Going to 노래방 (Norebang, Korean karaoke) is a daunting experience for many. From the complex remote to the big songbook, finding the right song to play can be challenging. "Popular Songs for 노래방" is a series of posts listing the most popular songs of an artist or theme, along with their track number for both TJ and Kumyoung (KY) machines. YouTube Karaoke videos are provided when available so that you can practice before heading to a real 노래방! 

Seventeen (세븐틴) songs in the table below are ordered from most to least recent. The most recent songs may be unavailable at your local 노래방 if the machines have not been updated. To determine the column to use for your karaoke session, look at the manufacturer of the karaoke machine either on the machine itself, on the remote, or on the interface. You should see two letters, either TJ or KY; use the corresponding column in the table below to add the song to the queue and start singing! See more detailed instructions on Korean norebang machines.

광장시장 (Gwangjang market) is a prime location in Seoul for eating various Korean foods. Do not expect to find strict hygiene standards or to seat on a nice chair; you will, however, be surprised by the food offerings in the market. From 육회 (shredded raw beef) to 빈대떡 (mungbean pancake), 광장시장 does not disappoint. This post lists the most popular foods to eat in 광장시장 Gwangjang market, as well as some tips to have the best experience while navigating the numerous stalls and restaurants.

Learn about the emblematic foods of 광장시장.

Accessing 광장시장 Gwangjang Market

By bus

Many buses stop in the vicinity of the market; you can use the following address: 서울특별시 종로구 종로32길 2, or this Naver Map link to find the best bus itinerary from your location. Learn about the different types of buses in Seoul before heading to 광장시장.

By subway: 종로5가역 (Jongno 5-ga Station) (line 1) exits 7 or 9

While several websites including Wikipedia list 을지로4가역 (lines 2 and 5) as a station close to 광장시장,  을지로4가역 is very far from the food part of the market. Prefer exiting at 종로5가역 (line 1) exits 7 or 9 (exit 9 does not show up on Google Maps as it corresponds to an exit within the underground mall; signs in the station will guide you there). Learn about Korean subways.

By taxi

Tell your taxi driver to drop you off at 종로5가 사거리 (Jongno 5-ga intersection) or give the following address: 서울특별시 종로구 종로32길 2 (front of one of the entrances to the food part of the market). It is usually easy to get a taxi around the market.

Tips

• Ahjummas and grandmas will do whatever it takes to get more customers. Do not interact with them unless you want to eat at their stalls.
• The number of people waiting or eating at a food stall or a restaurant is nowhere indicative of food quality. Some places with huge lines are passable, some okay food stalls may have a couple of people there because the owner is a savvy rhetorician, and some great food stalls may be empty because you came at the touristy hours (midday) instead of when the regulars show up (mornings, evenings).
• For the reason outlined in the previous bullet point, prefer going in the morning (around 11 am) or later in the evening (after 8 pm).

Some of the best Korean foods are also the oldest. People who love traditional foods that usually have a strong flavor or repulsing appearance are said to have an 아저씨/아재 입맛, or ahjussi taste. Learn about some of these traditional foods in this post.

곱창 Gopchang or Grilled Small Intestines

Small intestines of a cow or a pig. The word 곱창 by itself usually refers to grilled small intestines, also called 곱창구이. It can also be eaten in a hot pot (곱창전골) or as a sausage (cf. 순대). Prefer 양념곱창 (marinated 곱창) over regular 곱창 if you doubt the quality of the restaurant. 곱창 tastes best with soju.

닭발 Chicken feet

Chicken feet served in a spicy sauce. While their appearance is unattractive at best, chicken feet are really good for the skin as full of collagen. Pair with soju.

말고기 Horse Meat

Very popular in Jeju island, horse meat can be eaten raw (말고기회), grilled (말고기구이), in soup (말고기탕), and in many other ways. Best eaten in Jeju.

There are two major categories of buses in South Korea: 시내버스 (市內버스) or intra-city buses, and 시외버스 (市外버스) or intercity buses. 시내버스 include 마을버스, 지선버스, and some 간선버스 lines, while 시외버스 include some 간선버스 lines, 광역버스, and 고속버스. 

마을버스 are neighborhood buses (literally "village buses") that stop every few blocks in both residential and commercial areas. In Seoul, many of these buses run in a loop, with one or two stops connecting to subway stations. Their routes are the shortest among city buses. Walking is sometimes faster than taking a 마을버스, especially during rush hours, as these buses rarely take bus lanes. In Seoul, these buses are green and shorter than regular buses.

Trains are probably the fastest and most comfortable means of transportation in South Korea. Most of the time they are faster than buses are they cannot get stuck in traffic, and they are also faster than planes in that train stations are usually in downtown areas rather than in suburbs. There are also plenty of train options for traveling within a city or a metropolitan area, such as subways and suburban trains. For tourists however riding trains in South Korea can be overwhelming given the number of train services available, the different operators, and the different booking processes. This post summarizes all you need to know to book and ride trains in South Korea.

Intercity Train Services

There are several types of intercity train service in Korea. From fastest to slowest (and most expensive to cheapest): KTX & SRT, ITX & 새마을, 누리로 & 무궁화. Most services (except the SRT) are run by Korail (코레일), a public company.

The different train services run by Korail (all but SRT) and SR (SRT) (adapted from https://flytoazuresky.tistory.com/602?category=669623)

KTX, for Korea Train eXpress, is the fastest transportation link between most cities in South Korea. Two classes of service are available, first class and economy, with economy class being usually 20% to 30% cheaper than first class. First class offers more legroom than the already excellent legroom in economy, so the higher ticket price may be hard to justify. Standing tickets can also be booked; these tickets do not have assigned seats and require standing if no seats are available. They are not drastically cheaper than economy tickets (5% to 15% cheaper) and are probably best booked when there is no stop between your origin and destination stations (such as 광명역 – 대전역).

KTX tickets can be booked in English on the Korail website. They can also be bought directly at any Korail station, such as 서울역 (Seoul station) or 용산역 (Yongsan station) in Seoul.

SRT is another train service run by a sister company of Korail. While KTX lines originate mostly from 서울역 or 용산역, SRT service originates from 수서역 in 강남구. SRT service map does not have as many stations as the KTX service,  but trains travel at similar speeds (수서 - 부산 in 2 hours 25 minutes) for similar prices. SRT may thus be a better option if you are traveling from areas surrounding 강남. A lot of Korean people do not know about SRT since it is a relatively new service (2016), so be aware of this option when booking your train itineraries. 

Learn about other train services in South Korea by reading the full post.

Metropolitan Train Services

Most major cities in Korea have an independently-run metropolitan train service, usually a mix of underground and overground trains, that connects the city center(s) to the suburban areas. These are different from intercity train services in that, in most cases, tickets do not need to be purchased in advance; instead, passengers need to tap their T-money cards onto the card readers before boarding their train. This includes the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, the Busan Metro, and the Daejeon Metro. Learn more about the different options to get around Korean cities by reading the full post.