most gentle way.

One Last Adventure

We decided to spend our final hours at Lotte World Tower & Mall, just a 30-minutes subway ride from Gangnam Station to Jamsil Station (exits 10 or 11).

I have here a short video (just sound!) of the Seoul Subway Melodies: https://youtu.be/tQkwfce7y4k?is=Eo23u4lRFedsAUcs

But I have also an actual video of us waiting for the arriving train 😉: https://youtube.com/shorts/logYEweI3xk?is=7tN-KIaF_YuUX1LO

Funny how something so ordinary had become something I didn’t want to forget.

From the exit at Jamsil Station it was just a short walk into the enormous Lotte World Mall. The underground passage lead us straight into a shopper’s paradise.

Our mission? Find a special little something (a piece of Seoul) for home. Sounds easy… but in a mall this big, not so much 😄.

Then, out of nowhere, a young woman approached us and asked if she could help. She guided us all the way to the information desk, speaking for us, taking her time.

No rush, no “ppalli ppalli (빨리 빨리), just genuine kindness.

Sadly, the shops we were looking for were no longer there, but her effort meant everything. Sometimes it’s not about what you take home, but what you experience along the way.

Seeing Seoul From Above

Next stop: Seoul Sky.

Located between floors 117-123 of the Lotte World Tower, this observatory offers one of the most breathtaking views in Seoul. At 555 meters tall, the tower itself is the sixth tallest building in the world, a true icon of modern Korea.

Before heading up, we learned more about this incredible structure:

Its elegant curves reflect traditional Korean design
Built to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 9
Designed with sustainability in mind

Then came the Sky Shuttle elevator… shooting up at 600 meters per minute. In just one minute, we were on top of the world.

Watch this video: https://youtu.be/WNA7vfZ5biw?is=0EeeXm6IpohH1hSr

The views? Absolutely unforgettable. A full 360-degree panorama of Seoul stretching endlessly in every direction. From up there the city felt both enormous and intimate at the same time.

I couldn’t stop taking photos. Not because I needed them, but because I wasn’t ready to let go of the view.

There’s even a glass floor at 478 meters, the highest in the world.

And for the real daredevils, the Sky Bridge Tour lets you walk across a glass bridge at 541 meters…

Yeah… we skipped that part 😅.

The Beauty of Ordinary Moments

After taking what felt like a thousand photos, we headed down for a late lunch in the mall’s basement food court.

We ordered soup and bibimbap and sat next to two girls enjoying tteokbokki. At one point, they casually left their phones and bags behind while getting water.

Arthur couldn’t believe it.

But I smiled.

This was one of those small things that made South Korea feel so… different. Safe. Trusting.

Special.

After our late lunch, we wandered off for a bit of casual shopping, the kind where you don’t really need anything but somehow still come back with something. Arthur picked up a sun cap, perfect for our upcoming summer boat trip.

And then, quite unexpectedly, we stumbled upon what might have been the most luxurious public bathroom we’ve ever seen. Of course, we had to check it out (as you do) and it turned into a moment of genuine surprise. The entire private space was finished in marble… yes, marble.

Arthur couldn’t resist taking a photo. It felt less like a public restroom and more like something you’d expect in a high-end hotel. Safe to say, this was not our average bathroom break.