After seeing the sights in the Changgyeonggung area, I wound up at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is absolutely magnificent. There were so many people there.

I walked out to the palace grounds and took photos of everything I could see. There was one particular spot that was so beautiful. It was a little veranda-type place located in the middle of a little pond surrounded by various trees turning different fall shades. It really was something to see.

Right next to that was the Korean Folk Museum. Much of my day had already been spent, so by the time I reached this area, it was closed. But I was able to walk around the grounds and take some nice photos.

SOUTH OF THE GWANGHWAMUN GATE

Outside of this palace is the Gwanghwamun Square, which looks like a miniature Times Square. In the middle of the square are two legendary heroes of the Korean culture: King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

King Sejong was a famous king in the 15th century who did so much for the nation of Korea. One of the great things he did was create the Hangul, which is the Korean alphabet. He also helped push for better economical growth, scientific endeavors, and technology.  

Admiral Yi Sun Shin is one of the most famous wartime heroes of Korean culture, if not the most famous. He is credited with leading the defeat of the Japanese fleet, which far outnumbered the Korean navy, at the end of the 16th century. I watched the movie “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” which was quite good, save the continual slow motion close ups.

There was also a very interesting memorial walkway along the square that named each year of the country’s existence. Of course, I took photos of the squares showing 1950-1953, the time of the Korean War.

From there, I went home and fell fast asleep after a hot shower and writing a blog post. Next up will be my Saturday, which was really amazing, frustrating, and ended with a real unexpected delight. Hope you’ll check it out.