{"id":11475,"date":"2026-09-10T09:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T07:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bleisuretraveller.com\/?p=11475"},"modified":"2026-09-01T09:06:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T07:06:34","slug":"efficient-relaxed-in-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bleisuretraveller.com\/en\/efficient-relaxed-in-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Efficient & relaxed in South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCompact and extremely versatile, with excellent infrastructure for work and leisure \u2013 South Korea really took me by surprise. The country is already well known as a workation hotspot, but it\u2019s also a great destination for bleisure travel.\u201d \bClaudia Br\u00fcggen<\/h3>\n

Skyscrapers, glass fa\u00e7ades, the hustle and bustle of the city \u2013 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 fa\u00e7ades, beams with colourful \u00adpatterns and curved hanok roofs. For over 500 years, the \u00adJoseon Dynasty ruled the country from the palaces of Seoul.<\/p>\n

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Gyeongbokgung Palace during cloudy summer day. With people walking through a gate to enter Palace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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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\u2019s comeback. The world\u2019s most successful K-Pop band hasn\u2019t performed on stage for four years, so the event goes far beyond music. The band\u2019s impact on the South Korean economy is estimated at around 4 to 5 billion US dollars annually. K-Beauty, K-Pop, K-Food, \u00adK-Drama \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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Myeongdong in Seoul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perfect working environment<\/h4>\n

With every passing day of my tour of South Korea, I realise more and more how much I\u2019ve 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 \u2013 South Koea\u2019s geography: a compact, densely populated country where mountains, the sea, cities, and cultural highlights are all easily \u00adaccessible within a short time.<\/p>\n

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Gamcheon Culture Village cityscape with colorful houses and buildings stacked on a steep hillside, creating a vibrant scene<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHave you eaten yet?\u201d<\/h4>\n

Ediya Coffee, Starbucks, Tom N Toms Coffee: Judging by the number of coffee shops, the country ought to be floating on a constant \u00adcaffeine high. The large chains are also well equipped for work. The small caf\u00e9s, 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\u2019s 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 \u2013 everything is \u00adconstantly on the move.<\/p>\n

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Seoul Nightlife Street food Local restaurant with people Local restaurant front shop with people<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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 caf\u00e9s. In short, for a foodie like me, it\u2019s basically Disneyland, only better. Banchan \u2013 the side dishes \u2013 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\u2019t be the same without kimchi, fermented cabbage.<\/p>\n

The meat usually melts in the mouth, whether grilled, in a soup such as dwaeji-gukbap, or stir-fried like bulgogi. Mandu \u2013 crispy or steamed dumplings \u2013 are also a must for me. Chimaek \u2013 fried chicken with beer \u2013 is particularly popular in the evening. Even more popular than beer with a meal is soju, a clear rice spirit \u2013 and in a sense, also part of the working culture. That\u2019s 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\u2019s not uncommon for \u00adpeople to have a few too many, because when the boss offers a top-up, you don\u2019t say no.<\/p>\n

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From the underground to the summit<\/h4>\n

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\u2019t just surrounded by mountains \u2013 it has them right in the heart of the city, such as Namsan, Inwangsan, Ansan and others. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t end after work; somehow, it only just begins. Whether it\u2019s late-night shopping in Myeong-dong, the international vibe in Itaewon or the university district of Hongdae with its indie music scene \u2013 every neighbourhood has its own highlights.<\/p>\n

Busan \u2013 seeing the sea<\/h4>\n

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\u2019 studios and caf\u00e9s 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 \u2013 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 caf\u00e9s, soaking up the view. The only downside to Busan is that the city stretches a long way beside the coast. This means it\u2019s 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 \u2013 almost nowhere else in the country is the atmosphere as international as it is here.<\/p>\n

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Gamcheon Culture Village cityscape with colorful houses and buildings stacked on a steep hillside, creating a vibrant scene<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Landscape view of Haeundae beach in Busan, South Korea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In stark contrast to this is Gamcheon Culture Village, a former slum whose small, colourful houses climb up the hillside like a mosaic. It\u2019s very “Instagrammable”, but to me \u2013 at least on the main streets \u2013 it\u2019s definitely too crowded. In between lies Nampo, with its narrow alleyways, street food stalls and rugged harbour vibes \u2013 right in the middle of it all is Jagalchi Market, the country\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The journey continues across the bridge to Yeongdo Island, which, with its idyllic coastal walking trails, is one of Busan\u2019s 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 accommoda\u00adtion across the country on The Hyuil platform. Specifically for Busan, “Busaness” brings together all the useful information on workations.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear to me that I\u2019ll have to come back here soon.<\/p>\n

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Claudia Br\u00fcggen …<\/h3>\n

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…\u00a0has been travelling the world and working remotely as a journalist and illustrator for eight years.
\nShe has been very impressed by the Korean way of working and living.<\/p>\n

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Bleisure Tips<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Seoul: Pal\u00e4ste Gyeongbokgung und Changdeokgung, National Museum von Korea (eines der gr\u00f6\u00dften der Welt)<\/p>\n

Food & Shopping: Gwangjang Market \u2013 \u00fcber 5.000 L\u00e4den und Food-St\u00e4nde<\/p>\n

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 H\u00fcgelgr\u00e4bern,
\nmanche mit \u00fcber 20 m H\u00f6he, kulturelle Einrichtungen sind im Land oft gratis oder sehr g\u00fcnstig<\/p>\n

Busan: Die Songdo Cable Car schwebt \u00fcber das Meer \u2013 einmalige Aussicht, K\u00fcstentempel Haedong Yonggungsa<\/p>\n

Suncheon Bay Wetlands: imposantes Feuchtgebiet und Heimat f\u00fcr viele Zugv\u00f6gel – Wandern mit St\u00e4dtetrip nach Suncheon verbinden<\/p>\n

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Info Destination<\/strong><\/h4>\n

South Korea thrives from a mix of ultra-modern cities, temples, fishing villages, subtropical islands, and a largely green, hilly landscape.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Currency: 1,000 South Korean won = 0.61 euros<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Navigation: due to limited Google Maps functionality, Naver Map and KakaoMap are currently the standard options. in 2026, the
\nuse of high-precision map data for Google was approved, so a significant improvement is on the way<\/p>\n

Public transport & payment: the rechargeable T-Money card is standard for buses, the underground, and taxis<\/p>\n

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Photos:\u00a9 C<\/em>laudia Br\u00fcggen, iStock.com\/Mantas Volungevicius, istock\/Alberto Marrupe Gutierrez, istock\/ Marco_Piunti, istock\/ AP Tolangistock, istock\/ VTT Studio<\/p>\n

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