If the copyright tags are in the way, the feeling should subside afer looking at a few dozen photos. If you need the tags out of the way, there is an option: Please go visit Korea, first-hand.
If you can, stay/visit longer than a mere week or two. It is possible to live in Korea for approximately the same standard of living as in, say, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, etc., as far as food, transportation, recreation, and sightseeing go. Housing leasing and rental, however, will vary according to your own budget, whether you have to pay "key money" or not, and whether you stay in guest houses, hostels, or the like. If you stay in some guest houses, you can expect to minimally pay around KRW 23,000 per day. But, if you book online, you may not get the same discounts an operator/owner can confer in person when you choose to stay only in that guest house as your "base". In my case, I stayed in one guest house my entire time in the Seoul area, one motel in Daejeon for the entire two weeks there, and one backpacker guest house the entire two weeks in Busan (Seomyeon).
Food in South Korea is generally inexpensive if you look around. I had withdrawals in terms of meal satisfaction and pricing. Even McDonalds in Korea is cheaper than in SF. In Itaewon, and around Korea, for instance, a Spice (it was spicey, but is spelt as "Spice) Shanghai Chicken Sandwich, regular fries (potato), and a milk shake (only one size) substituted for soda was only KRW 5,200. So, that McDonalds Shanghai Spice Set (not called a combo) cost between $4.52 and $4.79. In San Francisco, I was shocked and crest fallen to see the comparable meal costing ~$9.75, whether at Stonestown, Embarcadero, Fillmore, Montgomery, Vanness, or elsewhere. According to some managers I spoke with, the price increase was not related to employee insurance nor the wage increases. Anyway, you will see, below, meals that typically cost only KRW 5,200 to KRW 6,500 (at the time, the exchange rate was around 1,100 or so to $1. Maybe SF should impose price controls to make eating more affordable... If you think Korean food is expensive, then you're thinking in terms of San Francisco, San Jose, or Mountain View. I understand it's less expensive in Los Angeles due to more competition because of a larger Korean/Korean-American population. But, in Korea, even a KRW 5,100 meal is filling, and sometimes at KRW 6,500, I felt stuffed and sometimes became sleepy.
Otherwise, enjoy!
SEOUL:
Songdo; Incheon; Itaewon; Wangshimni; Suwon; Nowon; Paju; Yeoido; Gangnam; Oksu; Yeoksam; Appgujeong; Yaksu; Konkuk; Hyehwa; Euljiro; Hongik/Hongdae; Juan; Silim; Cheonan; Yongsan/Samgakji
............Cheongyecheon Area
............Yongsan/Samgakji:
............Wangshimni:
............Konkuk area, via Line 2 of the Subway
DAEJEON:
KAIST; Government Complex
BUSAN:
Seomyeon; Yongdo; Haeundae
............Yongdo Island, near the International Passenger Terminal
............TV Fun:
Food:
............
Various Areas of Seoul:
I thousands more pictures, but way too many to post here. I think I shot about 10 GB of photos in Korea alone. I can't wait to return to Korea, for long-term work and entertainment work. Well, that is my dream, if I engage with symbiotic parties.
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