“Compact and extremely versatile, with excellent infrastructure for work and leisure – South Korea really took me by surprise. The country is already well known as a workation hotspot, but it’s also a great destination for bleisure travel.” Claudia Brüggen
Skyscrapers, glass façades, the hustle and bustle of the city – the traffic of Seoul flies by after my business meeting. On the other side of the road lies a different world. Set against a backdrop of blue sky and mountain vistas, Gyeongbokgung Palace stretches out before us. As we step inside, the noise falls silent. The confines of the city give way to spacious courtyards, flanked by dark-red wooden façades, beams with colourful patterns and curved hanok roofs. For over 500 years, the Joseon Dynasty ruled the country from the palaces of Seoul.
Back on the street, the present catches up with us again. For days now, a stage of superlatives has been taking shape in front of the palace gates. Our trip happens to coincide with the week of BTS’s comeback. The world’s most successful K-Pop band hasn’t performed on stage for four years, so the event goes far beyond music. The band’s impact on the South Korean economy is estimated at around 4 to 5 billion US dollars annually. K-Beauty, K-Pop, K-Food, K-Drama – hardly any other country understands how to consistently export its culture globally and capitalise on it economically quite like South Korea. Time to delve deeper into this world.
Perfect working environment
With every passing day of my tour of South Korea, I realise more and more how much I’ve underestimated the country as a bleisure destination. Workation has been promoted here to some extent already now, but the country offers the perfect conditions for a bleisure hotspot too. From widespread high-speed Wi-Fi and hotel rooms with well-designed workspaces to high-speed trains that take me to the other end of the country in just 2.5 hours. The reason for this stems from South Korean working culture itself. Business travel is part of everyday life and the infrastructure is well suited to this. Even Airbnbs here are often more spacious, better equipped, and more affordable than their European counterparts. Added to this – South Koea’s geography: a compact, densely populated country where mountains, the sea, cities, and cultural highlights are all easily accessible within a short time.
“Have you eaten yet?”
Ediya Coffee, Starbucks, Tom N Toms Coffee: Judging by the number of coffee shops, the country ought to be floating on a constant caffeine high. The large chains are also well equipped for work. The small cafés, however, are a different story: more like a stage than an office, stylishly designed and featuring sweet treats that are almost too beautiful to eat. The fact that South Korea is one of the world’s leading coffee-consuming nations fits in with everyday life, which is often characterised by a fast pace and pressure to perform. This is also evident in the cityscape: benches are just as rare as litter bins – everything is constantly on the move.
One of the few moments when the world slows down here is when people eat together. “Have you eaten yet?” is a caring greeting in South Korea. The density of restaurants in the country is probably even higher than that of cafés. In short, for a foodie like me, it’s basically Disneyland, only better. Banchan – the side dishes – make my heart skip a beat. They arrive in little bowls; the table is often barely visible beneath all the food, with free refills included. Korean cuisine simply wouldn’t be the same without kimchi, fermented cabbage.
The meat usually melts in the mouth, whether grilled, in a soup such as dwaeji-gukbap, or stir-fried like bulgogi. Mandu – crispy or steamed dumplings – are also a must for me. Chimaek – fried chicken with beer – is particularly popular in the evening. Even more popular than beer with a meal is soju, a clear rice spirit – and in a sense, also part of the working culture. That’s because going out for a meal with your colleagues and boss after work is regarded here as a sort of team-building event and is called hwesik. It’s not uncommon for people to have a few too many, because when the boss offers a top-up, you don’t say no.
From the underground to the summit
We leave the garish neon signs and the noise of the streets behind us, until all we can feel is a pleasant breeze on our faces. Once at the top, a 360-degree view of the Seoul skyline awaits us. After all, Seoul isn’t just surrounded by mountains – it has them right in the heart of the city, such as Namsan, Inwangsan, Ansan and others. It’s practically a direct journey from the underground station to the summit. The Namsan Cable Car up to the N Seoul Tower is quite a relaxing ride. The Ansan Jarak-gil Trail offers more of a natural experience.
A bit more challenging hiking trails can be found just outside the city gates in Bukhansan National Park. I love the peace and quiet, but above all, I love that I can choose between tranquility and hustle and bustle every day. In Seoul, the day doesn’t end after work; somehow, it only just begins. Whether it’s late-night shopping in Myeong-dong, the international vibe in Itaewon or the university district of Hongdae with its indie music scene – every neighbourhood has its own highlights.
Busan – seeing the sea
The The next day, we head south towards the sea. In around 2.5 hours, the express train takes us to the other side of the country, to Busan. With a population of 3.3 million people, the city is small compared to Seoul. We spend our first day in the lesser-known Huinnyeoul Culture Village. Originally a refuge for displaced people from the Korean War, it is now lined with artists’ studios and cafés offering views of the sea. Perched on a hill above the waves, the white and colourfully painted houses look out over the ocean and the Busan skyline – exuding an almost “Greek-island-vibe”. I fall in love with the place straight away and could spend hours on one of the terraces of the many cafés, soaking up the view. The only downside to Busan is that the city stretches a long way beside the coast. This means it’s worth thinking carefully beforehand about which district you want to spend most of your time in, as journeys to other neighbourhoods can easily take an hour or two, depending on the route. Incidentally, the districts themselves could hardly be more different from each other. The beaches around Gwangalli and Haeundae have a Florida-like atmosphere, alongside modern skyscraper-lined cityscapes – almost nowhere else in the country is the atmosphere as international as it is here.
In stark contrast to this is Gamcheon Culture Village, a former slum whose small, colourful houses climb up the hillside like a mosaic. It’s very “Instagrammable”, but to me – at least on the main streets – it’s definitely too crowded. In between lies Nampo, with its narrow alleyways, street food stalls and rugged harbour vibes – right in the middle of it all is Jagalchi Market, the country’s largest fish market, which, surprisingly, hardly smells like fish at all. To me, it feels more like a gigantic aquarium, as many fish swim around here in small tanks.
The journey continues across the bridge to Yeongdo Island, which, with its idyllic coastal walking trails, is one of Busan’s most beautiful recreational areas. This is also where the Hyuil X Desker Workation Centre is located, offering views of the sea and the Busan skyline. Anyone planning a workation in South Korea will find an overview of co-working spaces and suitable accommodation across the country on The Hyuil platform. Specifically for Busan, “Busaness” brings together all the useful information on workations.
It’s clear to me that I’ll have to come back here soon.
Claudia Brüggen …
… has been travelling the world and working remotely as a journalist and illustrator for eight years.
She has been very impressed by the Korean way of working and living.
Bleisure Tips
Seoul: Paläste Gyeongbokgung und Changdeokgung, National Museum von Korea (eines der größten der Welt)
Food & Shopping: Gwangjang Market – über 5.000 Läden und Food-Stände
Gyeongju: 30 Min. mit dem Schnellzug von Busan – ehemalige Hauptstadt des Sillareiches, gilt als Museum ohne Mauern, die Innenstadt ist durchzogen von mehr als 200 Hügelgräbern,
manche mit über 20 m Höhe, kulturelle Einrichtungen sind im Land oft gratis oder sehr günstig
Busan: Die Songdo Cable Car schwebt über das Meer – einmalige Aussicht, Küstentempel Haedong Yonggungsa
Suncheon Bay Wetlands: imposantes Feuchtgebiet und Heimat für viele Zugvögel – Wandern mit Städtetrip nach Suncheon verbinden
Info Destination
South Korea thrives from a mix of ultra-modern cities, temples, fishing villages, subtropical islands, and a largely green, hilly landscape.
Location and population: in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. 52 million inhabitants; one of the most populous countries in the world
Currency: 1,000 South Korean won = 0.61 euros
Travelling to Seoul: with Lufthansa, for example, directly from Munich to Seoul; other airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways operate with a layover
Navigation: due to limited Google Maps functionality, Naver Map and KakaoMap are currently the standard options. in 2026, the
use of high-precision map data for Google was approved, so a significant improvement is on the way
Public transport & payment: the rechargeable T-Money card is standard for buses, the underground, and taxis
Photos:© Claudia Brüggen, iStock.com/Mantas Volungevicius, istock/Alberto Marrupe Gutierrez, istock/ Marco_Piunti, istock/ AP Tolangistock, istock/ VTT Studio
