Spring could not have come soon enough. After wintry months of one piece of gloomy news after another, things are starting to look prettier, at least on the surface.



Namsan, nestled in the middle of chaotic Seoul, is finally looking more hopeful, as the barren trees and branches are being coated with blooming magnolia, forsythia and azalea.

Groups of hikers and gaggles of friends and families share smiles as they walk up the trails or ride cable cars to reach the landmark N Tower and take pictures, eat snacks and absorb what is quite a magnificent view of the capital.



Reality may not be all cheery, as a sizable portion of visitors wear masks to protect themselves from the fine dust and the country waits to host its biggest political event after another month of mud-slinging and floods of random pledges.

As Namsan firmly stands the test of time, it wouldn’t hurt to keep on hoping for the better. At the least it’s warmer.




Photo by Park Hyun-koo
Written by Lee Joo-hee