Old vs New Seoul
I swear it wasn't on purpose, but lately we've made a lot of videos about Seoul city itself.
Our most recent one takes a trip back in time, comparing the Seoul of yesteryear to the Seoul of today. This one took quite a bit of planning.
First we had to do research. We started at the history museum – reading, flipping, scanning archives and books. Then we had to figure out where they were taken. We scouted all the locations ahead of time to see which ones were going to work and which ones were too difficult.
For example, a lot of the old photos from Gwangwhamun Square were taken from a very high angle, like out the window of one of the buildings lining the square. Unfortunately, these buildings aren't accessible to the public anymore. Or in Namdaemun, you used to be able to walk right up to the gate, and now it's surrounded by a multi-lane ring of high-speed traffic. Those shots are no-gos.
Also, the city has drastically changed, so a lot of the spots that the original photo was taken are gone or became a car road, or you don't event recognize the building. Here are some shots we couldn't duplicate, but that show the city really well.
Gwanghwamun square before 1995, early 1990s (unknown)
Gwanghwamun square before 2011 (photographed by CK)
We started planning all of this over the winter, when it was still too cold to shoot. This week we actually went out and filmed it. Four days of solid filming, making sure each shot was lined up right, or waiting for the right number of people to pass in frame. Soo Zee filmed most of it, cycling all over the city to get these shots from Seoul's most iconic landmarks.
All of this just reminded us of how much we love our city. While filming this video, we realized there are so many places we haven't been and there are still more to see here. Sometimes the pace of the change feels too fast, like you can't keep up with the city. A lot neighborhoods change constantly, and this month it might not be the same as it was last month. First we complained about this, but now we've been enjoying these changes. It's like re-exploring your old stomping grounds. And we do things that our moms always do, namely point out how different stuff is. "Ooh that place used to be a bakery, had some great croissants, what a shame it's gone". We cannot help but turn in to our moms.
Seoul is odd mix of old and new. It's a cosmopolitan city but the structures and landscapes still remain rooted in the past. The city is modern, but still rough around the edges. One corner might have a polished modern cafe but then the other corner has the dingy store that has been there for ages but has great food. You are constantly surrounded by people.
It's the people that make the 빨리빨리 (fast and faster) culture happen, and their drive that makes the city change so quickly. Korean people are passionate and like to tease. Even just walking around the city you will feel the energy of these hardworking people. The city isn't the prettiest but it's full of life. Vibrant. Dynamic.
