Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dents of all faiths are welcomed. Newer additions to the international school scene include
Dwight School, which has an International Baccalaureate program, and Dulwich College,
which follows the British curriculum. Seoul International School is also well-regarded, but
it is located outside the city in neighboring Gyeonggi Province.
The limited number of institutions and keen competition for places conspire to keep
prices high. Most schools have a tuition structure that includes local currency and U.S.-dol-
lar fees to guard against exchange rate fluctuations, as well as extra charges for things like
buses and extracurricular activities. All told, parents can expect to spend around 18-25 mil-
lion per year to send a child to one of the major international schools.
Most of the major international schools also run preschool and kindergarten programs.
Independent institutions for young learners include the Early Childhood Learning Center
and the Franciscan School, which are in the Yongsan district and take students up to five or
six years of age. Seoul also has French, German, Japanese, and Chinese schools that follow
the curricula of those countries.
Shopping is one area where Seoulites are spoiled for choice. There are small supermarkets,
gadget shops, and clothing outlets on virtually every corner, but the serious consumer will
inevitably head for certain neighborhoods that tend to specialize in one product or anoth-
er. These include Yongsan (computers, electronics, and pirated DVDs), Myeong-dong (cos-
metics and youth fashion), Insa-dong (art and antiques), Itaewon (imported clothes and
food), and Gangnam and Apgujeong (boutiques and designer goods).
While there are many well-equipped malls and department stores, such as the opulent
Galleria in Apgujeong, COEX in Gangnam, and Migliore in Myeong-dong, the real deals
(and more interesting finds) tend to be at street level. Few places demonstrate this better
than Seoul's largest markets—Namdaemun and Dongdaemun, both in the old city center.
Both are sprawling, crowded warrens of shops and stalls that offer some of the best clothing
and textile bargains in the country, assuming your negotiating skills are up to par.
Seoul may be a massive place, but the city's expatriates have traditionally confined them-
selves to just a handful of neighborhoods. Yongsan, with its heavy diplomatic and military
presence, is the unofficial headquarters for foreign residents, but quite a few also choose to
