A Foreign Blogger's Trip to Korea

Through the official English blog set up by the Korean Culture and Information Service, a number of foreign bloggers are introducing Korea to the world.

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The so-called "global press corps" have gathered here today.

They are the honorary ambassadors for Korea.

[Interview : Seo Kang-soo, Director Korean Culture and Information Service] "We selected a number of foreigners who have shown interest and love for the Korean culture and who currently run their own blogs. They promote Korea through their blogs and the social media by uploading various content and information. We will continue to use
them to promote Korea".

Built during the Joseon Dynasty, Deoksu Palace was last lived in by King Gojong of the Korean Empire.

Here, we met a foreign blogger who has special ties to Korea.

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Hi, I'm Anne Cole. I've come over from London, and today we're going to be looking around some of Seoul's tourist attractions".

Currently promoting Korea in her home country, she is here to better understand the Korean culture.

As a "jeonggung", or royal residence of the Korean Empire, Deoksu Palace boasts a harmony between the Korean and western architectural style.

This is the first place Anne-Maria has sought to experience Korea's culture first-hand.

She is busy recording the beautiful scenery in the palace.
It was three years ago when she first met Korea.

[ENG]
[Interview : Anne-Maria Caroline Cole, Blogger England] "I first came to Korea in 2008. Almost as soon as I arrived here in Korea, I fell in love with the place. And I've been wanting to come back ever since".

Back at home, she began to record her life in Korea online.

[ENG]
[Interview : Anne-Maria Caroline Cole, Blogger England] "Once I got back to London, I started to crave Korean culture, so I started recording it in the form of a blog, It's called "Kimchi Soul", and it focuses on Korean things in London, such as Korean restaurants
there's a Korean town in New Malden but it also looks at Korea itself. And I looked back at my time in Korea".

As a blogger, she began to yearn for more knowledge about Korea and its culture.

[Interview : Anne-Maria Caroline Cole, Blogger England] "This palace has been through a lot over the years, since the Japanese war, the Japanese occupation of Korea. Actually only 10% of the original buildings are still here, which is really interesting because to me it looks like there's a lot of buildings here but obviously a lot's been lost along the way".

She is taking meticulous notes, trying to get every detail down.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "That's so i'nteresting!"

Her wish is that Korea's traditional culture would become well-known in the world, just like K-pop.

This is her second destination.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] Ok, so now we've come from Deoksu Palace to the National Museum of Korea, and we're going to spend some time looking around the exhibitions here".

The museum offers a glimpse into Korea's history and arts, and the lives of Korean people.

There are so many things to see, from everyday objects to fabulous court artifacts.

Because Korea is so far from her own country, it's difficult for Anne to see these records of Korea's history and culture, despite her keen interest in them.

This experience makes her short stay in Korea even more meaningful.

[ENG]
[Interview : Anne-Maria Caroline Cole, Blogger, England] "It feels really great. It allows me to relate what I know about modern Korean culture and Korea today. It gives a bit of context,
and I can think more deeply now about where everything's come from, and the history, the context of Korea. So I highly recommend it".

So far, she has been immersed in Korea's past. Now, it's time to experience its modern culture. Where is she headed to now

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Now I'm going to Sinsa-dong to check out the tree-lined streets and see if I can hunt down some cool ---

[ENG]
[Interview : PD] "They have like little, petit shops. ---"

[Interview : ] "Yes. Some of the shops here I haven't seen shops quite like them, because usually you'd have to seek them out when they're spread out over a town, but everything's here in one place and they're all
kind of small, independent stores".

What do you think

[ENG]
[Interview : Anne-Maria Caroline Cole, Blogger England] "So I've had an awesome time at the "tree-lined streets today. It has a completely different atmosphere to the rest of Seoul. It's a lot more relaxed, and it's the perfect place to come for a stroll in the afternoon or at the end of the day. But now I'm completely exhausted. I've had a really packed day, and I think it's time to go home and write it all up in my blog".

Thanks to Anne and other enthusiastic foreign bloggers, Korea is becoming a great country to visit and live in among foreigners.

[STUDIO]

I'm a huge fan of these blogs. There's so much practical information they provide. But at the same time you get to see a real personal experience here in Korea.
And everyone's gotten so great at taking pictures so the visuals are so spectacular.
I really like the Seouleats blog for all the food.
That's a good one. I enjoy getting my latest kpop updates on blogs like allkpop.
And there are so many more. Just go out there and do a web search!