Most of my time in Seoul was consumed by the conference itself and the numerous shopping trips provided. However, there were some opportunities for sightseeing and so forth. Here, for example, is the presidential Blue House:
Most of the tourists seemed to be Chinese and part of coach tours – they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. One bloke was holding a Falun Gong protest:
I saw a few birds: some ducks on a lake, sparrows, a couple of crows and one with a long tail that zipped about quite cheerfully. There was also this pleasant golden flower:
I had forgotten quite how many street vendors there still were – selling just about every consumer good and widget. Most seem to be permanent installations which are, presumably, licensed and taxed according to the regulations:
There is also the very popular and rather gentrified tourist areas such as Insadong. Caricaturists add to the sense of theatre that characterizes the genuinely popular tourist areas:
And that is about it – I never said it was exciting.
