In Korea, there are two main holidays that are a big deal for families. The first is Lunar New Year and the second is
Chuseok, a harvest festival often referred to as "Korean Thanksgiving" despite being ages older than American and Canadian Thanksgiving. It is also always held on a full moon, thanks to the lunar calendar.
On this holiday, millions of Korean people get in their cars, or board trains or buses, to go back to their hometowns. In a city like Seoul, population just under 10 million, the vast majority of residents don't call Seoul their hometown. So we traditionally get millions of people leaving the city on these holidays.
Meanwhile, foreigners flood the city, including migrant labourers enjoying rare time off from their factories and westerners with nothing else to do. You can't exactly travel the country due to the high amount of domestic traffic unless you're headed in Seoul's direction. So traditionally, we have a UE meetup around now. Here's what happened this year.
1. Friday night before the long weekend had the fewest people around, so I took two trusted friends down to an active subway tunnel. Since last visit, the train line has extended, which apparently meant increased frequency of service. Previously you'd see a train once every ten minutes, but it was much faster this time.
2. I've never had to run from a train before. Fortunately we had a minute's warning, but I'd hate to think of someone less experienced going down there.
3. Day 2 begins with a Chuseok gift of a cat-coloured pear and a knife.
4. This day, I met with six other white male urban explorers based in Korea, some who I've met before, some I was meeting for the first time. We hit an old neighbourhood in Gangnam that was suffering a very low occupancy rate.
5. Up at the top, we ran into an old man slinging a green net with a docile dog inside, which he was probably selling for meat. Didn't get a picture, but along this road.
6. This is what we call
a moon village, basicaly an ageing neighbourhood closer to the moon.
7. This area is inhabited only by ageing people who can't move anywhere better. A lot of the buildings are extremely poorly maintained, and the elegant roofs are usually the first thing to go.
8. From way at the top, we launched a drone. Feel free to
peruse the footage.
9. After, we went out for a feast, and a couple guys in the group saw the crane machine. After about ten minutes, I started to worry about all the money they wasted.
10. Turns out, they made off like bandits.
11. Then, we went to the Galaxy Apartment complex, which previously had 126 buildings, down to maybe half a dozen. And there are still a couple buildings with single occupants remaining.
12. On the morning of the holiday, I walked through one of the country's busiest markets.
13. I also investigated a former abandoned site, where they had completed an archaeological expedition that dredged up a lot of history, and they were in the process of covering it up.
14. I enjoy brownfield zones. They're a vibrant combination of vibrant and artificial. This one was less overrun with vegetation than I remembered, but we were always surrounded by waterfowl.
15. We were joined by a couple Korean friends who managed to get away from family obligations.
16. Abandoned pumping station, drains under construction. Lots of fun.
17. Our resident Detroiter identified this as tomato plants.
18. Checking out some of that underground infrastructure they're building.
19. Group photo minus me.
20. We discovered a caterpillar crawling across the wasteland.
21. I hate caterpillars more than anything, but this one was cute.
22. Delivered to a grassy area!
23. Chuseok moon rising over the wasteland.
24. We collected our breath over a few beers at a convenience store across the road.
25. Due to all the migrant workers being freed from labour, the Russian district is always jumping this time of year. And the food is always excellent.
26. Next day, we hit a semi-abandoned amusement park. The rides are SBNO, but the owner still maintains an office on site and allows anyone to crawl around his rides as long as you pay a 5000 KRW cover.
27. It's probably not urban exploring if you're in a miniskirt and high heels.
28. Or is it?
29. The owner said that this was the busiest day he's seen in his entire time out of operation. Tons of cosplayers there, as well as two wedding photo shoots, and us.
30. One such couple.
31. Time for
another launch.
32. Beats running into scrappers and junkies.
33. Not our model.
34.
35. Wedding couple number 2.
36. There are two UNESCO World Heritage sites near my home, separated by a long, thin road that's always blocked up. So, they're working on a plan to submerge the road so the palace and shrine can connect over land. In the meantime, a lot of fun to play around in.
37.
38. Whee!
39. And more food.
40. And break for cats at home.
41. Tuesday, the last night of the four-day weekend, looked like it would end peacefully with a Korean studies lecture on musical heritage preservation, but we went to an old house for food and traditional alcohol.
42. We ran into the lead singer of a local hardcore band, Find the Spot.
43. And that ended with us drinking until 2am on a nearby roof. The empty lot in the foreground is another brownfield zone I tried sneaking into two days prior but was caught doing so.
44. Anyway, that's how we roll in Korea.
The places, the cats, the food...all enjoyable, fun things to do. Always love your post. Glimpses of life and exploration in places I've never been. Even the Russian food looked good and colorful...I tried to imagine what was on that plate. Looks like cabbage, yam, and pimento/ or red pepper....How did i do? 
