Korea says it's true

gyeongbok Palace Nation Photo/Pattarawadee Saengmanee

Samsung recently gave a herd of Thai journalists a chance to see if South Korea really is the centre of the universe that's portrayed in hit movies, TV series and K-pop songs.

The company tossed in a Samsung ST 550 camera and i8910HD smart phone and pointed us to the storied shopping districts of Seoul.

The cameras got an immediate workout at Lotte World, the country's largest indoor theme park - with a shopping mall attached, of course. It welcomes about eight million visitors every year, most of them teenagers in love.

Easily accessed via the subway, Lotte World's stores, cinemas and hotel vie for attention with the amusements centred on a miniature fairytale village.

There's a fantastic Ferris wheel and a huge ice-skating rink where the romantic drama "Stairway to Heaven" was filmed, lots of cute cartoon characters, international dance shows and the Sinbad Adventure Cave.

The roars of youngsters shake Magic Island in the outdoor part of the park, largely as a result of the extreme Gyro Drop, which entails vertical free fall, and Atlantis Adventure, a towering castle and terrifying ghost house.

We moved on to Gangnam district to gawk at the Coex Mall, Asia's biggest underground shopping complex. More than 250 outlets hawk local and global brands among the restaurants, movie theatres, game arcades - and another hotel.

But the biggest magnet is South Korea's biggest aquarium: 14,000 square metres flush with 40,000 fish.

Most of the restaurants serve galbi, the barbecued beef ribs, and the seafood hot pot called haemuntang, along with other great Korean favourites that go so well with a the traditional liqueur, soju.

When night falls, young people head to the popular NB Club next door for hiphop, house and KPop, as played by veteran DJs.

Our shopping safari the next day opened downtown on Hongik Road, where students from adjoining Hongik University join the regular vendors to show off their handmade jewellery and fashionable clothing.

We gaped our way past and through more than 100 beautifully decorated shops in a onekilometre stretch. The excellent selection of smart outfits and accessories in the Korean style range in price from 1,000 to 10,000 won (Bt33 to Bt330).

The busy street's reputation overseas stems as well from the funky Coffee Prince cafe, a key shooting location for the 2008 Asiawide hit film "Coffee Prince".

We continued to Myeongdong Market, also in the heart of town, a perfect choice for young shoppers, much like Bangkok's Siam Square. It's surrounded by huge department stores - Migliore, Lotte, Avatar and High Harriet - and a battery of colourful towers bearing mammoth portraits of Korean superstars.

No fewer than a thousand retail stores crowd the market. You can find the latest designs by Uniqlo from Japan, Giordano from Hong Kong, Swarovski, Gap, BSX, Adidas, New Balance, Reebok and more. 

The cosmetics outlets of Korean manufacturers perch on every corner of the market. The popular labels include Skinfood, Etude, Natural Republic, the Face Shop and Rojukiss, and their counters are often three deep with avid shoppers from Thailand.

Our final destination was the Doota shopping centre in Dongdaemun Market, the country's largest retailing convergence, a mountain range of stores carrying local designers, plus toys, sporting equipment and electronic appliances.

Our final day was spent at Gyeongbok Palace, tracing the history of South Korea.

The National Folk Museum on the ground floor, opened in 1975, has three exhibition halls on history, the local way of life and "The Life Cycle of Korean". The last has a miniature village with traditional houses, wooden fishing gear, farmers' ploughs, musical instruments and old-fashioned garments.

The palace itself was built in 1394 by King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty. The name Gyeongbok means "the palace greatly blessed by heaven". There are five wooden buildings in green and orange with beautiful floral designs.

The luxurious living quarters boast 14 rectangular chambers and corridors, and the Jagyeongjeon Hall was the main living quarters of the late queen Sinjeongwanghu, mother of King Heonjong.

Alongside is Gyeonghoeru, in the midst of lake. The huge wooden pavilion was built in the reign of King Gojong to use for special banquets. 

The tour ended at Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall, where the king met officials and foreign envoys. The red building is lined with detailed balustrades and a collection of sculptures, which are inspired by imaginary and real animals like dragons and phoenixes.