Seoul

Seoul runs at a pace that makes most capitals feel slow — the subway moves 2.5 billion passengers a year, convenience stores operate on every block around the clock, and the commercial corridors of Gangnam and Myeongdong cycle through their crowds well past midnight. Joseon-era palaces like Gyeongbokgung sit directly against glass office towers, but the city never quite romanticises this contrast — the modern fabric dominates, and the old city requires deliberate seeking. The Han River bisects the city without defining it: wide, crossed by 31 bridges, its banks are recreational rather than architectural, and most visitors encounter it on a weekend cycle rather than a daily commute. K-beauty flagships, department store food halls stocked with produce from Jeju and Gyeonggi, and a restaurant culture that runs from ₩4,000 soups to Michelin three-stars — the commercial range here is genuinely serious.