Future Now: Seoul
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[Photo: JetSetCd]
5. FUTURE NOW: SEOUL
Seoul, South Korea is the future, with a capital F incarnate. Moving at warp-speed, and drenched in the highest of high technology, the city is a digital playground where residents are living ahead of the rest of the world.
Probably the most amazing thing about Seoul, is the ubiquitous Internet connections and tech-mediated lifestyle. As one of the premiere digital cities in the world, you can't go anywhere without finding a wireless Internet signal.
On the subway - check. On the bus, of course. Watching TV on a mobile device is now an everyday thing.
Scheduled to be completed in 2010, the New Songdo City development, 60 kilometers south of the city is upping the tech-lifestyle ante even further, as it will be the world's first city where all information systems, from medical to business and residential are linked tightly, creating a web of connections. Next generation smartcards will enable residents to do everything from opening their front door to watching a movie, renting a smart car of buy a candy bar. Even the garbage cans will be networked, telling owners when to empty them.
For now though, you can experience the hyper-culture at its best at one of the over 20,000 "PC Bangs" - public Internet cafes where obsessed gamers work on their craft day and night. South Korea is home to the world's most advanced video game culture, where gaming is encouraged by parents as a stress reliever, and top players are superstars.
If all this technology is making your head spin, head to one of the many Jjimjilbangs. They are a kind of 24-hour spa, offering hot-tubs, saunas and massages. The aesthetics will make you feel like a character in the movie "The Island." You are given a colored uniform and RFID bracelet to control all your transactions. The bracelets lock and unlock lockers, pay for services, and open doors. You can even sleep in these relaxation palaces overnight.
Jetting There: Korean Air has a special in April flying from San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul for $799, not including taxes. Regular fares are more like $1,300 for a roundtrip. Cathay Pacific also flies to Seoul from New York with a layover in Hong Kong.
Driving There: Why drive when you can be entertained on public transportation?
Staying There: For the uber-geek with style, the best bet for lodging is the W Seoul Walkerhill. Secluded on 180 acres of parkland, the W is still only 15 minutes to the business district of Seoul. The Cool Corner Room Rooms are tricked out in a red and white 60's sci-fi modernist style that will make you feel like you're on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. And in a sense you are.
The rooms are equipped with a staggering array of technology to assist your enjoyment and complete control over the environment. Video games, a music collection and multiple plasma screen TVs (even in the bathroom) are at your disposal. A slew of controls also help customize your environment with the flick of a switch. Rates start around $275 a night.
What to Pack: Aside from a strong stomach, (red pepper paste is added to everything and sea cucumbers pulled right out of the tank feels a bit like "Fear Factor"), a digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera is the hot accessory right now as everyone wants to appear to be a professional photographer. Basic SLR models start at $600.
