Seoul
Alone

PRACTICAL SAMPLE

Safety, Without Overstating It

In practice, the well-lit main streets of Myeongdong, Hongdae and Jongno stay comfortable well into the evening, and the subway runs late and busy enough on most lines that getting home is rarely difficult. Quieter residential lanes, particularly the steep, narrow alleys in the upper hanok districts such as Bukchon, thin out earlier. Treat them with the caution you would give any quiet street: know roughly where you are headed, keep your phone charged, and prefer a lit main route over a shortcut through an empty lane late at night. Keep valuables secured, be aware of your surroundings on a crowded subway car or in a busy market, and trust your own read of a situation over any general reassurance.

A free excerpt from Seoul Alone.