FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 9 (05/20/2025)

 Day nine and the final day of our trip to Korea was another great day and we all made sure to enjoy it to the fullest. We started our day meeting in the lobby and we then took a bus to Haneul Park. I initially thought it was just a park but it contained many educational facts and research on eco-friendly methods for the environment including creating sources of energy and how to handle waste in more environmentally friendly ways. It was a nice park to take a walk in but also quite an educational spot. After the tour of the park, we got back on the bus and went to our farewell lunch. We all had different kinds of chicken depending on our preferences and we grilled the meat ourselves in front of us. It was definitely a very filling and satisfying lunch. After lunch, we were all let go for free time and had the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted. There was a certain cafe nearby called Flippers that I still wanted to try so I went straight there after we got back. They had these fluffy pancakes with cream and fruit that I have always wanted to try. Those pancakes did not disappoint and were just as good as I thought they would be. It may be the last day of our FlagSHIP trip but I am still spending an extra week here to visit family. But as far as this FlagSHIP goes, I have enjoyed every second of being here and would definitely love to come back again in the future.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 8 (05/19/2025)

 Day eight felt like a pretty simple day but still had interesting and new sites for us to see. We all got up and took the subway to a place known as Hallyu K-Star Road. It was a long street that was lined up with statues of cartoon bears that had designs inspired by Kpop stars and idols. It felt very immersive in including the constantly growing global sensation that is Kpop. Once we saw all the bears, we took a bus to COEX. Right before we stepped into the COEX mall, we saw a big statue of two hands in the very popular Gangnam Style dance move. Again, it felt very cool to see something Kpop related be remembered with a captivating landmark. After we took pictures of in front of the statue, we all entered the mall and were then given free time. I spent most of it just wandering around and the mall itself felt like a giant maze. I didn't want to spend too much but spent a little on arcade games. For lunch, I had KFC which was surprisingly very busy and packed with many people. Overall, the mall had a nice atmosphere with a cool library in the middle which I have seen all over social media and I am glad that I finally got to see it in person. We then left to go back to the hotel and after resting, I went out to dinner. I had dinner at 1993 which is a restaurant that was across from our hotel. I had pizza and fried dumplings and they were very good and filling. Overall, it was a fun but also chill kind of day. 

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 7 (05/18/2025)

 Day seven was personally to me definitely one of the most exciting days of this trip. On this day, we had to wake up earlier than we have been to talk about the day and get to the Hanbok rental shop. We all arrived at the shop and immediately started putting our bags away, getting our sizes, and picking out what hanboks we wanted to wear. I chose a dark purple skirt with a lighter top. Once we were all changed, we left the shop and headed to Changdeokgung palace and the secret gardens. The palace was beautiful with long trails and many beautiful sites. Wearing those hanboks made us all take so many pictures of not just the sceneries, but mainly ourselves. I think. that is the most pictures I have ever taken of myself. The gardens were also very beautiful and the day also had great weather to go with it. Once we spent a few hours there, we returned to the shop and returned our hanboks. Afterwards, we all left to grab lunch and I ate a place called Chimps Burger and got an order of chili cheese fries. After lunch, we headed to Bukchon Hanok Village for a tour. Due to it being a residential area, there were people and many signs telling others to be quiet. The village was beautiful and had many great sites but also felt like a pretty big hike. Overall, this is was probably one of my favorite days of this trip.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 6 (05/17/2025)

 Day six of this trip was full of mainly shopping. We all went to Myeongdong which had streets full of shops and places to eat as well as an underground shopping center. I first went and browse around the underground shopping center and found many nice shops and Kpop related merchandise. There were many Kpop stores which is what excited me a lot. I did not expect to buy much but there were many things that caught my eye so I decided to have a lot of fun while I was there. I purchased some Kpop merchandise as well as a few clothing items. After shopping for a bit, I had lunch at McDonalds which was nice to eat something I was familiar with, but also interesting to see how different it was in Korea. After shopping, we headed for Seoul Tower which is personally a place that I have always wanted to see if I ever came to Korea. The bus ride was a bit long and rough but it still got us there in the best way. We had to take a bit of a hike but we eventually reached the tower which was very lively and had a great view. We went up the tower which had much more in it than I expected. Not only a breath taking view, but also a few shops and a cafe to get something to eat. After the tower, I was feeling very tired and just went straight back to the hotel. Overall, this was a very fun day of shopping and site seeing at a prominent landmark in Seoul.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 5 (05/16/2025)

Day five was a free day with no itinerary to follow. I went to Lotte World which is an indoor and outdoor amusement park filled with many attractions, rides, and restaurants. It was a little challenging at first navigating the subways by ourselves, but we eventually figured it out and found the entrance. We bought out tickets and went straight in. We first started a small haunted house attraction which was short and not all that scary. We then went to search for as many rides as we could find so we could have a fun day. We went on a water raft ride which was pretty easy and simple and had captivating attractions in it. We then went to the outside area of the park but were not able to do too much due to the rain. While at the park, we went on two simulation rides with one being very small and not too exciting, and another bigger one which had a very long wait but the surreal experience that the ride had to offer made the whole wait worth it. We then had a lat lunch, almost dinner, as a fried chicken restaurant which was really good and filling after a day of attractions. Once we finished eating, we made reservations for this one roller coaster ride which was called "The French Revolution." It was a big roller coaster located on the inside and it was probably one of the biggest rides that Lotte World had to offer. The ride was thrilling and exciting and was personally to me the best ride we rode that day. Overall, this was a very fun and eventful day. I had known about Lotte world and was always interested in checking it out and I am so glad I finally got to go and spend a whole day there. This will definitely be a place I hope to visit again if I ever come back to Korea. 

 

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 4 (05/15/2025)

 Day four of our trip was definitely filled with interesting facts filled with mixed emotions. Our first stop of the day was to the War Memorial of Korea. Learning about the war between North and South Korea was undoubtedly an eye opening experience. What stood out to me the most was how big of a difference that North and South Korea had in terms of wars materials such as weapons and ships. North Korea noticeably had a greater amount of supplies compared to South Korea. An example being how North Korea had many tanks while South Korea had zero and how North Korea had pretty much double the troops as South Korea. One prepared side and another that was unprepared. While it was positive to learn about the past, it felt bittersweet since war in general is a such a tragedy and this memorial definitely shows the aspects of that side. Afterwards, we all separated for lunch. I went to this Tonkatsu restaurant and it was a nice place with amazing food and a fun atmosphere. Once lunch time was over, we all headed to Sejong University to talk with some of the other students there. We were taught some common drinking games in Korea and also made kimbap. As well as talk about where we are from, our interests, and what our education and livings are like in each other's countries. It was a very enjoyable experience and it was fun meeting other people from completely different places and learning why they chose to study in Korea. Once it was over, I met these two girls who showed me and a few other people around the zoo nearby which was a nice change in atmosphere. They also showed us a cafe they frequently go to, and what it sounds like, many students go to for a drink and to study or just chat. The drinks we ordered were very good and the atmosphere felt relaxing. We then headed back to the school for the festival that had a concert being put on which featured a few well known musical artists including Kiss of Life and Zico. The concert was exciting, thrilling, and everyone, including the artists, were full of energy. The ending of the concert concluded the day. This day was certainly a captivating one with starting on a subject of history and remembering hard times, to ending it on a fun and exciting event.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 3 (05/14/2025)

 Day three in South Korea was definitely filled with a lot more walking but also some interesting experiences learning about Korea's history. Our first stop was the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History which was an interesting experience learning more about Korea's history, as well as seeing some other fun and captivating exhibits. Afterwards, we all went out for lunch, and I just had a Romaine Caesar Salad which was simple but filling. Once we all had lunch, we went to Cheongwadae, the former presidential home. The building from the outside looked very grand and beautiful with the design of the structure and the mountain view behind it. Once we entered, it was a very big space filled with other historical things such as pictures of former presidents and first ladies. It was a very crowded place but it was overall an interesting experience and cool place to see. At the end of the day, I was too tired to go out for dinner because of the all the walking, so I decided to stay in. Overall, todays experiences were interesting with many cool sights that were seen.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 2 (05/13/2025)

 Day two of this trip started early meeting in the lobby at around 9. Once we all met up, we were give t-money cards and used the subway for the first time. We all took the subway to our K-pop dance class which was exciting but also made me a bit nervous. We learned to dance to the song "like JENNIE" and it was an overall tiring and challenging, but fun and exciting experience. Regardless of how good or bad my dancing was, I still had a lot of fun with it. Once the dance class was over, we all took a short walk to a street in Hongdae that was full of shops and places to eat. We were all given free time for a couple of hours so I first went to the SameE Cafe where I had a drink and also browsed around the K-pop shop that they had there. Once we finished there, I went back to the street and looked around the shops and bought a couple of keychains. Had a lot of fun just walking around and seeing everything. Afterwards, we headed to HiKR GROUND and were given a full tour of the different flowers that had different attractions. One had K-pop music video sets and another contained sets of everyday life in Korea. It was a fun and interesting place to see and learn about. Overall, it was a fun and eventful day full of amazing activities and experiences.

FLAGShip Korea Journal Entries: Day 1 (05/12/2025)

Day one of our South Korea trip was already eventful right when we stepped off the plane. Walking out of the airport, the weather felt cool and sunny at the same time. Our first official stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace which was the largest palace during the Joeseon Dynasty. The palace looks significantly different today than before with many of the original buildings missing due to them being burned down. It was a fun and interesting experience to see the many structures, their history, and the meanings they had behind them. We also went a museum with many captivating exhibitions and nice a coffee break. After touring the palace, we went to get lunch which consisted of many traditional Korean food with were all very good and made a great and filling lunch. Overall, despite getting off the plane and starting the day right away, it was still a fun and exciting experience.