Seoul Travel Safety Guide — South Korea

Safety Score: 9.1/10 · Value: 7.8/10 · Beauty: 8.3/10

Seoul is a hyper-modern megacity of 10 million where 600-year-old royal palaces sit beneath glass towers and neon-lit shopping districts. It is one of Asia's safest and most efficient capitals, the subway is clean, cheap and signed in English, and you can walk almost anywhere at any hour without worry. The city splits roughly between historic Gangbuk (north of the Han River), home to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong, and glossy Gangnam (south) with its luxury malls and nightlife. In between, neighbourhoods like Hongdae and Itaewon buzz until dawn with live music, clubs and global food. Korean food is a highlight: cheap, generous and everywhere, from sizzling Korean BBQ and bubbling tofu stews to the street stalls of Myeongdong and Gwangjang Market. Spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (foliage) are the most beautiful seasons; winters are cold and dry, summers hot and humid with a July–August monsoon.

Tripvey Score — estimated from travel advisories and publicly available data. Not official safety advice.