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Seoul is a city inhabited by a diverse range of people. From those born and raised here, to those who moved from other regions to settle in the city, not to mention visitors from all over the world: all sorts of people, with all sorts of lifestyles, make up Seoul. In a city like this, full of people from diverse backgrounds, one can easily discover new things. Let's get a taste of Vietnam, China, Philippines, and France in Seoul, where visitors can also catch a glimpse of countries in Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Take a walk alongside these streets where you can get a taste of and immerse into the mood of various global destinations. It will be like taking a tour around the world. As long as you are in Seoul, you can do all that without a need for a passport or visa.

Vietnam Quy Nhon Street

Itaewon is one of the most popular destinations for foreign visitors coming to Seoul. In Itaewon, visitors can enjoy a collection of diverse cultures from all over the world, as well as various spaces created to help travelers and numerous places where immigrants and temporary residents can gather together to combat homesickness. Visiting diners and restaurants serving international cuisine or purchasing foreign products that are hard to come by in South Korea are not difficult things to do in here.

The Vietnam Quy Nhon Street also exists here. The street can be easily found by entering the alleyway decorated with Vietnam-themed murals near Exit 4 of Itaewon Station. Yongsan-gu formed this street to celebrate the 20th anniversary of becoming a sister city of the city of Quy Nhon in Vietnam.

Quy Nhon is the city where the Republic of Korea Armed Forces (Tiger Division) were based during the Vietnam War. The perception of South Korea in this city used to be very hostile, as the involvement of Korean soldiers in the massacre of local civilians during the war was revealed, which led to the establishment of the Memorial of the Binh Hoa Massacre. In order to resolve this conflict, Yongsan-gu, where Itaewon is located, stepped in. Yongsan-gu signed a sister city agreement with Quy Nhon, and has been trying hard to heal the historic scar ever since. A lot of exchanges have taken place, and the community of Quy Nhon has slowly opened their heart. Twenty years later, Yongsan-gu commemorated this historic relationship by creating the Vietnam Quy Nhon Street in Itaewon.

Anyone can easily experience the Vietnamese culture in Quy Nhon Street. Starting with the artistic structure inspired by the cone-shaped traditional Vietnamese hat, known as non la, the Vietnam-themed murals and store interior designs catch visitors' eyes. The Vietnamese restaurants run by native Vietnamese people are on the must-visit list. Here, visitors can get the authentic taste of Vietnamese cuisine including the Vietnamese style coffee made by mixing strong drip coffee with condensed milk to create a soft, nutty and sweet flavor, as well as rice noodles, and banhmi sandwiches.

Hyehwa-dong Philippine Market

Hyehwa-dong Rotary is a place where Filipinos can find comfort and soothe their homesickness. This is the place where rows of green tents cover the streets in front of Hyehwa-dong Rotary and Hyehwa Art Center from 10 O'clock in the morning to six O'clock in the afternoon on Sundays. Local markets where Filipinos residing in South Korea gather to trade their goods take place here. The kind of night markets that you would only see in Philippines unfold right here. Except, of course, that they do not take place at night.

Here, cooking ingredients and sauces that could normally only be found during a trip to the Philippines are all in one place. A variety of local products and goods that Filipinos use in the country can be also purchased here. Instant noodles and other ready-made meals, as well as dried mangos and bananas prepared in the Filipino style are also sold in the market. Products that remind you of the Philippines can be found here, alongside dishes that native Filipinos enjoy regularly.   

In one corner of the stools, temporary snack bars welcome the visitors. The snack bar serves the traditional Filipino pork dish, adobo, as well as pancit and a range of deep fried food. These are quite popular food among Filipinos, to cure their homesickness. If you are up for a trip to the Philippines inside Seoul, and get a true taste of authentic Filipino dishes, look no further than here.

Daerim-dong China Town

Daerim-dong is home to the biggest China Town in South Korea. Around Daerim Station where subway lines two and seven intersect, a large-scale China Town has formed. The recommended place for visitors to go first is Daerim Central Market. In Daerim Central Market, Chinese food ingredients, supplies, and street foods can be easily found. For Chinese immigrants in South Korea, it would not be an overstatement to compare this market to the ones in the mainland China.

Make a few stops at the Chinese restaurants and stores around Daerim-dong China Town. A large number of the stores are directly owned and run by Chinese people. This means that visitors can enjoy Chinese cuisine along with the recent hit, maratang soup, prepared in the traditional style. A range of instant foods and sauces that can normally be found only in China are also sold by the local grocers in this area. But beware: once you step into Daerim-dong China Town, you may think that you are travelling in China.

Central Asia Street in Gwanghui-dong

When you go out from Exit 12 of Dongdaemum History and Culture Park Station on subway line two, you can find various sign boards written in an unfamiliar language. This means you are getting closer to Central Asia Street, a place that is home to people from Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Central Asia Street is located in the neighborhood of Gwanghui-dong.

In Central Asia Street, in Gwanghui-dong, visitors can find a number of restaurants where they can taste traditional dishes from countries that are relatively unfamiliar to the general public in Korea. Here once can enjoy a variety of dishes, including shashlik, a grilled lamp skewer dish; goulash, a steamed dish goulash; lepeshka, a traditional bread; and fried rice in the traditional style of Uzbekistan. Most of the chefs and staff are people from the country whose dishes they serve. Note that English could come in more handy than Korean. But, you do not need to worry, since body language is universal.

Banpo-dong Seorae Village

Let's expand our scope from Asia to Europe. Seoul also has a village that is influenced by European culture. Seorae Village, located in Seocho-gu, Banpo-dong is a place that boasts a unique atmosphere where the Korean and French cultures coexist in just about the right way. One can go as far as to say that there is an authentic French street in the village. As the French school based in Korea moved to this suburb in 1985, so began the French community in Seorae Village. It is reported that around half of the French people residing in South Korea live in this village.

The center of the village is the Seorae Village Cafe Street. Throughout the street, there are restaurants and cafes that remind passersby of European bistros and brunch cafes. Visitors can easily spot French style wine bars, cafes, and bakeries as well. The Korean Taegeukgi and the French Tricolor wave in the air side by side, reminding visitors that they are in a truly a special French village.

There is also a park on the hill located behind Seorae Village, named Montmarter Park after the Montmarter Hill in Paris, France. The park offers a range of things to see, such as a European-style clock tower, roses, and a statue of a dancing couple, and has numerous stories to tell about France.