I'm American, and my first trip to another country might be to Seoul, South Korea.
What is Seoul like as an American?
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It's very good - easy for English speakers as there are many signs in English and the transit system is easy to navigate and has English options everywhere. Older people seldom speak English - but younger people learned it in school and many Koreans have lived in the USA and speak it with native fluency. Seoul is very modern and clean. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Korean food - but the desserts are great. Hotel rooms are usually very small compared to Western equivalents. Incheon airport is a long way from downtown - at least a hour bus ride. It can be very hot, humid, and rainy in the summer months, but there are many malls and underground shopping centers which will help you avoid the weather. Nightlife areas are often full of Americans due to tourism and the large US military presence in the country.
As for K-Pop level visuals - well, you won't see many on the streets. Even surgically enhanced faces are not as common as the media would have you believe. Go to SM Town near Gangnam for your best chance at a celebrity sighting - but it's more likely one will walk right by you and you will never recognize them out of costume. I didnt recognize aespa last year when they got out of a van at the airport right in front of me - I had to go online later to figure out who was leaving the country that day.
You will, however, hear all of your current favorite songs playing in retail stores.
Seoul is a good first travel destination in Asia for Americans and Europeans. Tokyo and Singapore are more fun to me, but Seoul is not far behind.
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Have you heard any of your favorite K-Pop songs in a retail store in South Korea? I haven't.
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Sure - when I was there last year. All the time. Now these were smaller stores, not big department stores.
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Sure - when I was there last year. All the time. Now these were smaller stores, not big department stores.
I didn't know that was a thing in other countries. I remember I was in a pharmacy that offers passport photos near me (in the United States) 1 or 2 years ago, and I heard one of my favorite songs (Dynamite by Taio Cruz).
And yes, I have a passport already. I just haven't been to South Korea.
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