Matt Kelley

Matt Kelly is native of the US Pacific Northwest and is half-Korean by ethnicity. He lived in Korea for five years and has written hundreds of travel guides for Wallpaper, TimeOut, the Boston Globe and Seoul Magazine and was a host for several different variety shows on Korean radio and television.

Songsanri Tombs of Gongju Korea

A small family of Korean walk into an earthen mound that contains the entranc to one of the Songsanri Tombs of Gongju Korea.

The Songsanri Tombs of Gongju, Korea are one of the best preserved historical sites of the ancient Baeje Kingdom. Read more now and plan a trip.

Seoul Olympic Park

View over a lake in Seoul Olympic Park, in the foreground are long grasses with red seed heads, to the left of the lake is a tall building and the across the lake in the center and right of the frame is a view across grasslands towards trees and bushes.

Seoul Olympic Park is a 1.4 million-square-meter oasis of nature and culture in southern Seoul. The park is also the site of the 1988 Olympic Summer Games.

A Quick Intro to Gay and Lesbian Seoul

A yellow, orange and green flag, with Korean lettering at the top of the frame, and english signage below.

While “Out and Proud” may not be the best way to describe Korea’s LGBT community, progress is undeniable. Here’s a quick Intro to Gay and Lesbian Seoul.

Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall in Seoul

Exterior view of the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall, comprised of three glass buildings, in front of them a brown sickle statue on a bright green lawn.

The Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall in Seoul honors the life of a Korean patriot who shot a Japanese imperialist in 1909, one year before Korea’s annexation.

West Seoul Lake Park

Geometric steps with bench seating, ornamental trees, leading down to the lake at West Seoul Lake Park. The clear water of the lake reflects the trees and grasses in the background that surround it.

On the site of an old water treatment plant, West Seoul Lake Park may seem an place. Instead it’s become one of Seoul’s landmark green spaces.

Seoul Lotte World Amusement Park

View across a bridge to the impressive stone building of Lotte World Amusement Park. Circular turrets with light blue roofs and an arched entranceway, it looks like a castle.

Seoul’s Lotte World amusement park is the world’s largest indoor theme park, with a magic castle, roller coasters, museums and a massive ice rink.