My City: Seoul

Seoul is the capital of South Korea. It’s a bustling city of 10.5 million people. The city is expanding all the time, and there are some incredible new buildings, such as the GT Tower East. The architects built it entirely of glass, with curving lines so it imitates the sea.

New buildings are everywhere in Seoul, but we have preserved the old city, too. In Bukchon village, there are still many old-style houses made of wood and stone. It’s a lovely place to spend an afternoon.

The Gangnam district is in the center of the city. It’s now famous for the 2012 hit song Gangnam Style by the singer Psy. He wrote the song because people in my neighborhood try to be very fashionable, and in the song, he’s laughing at us because we think we’re cool. We don’t mind. It’s great that people all around the world are talking about us!

My neighborhood is also a great place to spend your free time. Seoul is home to some excellent restaurants. On weekends, I like to go out and share a plate of bibimbap with my friends. It’s a popular rice dish topped with vegetables and a spicy sauce, and sometimes beef or an egg. Be careful if you try it because, like a lot of Korean food, it’s very spicy!

As the home of Samsung and LG, Korea is one of the world’s leading technological countries. And Seoul is known for being a very modern, futuristic place. For example, it’s possible to use a smartphone to pay for tickets on the subway. That is the best way to get around the city, and trains run from 5:30 a.m. until midnight.

It’s also possible to use a smartphone to pay for groceries at the supermarket or to turn appliances on and off in your home. This is possible because Wi-Fi connection speeds are incredibly fast all over the city. This isn’t science-fiction – it’s everyday life in my city, Seoul!