Two weeks ago, I was trying to find a way to get out of Seoul but not go too far. The weather was getting slightly warmer, so I was open to an outdoor spot. Then I decided to look for parks in Gyeonggido and came across a park that had very high reviews in the location of Seongnam (Bundang-gu), South Korea. The name of the park is Yuldong Park (율동 공언), which opened in 1999.
My wife and I took a bus from Sadang Station and then transferred one time there (See transportation information below). Since it was February, it was a bit warmer, but still a bit cold and windy. To prove it, the lake was still frozen as you can see in this picture!
My wife and I started off by getting some coffee to wake us up at Kona Queens Cafe, which is near the entrance of the park and beside the lake. The people there are very friendly and welcome you as you come inside. Since it was the only cafe that we saw there, you can imagine how busy it was.
However, I had a fun experience there as you will see in a minute. But let me tell you first what's it like to be a white guy that is in a smaller city in South Korea. When I take a trip outside of Seoul, I sometimes get more stares especially from babies, who don't see non-Koreans very often. That leads me to my experience at Kona Queens in Yuldong Park. One baby kept staring at me while we were there and his grandparents laughed. Then a mentally disabled man in his 20s kept glaring at me, but mostly out of curiosity. Though his mother tried to keep his attention on her and his sister, his curiosity got the best of him. While my wife went to the restroom and I was looking at my phone, he came over to me and touched my arm. I guess he wanted to see if this non-Korean alien wasn't just a mirage. It scared me for a second, but I thought it was humorous when he smiled after he realized that I was indeed real.
After that my wife and I decided to take a walk and we were really happy with how quiet it was and how long the path was. The park has a 2.5km for both walkers and bike riders, so you can definitely get some exercise if you are trying to burn off some extra calories that you gained over the winter season.
Since it was still a bit breezy, my wife wanted to keep her head a bit warm, so she turned into a Russian for a second by wrapping her scarf around her head:
Due to the fact it was still winter, mostly everything was brown, but in the summer time not only is it green, but you'll get to see a fountain turned on and greenery everywhere. Nevertheless, my wife and I enjoyed the breeze and the beautiful sun shining over the lake. It was nice and clear and we loved admiring the mountains in the background:
As we were heading back to the entrance, we came across a place where you could go bungee jumping. The jump is 45 meters and is restricted for people between the ages of 25-50. The cost is W25,000. You must be between 40 kilograms and 115 kilograms. For more information you can call the Yuldong Park Bungee Jumping Office at: 031-704-6266 or the Parks Department at Seongnam City Hall at 031-729-4390. It's closed during the winter season. Here's what it looks like:
Right next to the bungee jumping platform is a large grassy area. In that section, you'll see a lot of modern art sculptures spread out all over the lawn. And at the far end of the park, there's a traditional Korean building, which was unexpected.
The coolest feature was this statue of Korean children playing musical instruments:
And here's one look from the other side of the grassy area. You can see the lake and the bungee jumping platform off in the distance:
Overall, this park is great for families, couples, or if you want to bring a pet (You are more than welcome to bring your dog here as long as you clean up the animal's mess). During winter, it's very calm and quiet. I'll have to make a trip out here in summer to see how green it is. I totally recommend coming here. You won't be disappointed!
How To Get There: You can take the Bundang Line to Seohyeon Station. Take Exit 2. Then you will reach the basement of AK Plaza Mall. Go out of Gate 4 of the mall and then you will see a bus stop right in front of you. Take bus number 17, 17-1, 15, or 33 to Yuldong Park. Cross the road on an overpass to the parking lot of the park.
Address: 145, Munjeong-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggido, 13576, South Korea
Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)
Instragram: l.a.seoulguy
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