Mr. Speaker

interests

The green domed building is Korea's National Assembly Hall (Parliament). It's located in Seoul on Yeouido,  which is a small "island" on the Han River in Seoul. The Han River, seen on the left of the shot is a large river that divides north and south Seoul (not to be confused with North and South Korea). Currently there are plans under way to deepen parts of the Han river to allow cruise ships from China to come up it. This may be reversed though as it is not a "popular" project in Seoul.

Neighbourhood

roots

This is the second subway line built in Seoul (aptly named "line 2") and is one of the few rails that has large sections above ground. In recent years, the rivers and streams throughout Seoul have been developed into fitness areas - bike lanes, workout areas, paths etc. This spot is a couple of minutes walk from my apartment.

Connections

shell

This train was used to run ammunition and troops by South Korea during the civil war. It was operated by a Japanese born Korean, Han Joonki, who had been living in Nagasaki when the first atomic bomb was dropped. In December 1950, 2 months after 300,000 Chinese soldiers entered the war, during a return trip to the south, the engine was machine gunned my U.S. soldiers, whom were afraid that it would fall into the North's hands. The engine sat in the DMZ for over 50 years before it was recovered by the South. It now sits just south of the DMZ.

Parting Ways

ditch

This is Deoksugung-gil, a road that runs along the edge of the Deoksugung palace wall (as can bee seen on the left), in Seoul. It is rumoured that if you walk along this street with your lover, you will eventually become separated. Originally there was a stream that flowed here but it is now completely paved over. This covering of the water is said to be the reason for the lovers' "curse".

Admiral Yi Sunshin

statue

This figure is Admiral Yi Sunshin, most famous for winning the Battle of Myeongnyang, a sea battle in which his Turtle ships were outnumbered 13 to 333 by the Japanese. This particular statue of him stands in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul.

Welcome

weather

Welcome to my photo-blog. I will try keep writing to a minimum as I'd like to keep this photo-orientated. However if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. This first picture was taken from my apartment in Seoul. The caption is based on the plant on the left, which has somehow managed to survive despite my negligence.