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Taekwondo
Most Korean spectator sports will be familiar to Westerners, since martial arts are primarily active rather than passive affairs, and the local spectator sport – ssireum, a form of wrestling – can only really be seen during the Dano festival. Sporty types can get their kicks with taekwondo, baseball, football, golf and rugby among the range of activities on offer. In warmer months it’s possible to have a dip in one of several outdoor swimming pools or rent a bike; the Han-side banks of Yeouido are the best places for both. Additionally, you’ll find pool tables in many of Itaewon’s foreigner bars, usually free to use. More common are pool halls that cater to four-ball billiards, a pocketless version of the game so popular in Korea that live matches are regularly broadcast on television.
Pro baseball Seoul has three main professional teams. The two biggest are the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears, long-time rivals who both play in Jamsil Baseball Stadium (Sports Complex subway), while the Nexen Heroes are a newer team playing west of Yeouido in Mokdong (Omokgyo subway). Games take place most days from April to October, and tickets can cost as little as W5000, though they are often sold out during the playoffs.
Batting cages Avid players can get some practice at a number of batting nets dotted around the city, particularly in the student areas; these cost just W1000 for a minute’s worth of balls. One is marked on the Insadong map.
Smashing Bowl 스매싱볼 145 Itaewon-ro 
02 797 2231; Itaewon subway. Although bowling has not permeated Korean society as much as other American sports, there are a few alleys around the city. This one isn’t a “proper” bowling alley as such, more an excuse to throw heavy objects while having a drink – it’s a lot of fun. Around W7000 per person, per game; there’s another branch south of the river in Gangnam.
K-League Those wanting to watch some professional KLeague action can catch FC Seoul at the World Cup Stadium (
fcseoul.com; tickets from W10,000), with games taking place at weekends from March to October. Seongnam and Suwon, two of the most dominant Korean teams of recent times, also play near Seoul, and Incheon United aren’t far away either; the atmosphere at all grounds is fun but they can be on the empty side, unless you’re lucky enough to be around for a major international game or the closing rounds of the Asian Champions League (see fifa.com for details).
Seoul Sunday League If you prefer to play rather than watch, you can try your luck with the highly competitive Seoul Sunday Football League (ssflkorea.org); this has been in operation for a number of years, and most of the competing teams are based in or around Seoul, though as the standard is quite high you’ll have to be a decent player to get a regular game.
Korean golf courses are among the most expensive in the world – so much so that many local golfers visit Japan to save money. In addition, the courses around Seoul usually require membership – it’s almost impossible to organize this independently, so any action is best arranged by your accommodation or a tourist office.
Driving ranges You can keep your swing in shape at one of the many small driving ranges dotted around Seoul – look for the buildings topped with green nets. These are cheap at around W10,000 for an hour, and clubs can be borrowed for free.
Pro tournaments It’s possible to watch the professionals in action near Seoul: an event on the main men’s Asian tours, the Korea Open (koreaopen.com) is held each September on the Woo Jeong Hills course, near the satellite city of Cheonan. This event has been growing in size and importance, and recent years have seen top golfers such as Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler lifting the trophy.
Ice rinks In winter you can skate outdoors at various places in the city: Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza often turn into gigantic ice rinks for the season (usually Dec–Feb daily 10am–10pm; W1000), though skaters are turfed off every fifteen minutes or so for surfacing. There’s also a year-round rink in Lotte World, which charges W15,000 for entry and skate rental (daily 10am–9.30pm); far cheaper is the Olympic-size rink at Korea National University (daily 2–6pm; W5000), which is within walking distance of Korea University subway station.
Seoul Survivors RFC Although it’s a minority sport in Korea, rugby players can keep in shape by training with Seoul Survivors RFC (facebook.com/seoulsurvivors), an expat squad who practise most weeks. They take part in a few competitions in Korea, and make occasional international tours, including an annual pilgrimage to a 10s tournament in the Philippines. You’ll likely need to be living in Seoul if you want to take part in the matches themselves, but they welcome casual visitors to their practice sessions.
The popularity of winter sports in Korea was already high, even before the country hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018. The Games took place near the east-coast city of Gangneung (accessible by KTX train), but there are also a number of good resorts in the wider Seoul area. Prices are generally quite uniform, with packages available for ski trips of a day, multi-day, afternoon, night, day-and-night, and more. In general, you’ll be able to get a good day’s skiing for W50,000; ski/board rental will cost around W25,000, and all courses also offer instruction for beginners and children. The season usually runs from November to March, with artificial snow augmenting the real stuff in the shoulder periods.
Bears Town bearstown.com. An excellent major ski resort located to the northeast of Seoul, with ten slopes and good facilities for everyone from beginners to experts. In season, it’s accessible via a free shuttle bus from Gangbyeon station (line 2).
Starhill starhillresort.com. You can be skiing in no time at this resort in the Cheonmasan mountain range, which lies just 32km from central Seoul. Buses from Cheongnyangni (line 1) and Jamsil (line 2) stations.
Spa culture has well and truly hit Seoul, with an ever-increasing number of world-class facilities sprouting up around the city. Most of the top hotels have a resident spa, while others are affiliated to major cosmetics brands.
Amore Spa 아모레 스파 21 Apgujeong-ro 29-gil 02 512 3067; Euljiro 1-ga subway. No Korean cosmetics brand enjoys as much global fame as Amore Pacific, who use Eastern elements such as ginseng, green tea and bamboo sap in their products. They’re best enjoyed at the company’s renowned spa, located on the tenth floor of the huge Lotte complex; facials start at around W120,000, and it’s at least double that for full-body treatments.
Dragon Hill Spa 드래곤힐 스파 40 Hangang-daero 21-gil 02 792 0001, dragonhillspa.co.kr; Yongsan subway. Abutting Yongsan station, this is more of an oversized jjimjilbang than a spa, but you’ll find spa-like facilities – including Thai massage and skincare programmes – in the grounds of this vast complex. Entry Mon–Fri 5am–8pm W12,000, 8pm–5am W15,000; W14,000 on weekends.
Guerlain Spa 겔랑 스파 249 Dongho-ro 02 2233 3131, guerlainspa.com; Dongguk University subway. Have your feet pampered while enjoying a mountain view in this elegant spa, tucked away inside the Shilla hotel. Treatments range from simple hour-long facials (from W165,000) to full-day packages (from W900,000).
Sulwhasoo Spa 설화수 스파 3F Lotte Hotel, 30 Euljiro 02 318 6121; Euljiro 1-ga subway. Operated by yet another mammoth Korean cosmetics brand, this decidedly opulent spa is spread over two floors in the huge Lotte Hotel. Facials start at around W130,000, and full-body treatments from W210,000.
Indoor pools Unless you’re staying at a higher-end hotel or serviced apartment, you may find it tricky to get a swim in Seoul. Municipal pools do exist in most parts of the city but are often far out of the centre; ask at a tourist office to track down the one closest to you.
Outdoor pools In summer (usually June–August), a number of outdoor pools open up around the Hangang; most convenient for visitors are those on the western side of Yeouido park (daily 9am–6pm; W5000). The Hamilton Hotel also opens its rooftop pool to non-residents during the summer months (daily 9am–6pm; W22,000).
There are a number of places where foreign visitors can watch, or have a go at, this Korean martial art. The best place is Namsangol Hanok Village, which puts on free performances every day bar Tuesday, and in summer often runs hands-on programmes for people to try themselves; alternatively, there are free practice sessions by Sungnyemun gate every Sat at 4pm (Jun, Sep & Oct only). Tourist information offices can advise on these as well as organizing longer programmes: figure on around W50,000 per day. In addition, there are occasional performances and tournaments at Kukkiwon (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; free), a hall near Gangnam station and the home of Korea’s national sport.
the History of Taekwondo
The martial art of taekwondo (태권도) is Korea’s best-known cultural export to the wider world. It has its roots in the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC–668 AD), when several different forms of unarmed combat existed across the peninsula. Local martial arts faded away during the philosophical Confucianist heyday of the Joseon kingdom (1392–1910), and came close to extinction during the subsequent period of Japanese occupation (1910–45), when attempts were made at a systematic annihilation of Korean culture. Taekwondo only truly came into existence in 1955, at the close of the Korean War: short on money and equipment, the local military used martial arts as a cheap way of keeping soldiers fit, and lassoed together what remained of the dynastic styles – it is still used as an integral part of military training to this day. Taekwondo has since become a staple martial art around the world, with official organizations in more than one hundred countries. It was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Seoul Olympics of 1988, and became a medal event in 2000.
Medical tourism
As strange as it may sound, medical tourism has been one of Seoul’s biggest growth industries in recent years. The majority of customers hail from other Asian countries, and visit Korea to take advantage of Apgujeong’s seemingly infinite number of plastic surgery clinics. It’s not only aesthestic treatments that are on the rise; the price of hospital care in Korea is much lower than in most other developed countries, and in many cases the waiting time is minimal. The most popular clinic with foreigners is the Jaseng centre (jaseng.net) in Apgujeong, which specializes in spine and joint problems and uses a combination of Eastern and Western treatments. Though far from cheap, their services attract hundreds of foreigners each month, many of whom fly into Seoul especially for this purpose. For more on-the-ground recommendations, contact the Medical Tourism Information Centre (02 752 2104, visitmedicalkorea.com), at the KTO Tourist Information Center, near Cheonggyecheon, or at their desk at Incheon Airport.
The Korean Open, a WTA event, is held at Seoul Olympic Park every September. This is a fairly major event on the women’s calendar, and past winners have included Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki. The few public courts around the city are members-only affairs, though it may be possible to get a game at some high-school courts (after classes have finished, of course).