Being a Korean king doubtless had its perks, but you didn’t get much time to yourself. Seven historiographers accompanied the king 24 hours a day to document everything he did, says my guide, Ryu Yang-soo. “And I mean everything — right down to the timings of his bowel movements…” So much for the dignity of high office. “Once a king fell off his horse while hunting and pleaded with the historiographers not to record it. How do we know? Because the historiographers recorded that he pleaded with them not to record it.”
Spring has arrived in South Korea, and hopes are high that tourism will blossom as brightly as the cherry trees at the roadsides. “You’re the first tourist I’ve guided in three years,” Ryu says ruefully. “My English has got very rusty. But now things will get better.”
South Korea’s cherry blossom can rival the best in Japan, and it has fascinating cultural sites and scenic trails too. There isn’t exactly a “golden route”, but visitors might typically combine the excitement of Seoul with a traditional stay in ancient Jeonju and more laid-back beach time in Busan. A new bullet train route from Seoul to Andong launched last year, bringing destinations such as historic Hahoe Village within two hours’ reach of the capital. Yet for British tourists at least, the country has languished in the shadow of its neighbour. This year might change all that. After Covid’s hard winter, the government has finally lifted most restrictions so that now — unlike Japan or China — this is a destination fully open to visitors.
So here I am, where you might say it all started for Korea: the city of Jeonju, a 90-minute train ride south of Seoul. This was the homeland of Yi Seong-gye, who founded the Joseon dynasty in 1392 and in doing so established the sweet spot in Korean history — a 500-year period that permanently shaped the country’s culture, from Confucian ideals to the use of a Korean (rather than Chinese) alphabet. And, of…