Since it’s the traveling season, there’s plenty of tourist spots to visit. One of those spots is South Korea, home to vast culture, foods, and entertainment.
In South Korea is the city of Sejong, which is also known as a smart city. But what can you do in Sejong, and is it worth visiting?
Sejong city in South Korea is the leading smart city in Korea. It is known for beautiful sights such as cherry blossoms, making it a worthwhile visit for photographers and those looking for relaxation.
With the rich history and culture, there are plenty of activities to do such as visiting the Sejong Lake Park, the various statues and museums, and going to lounge centers.
The rest of this article will cover what to do in the city, where to stay, what Sejong is known for, and a brief conclusion.
What To Do In Sejong
The sights in Sejong (세종시 or 세종특별자치시) are some of the most gorgeous in South Korea. There are countless libraries, statues, landmarks, and parks to visit.
There’s also amazing food and entertainment such as lounges, city tours, and bowling centers.
Sejong is a nice city with plenty of activities, and many of them revolve around sightseeing.
If you’re planning to go to Sejong, prepare yourself to learn a lot about new cultures and history along with seeing landmarks, like statues, that are unlike any other.
Sejong Lake Park
Sejong Lake Park is a gorgeous park that looks even more magnificent at night. There’s an artificial, indoor island on the water that houses a small theater.
Tourists love to go inside the indoor island and relax, watching performances and taking pictures.
The park itself is larger than it looks, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby after you’re done with your exercise.
Expect to see other tourists since Sejong Lake Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sejong!
National Library Of Korea, Sejong
As the name implies, this tourist attraction is the national library in Sejong.
There are plenty of hotels in Sejong that are near this library, making it a great attraction go to when you want to explore the city and the culture. Of course, you can also find many books at the library.
Another benefit is that there are computer rooms inside in case you forget your laptop.
There are plenty of facilities inside, including a multimedia room, a café, a cafeteria, a meeting room, a classroom, a fitness center, and many more!
The Statue Of Peace
The Statue of Peace (평화의 소녀상) is also known as the Comfort Woman Statue. It is a statue of a girl and is meant to bring comfort and peace to those who visit her.
She is a symbol to those who were victims of sexual slavery, hence why she is seen as a comfort woman.
In Korea, the Statue of Peace came about to urge the Japanese to apologize on behalf of the victims of World War II. Nowadays, she is a common tourist attraction.
Tourists love to take pictures of the statue and feel comforted by her presence and symbolism.
Bear Tree Park
Bear Tree Park is one of the most beautiful landmarks in Sejong.
Not only does it have wide bodies of water that are great for pictures, but it also has black bear enclosures and shops!
It’s one of the most popular tourist spots in Sejong for a reason: it’s wonderful!
Fun fact: there are over 1,000 different types of flowers and trees at Bear Tree Park. It started as a private garden for entrepreneur Lee Jae-yeon (이재연).
It opened to everyone in 2009 and became a hit with the public and tourists alike.
There’s more to do than just look at bears, though!
There are also indoor and outdoor gardens with displays of bonsai, junipers, wildflowers, and more. On top of that, there are more animals than bears. There are also families of deer and birds.
The Food Of Sejong
Food is a massive aspect of Korean culture and there’s a wide variety of types of foods.
There’s side dishes (반찬), dumplings (만두), stews, and more! Sejong has all these same foods. Although street food is more common in Seoul, you can still find it in Sejong too.
Street food is a cheaper option to restaurants with ready-to-eat meals available to you.
Typical street foods are Korean style fried chicken, Korean dumplings, and bibimbap (비빔밥). Bibimbap is mixed rice with vegetables, and it normally has a raw or fried egg and sliced meat.
There’s more to the food than street food, though. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes that supply you with Korean culture.
There’s a cafe called Classic that’s a highly rated coffee shop in Sejong. It’s considered one of the best in Sejong, and you should stop by if you love coffee!
Let’s move on to the meat! The Sirloin Lab in Sejong is perfect for meat lovers. It’s another highly rated place.
If you’re looking for stews and noodles, Ibiga Jjambbong (이비가짬뽕) is the restaurant for you. It’s one of the most popular restaurants for tourists.
Bowling Lounges
In Sejong, there are plenty of bowling lounges you can choose from! The Lounge Bowling Center (세종 더 라운지 볼링센터) is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a fun bowling alley packed with refreshments and bowling at affordable prices.
There’s also the Woosung Bowlingjang (우성볼링장).
Both of these places are similar in the sense that they have lots of food, drinks, games, and bowling. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, or have fun with your friends or family.
Sejong City Tours
There’s city tours offered all around Sejong for your pleasure.
You can give yourself a tour by navigating the subways and various transportation methods, or you can go to a tour guide and have them show you the ropes. Most tour guides will speak English.
The reason why a tour is useful is because you’ll get a basic layout of the city you’re staying in.
The guides will point out not only landmarks, but they’ll show you the shopping malls and best places to buy food. The shopping is especially useful information in case you forget something.
Cherry Blossoms
Lastly, the best spot for pictures and romance are the cherry blossom paths. Sejong has three major cherry blossom paths all worth visiting if you have the extra time.
There’s the Jocheon (조천), the Buyong (부용), and the Reservoir Cherry Blossom path.
These three are very similar with the main difference being their location. The Jocheon surrounds several areas, not just Sejong.
The Reservoir is similar. The Buyong doesn’t surround as many places, but it’s still wide enough to go along the Geumgang River (금강).
What makes cherry blossom paths so popular is the relaxing appeal. They’re aesthetic paths with high quality photo value.
If you’re a romantic, they’re also a great place for love to spark. In some cultures, like Chinese cultures, cherry blossoms symbolize love.
Where To Stay In Sejong
Hotels are your best option in Sejong. There’s a versatile amount of 5-star, 4-star, and 3-star hotels available to you, or you can go to motels with self-check-ins.
The prices will vary based on the quality of the hotel and the location of the hotel.
Hotels are better for those looking for more service and amenities. If you’re looking for a more independent stay, then a self-check-in motel would be better for you.
The difference is that a self-check-in gives the guests a kiosk to check-in and out of, and also gives service requests.
These motels are quiet and focused on letting you do what you want without having to worry about staff coming to you.
That is, unless you ask them to. So it all depends on what type of service you’re looking for.
Best Western Plus Hotel Sejong
The Best Western Plus Hotel Sejong has a variety of rooms ranging from small suites to large ones.
There’s also the classic double bed and single bedrooms. This is a good hotel for smaller groups, but not so friendly toward large families unless you’re looking to get a big suite.
Along with that, the Best Western is a non-smoking facility. This means that no smoking is allowed in the rooms or on the property.
As for amenities, there is free Wi-Fi, a 24/7 front desk, a large parking lot, and a coffee shop. It’s a higher quality hotel, so be prepared for high prices.
Sejong Feel Self Check-In Motel
The next place on our list is a self-check-in motel that’s affordable and convenient. Although not very fancy, it still has all your basic needs like free Wi-Fi, housekeeping, air conditioning, and self-parking.
The best part about this motel is that it’s very cheap. Although there is no on-site restaurant, there is a Fish soup Restaurant Riverview only 5 minutes away from the motel. It is a very family-friendly place, and there are plentiful amounts of rooms to choose from.
Sejong Grand
This hotel is another affordable one that’s for travelers coming for business or for leisure. It’s not large, so it isn’t something to bring a big family to, but it’s good for lone travelers or small groups.
Museums and restaurants are short drives away, making it an accessible hotel.
It doesn’t offer much in the way of amenities. It only has Wi-Fi in public areas and a parking lot, not much else.
However, the place is still clean and has plenty of space available. It’s in a convenient location for a cheap price that you won’t get at other hotels in similar locations.
Other Self Check-In Motels
There are countless numbers of self-check-in motels scattered around Sejong. Another motel like the Sejong Feel is the Sejong Feel Sarang (Sarang or 사랑, it means love in Korean). These motels provide little intrusion and give you lots of quiet time.
What Sejong Is Known For
Sejong is known for being a smart city. It’s very advanced with its architecture and landmarks.
The Statue of Peace is especially symbolic within the Sejong community. It’s a popular spot for both the public and tourists, and that is one of the landmarks Sejong is most known for.
It would be impossible to talk about Sejong’s influence without mentioning the cherry blossoms.
The three main paths that run through Sejong are extremely popular and gorgeous. Photographers go there with their models to do photoshoots, and it’s wonderful for love too!
The two big parks in Sejong, the Sejong Lake Park and the Bear Tree Park, are two of Sejong’s most famous attractions.
The beauty is what draws people in, and each park has something unique to offer. The Lake Park has a theatre, and the Bear Tree Park has animals.
Lastly, Sejong is seen as the standard for other cities trying to become a smart city with their infrastructure.
Not only is Sejong a smart city, but it influences how other cities plan themselves. The planning of Sejong was so detailed that it’s considered an inspiration in South Korea.
Conclusion
Sejong is also called the smart city, and it is a popular city for tourists. It’s great for sightseeing and culture for those who are more interested in relaxing getaways.
There are countless activities such as: city tours, parks, bowling, and visiting libraries.
There are numerous hotels and self-check-in motels to book during your stay. You can choose from 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star hotels and motels.
The pricing will vary based on the location of the building, and also the quality of the services and rooms.
Finally, Sejong is famous for many things including it being a smart city, the cherry blossoms, the parks, and the inspiration it has given other cities.
Sejong is not the most well-known city in South Korea. However, it is still very impactful to the other cities in Korea and around Asia.
