Places SamRG Wants to Go

The site where the Emperor of Korea performed the long-forbidden "rite of heaven" to demonstrate his absolute sovereignty.

One man's lifetime collection of tiny objects of wisdom gathered from around the world, on display for public enjoyment.

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

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

This ancient Corinthian helmet is South Korea’s only national treasure of Western origin.

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.

The supreme shrine of the state.

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

Its humdrum facade only adds to its electrifying appeal: a rooftop with panoramic views of a shapeshifting metropolis.

The world's longest bridge fountain has hundreds of nozzles that create a beautiful, illuminated spectacle.

This small island declared independence from South Korea in the hopes of attracting tourists.

Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park.

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

The largest cluster of the Joseon dynasty’s royal tombs, home to the burial sites of 17 kings and queens.

Collected from all around Seoul, thousands of secondhand books create this photogenic tunnel.

The abandoned hospital whose elaborate ghost stories cover up the dirty truth - an uneventful sanitation issue and other mundane reasons for its demise.

This quirky Korean eatery is built to resemble an equally quirky vintage camera.

Known as the birthplace of Korean Buddhism, this temple features an ancient, five-story stone pagoda.

Though it is hundreds of years old, the intricate details on this 23-foot rock carving of Buddha have been preserved.

A traditional village rooted in the Joseon Dynasty.

An early Korean refrigerator.

From mid-September to early November, dreamy fields of pink muhly grass spring up all over South Korea.

This human-made pond is part of a Korean palace complex first built in the 7th century.

A thriving surf community exists in relative remoteness along the former boundary between North and South Korea.