Places kathykate Wants to Go

The burial ground of two kings and a queen is now a calm city park in the middle of bustling Seoul.

Some of the freshest vegetables in Seoul are grown in a subway station.

Visit the real-life site of the fictional pizzeria in Bong Joon-Ho's film Parasite.

Buy your fish and have it cooked to order in this bustling, eight-floor seafood market.

Celebrating the history of Hangul, the Korean writing system invented by King Sejong to improve his realm’s literacy.

Home to more than 13,000 pieces of war memorabilia and military equipment.

A remnant of Korea's colonial past lies forgotten in a hip neighborhood in Seoul.

Only a few pieces remain of a grand 16th-century water clock that once announced the changing hours with the sound of bells, gongs, and drums.

Tracking the 1,500-year history of Korea's star cabbage.

About as hidden as can be, this specialty coffee shop is wedged between multi-story buildings at the end of a dark, skinny alleyway in Seoul.

A small section in the Bank of Korea Museum dedicated to the many varieties of the Joseon dynasty’s iconic coinage.

A family of distorted sculptures stands outside Seoul's former imperial palace.

The headquarters of Korea’s provisional government later became the site of a prominent statesman's assassination.

The former home of a foreign correspondent who reported on Korea’s independence movement has been restored and is open to the public.

A chilling monument to Korean patriots who resisted the Japanese occupation.

A thriving artist's wonderland located just 6 kilometers from Korea's DMZ.

The place nearest Seoul where it’s easy to get a good look at North Korea.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

A small shrine dedicated to a god of lightning and electronics.

Birthplace of the Tendai sect and home to the marathon monks.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.

The cemetery houses the remains of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, one of Japan's most famous novelists.