Is South Korea safe to travel to?
23rd Jan 2025
Travel writer, lecturer at Dongseo University, and InsideAsia’s Busan Insider and street-food guide, Chris Tharp has made South Korea his home for 20 years. Recent political events have hit international news, so we asked Chris to share his honest account of how things feel living in South Korea.
South Korea is on the rise
It’s amazing to think that I’ve been living in South Korea for 20 years now, and what’s even more astounding is the transformation that’s taken place here. All those years back, when I told people back home in the States or other Westerners I met traveling that I indeed was a resident of Korea, their eyeballs inevitably glazed over as they furrowed their brows, trying to comprehend what they just heard.
That has since changed, and the country I now call home is very much in the global spotlight, thanks to the hyper-powered output of films, dramas, and pop music this little Asian country exports, along with its cars, semiconductors, smart phones, ships. South Korea is finally becoming a tourism hotspot.
That said, even glimmering, modern South Korea is a nation that’s still finding its legs in some ways, and yes, the shadows of the Cold War still linger in the barbed wire, watchtowers, and minefields of the DMZ. Things have certainly gotten shaky a few times during my tenure here, and recently, we saw one of those hiccups that no one welcomes, but we have to deal with nonetheless.
Martial law - the power grab that flopped
Like most folks, I didn’t have “South Korea president declares martial law” on my 2024 bingo card, and I was shocked as the rest of the world when my wife, Min Hee, came into my office late on a Tuesday night to deliver the bizarre news. At first I thought it must be in response to a provocation by North Korea, but as I hastily searched online while she did her best to explain the situation, I learned that – appalling as it was – it appeared to be nothing more than desperate political maneuvering on the part of an extremely unpopular leader.
As the hours ticked by it became apparent Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt at a power grab was a flop, that the military he was counting on to make his move didn’t have the stomach to do away with the democracy South Koreans spent decades fighting so hard to attain. The people also showed up, challenging the soldiers and holding a vigil outside of the National Assembly, where a vote was taken to repeal President Yoon’s reckless decree. Cooler heads indeed prevailed, and the nation – along with much of the world – breathed a sigh of relief.
It turns out that this country’s democracy proved more resilient than Yoon and his accomplices anticipated, and he has since been impeached by a massive majority in the National Assembly, which included many members of his own party. His deputy has since been put in charge, and Yoon’s fate is now in the hands of the South Korean Supreme Court.
South Korea is open for business, and is as vibrant and delicious as ever.
That night – and for a few days following – I fielded messages from friends and loved ones in the US and beyond, reaching out to check on my welfare, and also asking for an on-the-ground explanation of just what was going on. I get it. Phrases like martial law and coup d’etat are scary stuff.
All I can say is that here in Busan and elsewhere, life goes on as normal. The markets are open, the streets are buzzing, and the barbecue joints are full of residents gorging on grilled pork washed down with little green bottles of soju. There is no police or military presence, nothing – other than a few banners on the streets and some talking heads on TV – to suggest a political crisis. South Korea is open for business, and is as vibrant and delicious as ever.
This is admittedly a country where politics can get a bit messy. Two of their last three presidents were convicted of corruption and put into prison; one – the last to be impeached – still sits behind bars. Like the US, things are very polarized, and the two sides go after each other with knives out. That said, when someone crosses a line like President Yoon recently did, South Koreans have a way of coalescing to protect the republic they value so much. And maybe perhaps the country’s hardball political climate is just one of the things that makes it fascinating.
"I’ll worry when I see Koreans worrying" - Chris Tharp
In the 20 years I’ve been here I’ve seen my fair share of upheavals, but I guess what I’m saying is that I’ll worry when I see Koreans worrying. And while the people answered the call when things went sideways a couple weeks back, no one is stressing out. Most Koreans know that democracy can be a bumpy road and are riding along it like champs, making kimchi and packing the country’s cafes, restaurants, and boozers all along the way.
And if there’s one silver lining for visitors, it’s that all of this nonsense has made the South Korean won slip even further, which means this country is cheaper than it’s been in decades. So don’t let the headlines scare you off. There’s never been a better time to come.
Chris Tharp has written for National Geographic Traveler (UK), Condé Nast Traveler and The Telegraph.
He leads one of our Busan food walking tours which can be included on any cultural adventure you book with us...