Hi, I’m Ellie—your Seoul mate.
If you were coming to Korea and asked a friend who lives in Seoul, “Okay, but what do I actually need to know?”—that’s the kind of answer I want Dear My Seoul Mate to give you.
Because the most useful things about Korea aren’t always the things you’ll find on a checklist.
Sometimes it’s knowing which subway exit will save you a surprisingly long walk. Whether that beautiful café is actually comfortable with children. What to expect before walking into a Korean restaurant. Why everyone suddenly seems to be doing the same thing—or what a small cultural moment means when nobody stops to explain it.
I live in Seoul, and this is the Korea I know, experience, and continue to discover myself.
Dear My Seoul Mate is where I share that experience with you—not simply as a list of places to visit, but with the context and little details that can make Korea feel much easier to understand.
What you’ll find here
Whether you’re planning your first trip or simply curious about life here, you’ll find:
- Plan Your Trip — practical information that helps you prepare for Korea with confidence
- Travel — places to go, neighborhoods to explore, seasonal experiences, cafés, shopping, and things worth doing
- Food — Korean food, recipes, restaurants, markets, and the little things that make eating in Korea an experience of its own
- Beauty — K-beauty, Olive Young finds, skincare, beauty trends, and products worth knowing about
- K-Culture — K-pop, K-dramas, performances, trends, traditions, and the culture behind what you see
- Life in Korea — everyday habits, quirks, conveniences, customs, and those “Wait…is this a Korean thing?” moments
But across all of these topics, the goal is the same:
I don’t just want to show you Korea. I want to help you understand it.
How I create content
I want Dear My Seoul Mate to be a place you can trust.
I write from personal experience whenever I can, research carefully, visit places when possible, and take original photographs along the way. When something is based on research rather than my own experience, I want that distinction to be clear.
Korea also changes fast. Restaurants close, menus change, neighborhoods transform, trends disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, and practical information can become outdated. So I date and update information when appropriate and encourage you to double-check time-sensitive details with official sources before making plans.
Some content may contain affiliate links, advertisements, gifted experiences, or sponsorships. Those relationships will never determine what I tell you, and material connections will always be disclosed clearly. You can read the Affiliate Disclosure and Disclaimer for more information.
Most of all, I want this site to feel like having a friend in Seoul—someone who tells you not only where to go, but what it’s really like, what to know before you go, and whether it might actually be right for you.
I’m so glad you found your way here.
Welcome to Seoul. 🤍
Warmly,
Ellie
Founder & Editor
Dear My Seoul Mate