December 13th, 2009 - Seoul, South Korea @ Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium

[jarmo]

Board members attending: Ayako, Fernando, GNFNRS, jarmo, Lurk, RaspAxl


Tickets / Map

[RaspAxl]

I'll be there for sure.

[Ayako]

Here i am 

[GNFNRS]

I'll be there!

[Lurk]

I'm there

[Lurk]

For anybody unfamiliar with Korea/Korean who wants to find out where their standing tickets:



At the top left of the ticket stub, or at the beginning of the line with your ticket number on it, you will see 가구역 or 나구역. Now... look at the map above. 가구역 is the left, 나구역 is the right. Your ticket number tells you which pen you will be in. 303번 means you are in the front pen, but what side you are on depends on the 가/나.

Now... There is not much to do outside Olympic Park, but 1 subway station up (around 15-20 mins slow walk) there are lots of bars and restaurants. My office is opposite the stadium, so I will carry a camera tomorrow and photograph an easy route to walk along so you know where to go to find food and drink before the show

[RaspAxl]

Now... There is not much to do outside Olympic Park, but 1 subway station up (around 15-20 mins slow walk) there are lots of bars and restaurants. My office is opposite the stadium, so I will carry a camera tomorrow and photograph an easy route to walk along so you know where to go to find food and drink before the show

Great! Thank you. I'm born and raised in Korea but still unfamiliar with Seoul. 

[jarmo]

If you want to meet up at the show, just let me know by posting in this thread.




/jarmo

[Lurk]

Ok.. here goes. A guide for newcomers to Seoul who need to get there and party on the way

First thing you need is this site: http://www.smrt.co.kr

On the right hand side you can select your language and get a subway map:



And once you have the map, you need to be heading to the red circle here:



The station is Dunchon-dong (둔촌동) and it is on the purple line (#5). It is 1 stop from Olympic Park Station (올림픽공원). When coming from the West of Seoul, please make sure you get on the train to Macheon (마천). The line branches to Singil-dong (상일동), so that will take you the wrong way. All information screens show the station name in English, and Stations on the Seoul Metro are numbered. You need to be heading UP in number (if you get on at 520, head in the direction of 521, not 519).

When you get to Dunchon-dong (둔촌동) subway station, go through the barrier and look for the exit signs. You want Exit No. 3:



...walk straight ahead when you come out of exit 3...



...for about 30 seconds, until you come to a KEB bank...



...turn right here...



...and then left at the next corner. All along this street, on the right hand side, there are bars. I am not sure any of these will be open on a Sunday afternoon, but here are the 'western' bars I saw in a very short space:









Miller Time is the last bar you will see on this short strip. If all bars are closed (the are in the photos at they were taken at 8 this morning), you can go into a restaurant. These will surely be open, and sell drink. $5 on food, and you can sit drinking $3 500ml bottles for the rest of the afternoon

Failing that, and weather permitting, underneath Miller Time is a Family Mart convenience store. See those tables outside? Well you can buy your drink in the store, and drink outside. In Korea, that's just fine!

Now to put it into perspective... Follow the blue line from Exit 3. The red line is where the drink is.



And to show you just how close that is to the stadium (Red line is the drink):



And yes, I would love to meet up before the show

[RaspAxl]

Wow...it's a great guide, Lurk. Thank you very much.
I was in the army for 26 months in Seoul but the places I had been were 압구정, 구파발, 종로3가. That's all. 

[Lurk]

I am at living in 불광, which is just 2 stops short of 구파발. You can transfer to the #5 line from 종로3가 - I do it every day

[jarmo]

How's that park?

Anything to see there?


I suspect that if I take the subway to the venue, I might be coming from that direction and could just walk across the park instead of changing lines multiple times....




/jarmo

[Lurk]

It's just a park with not much else inside. I wouldn't bank on there being much to see or do there. Temperatures are around freezing in Seoul during December. (It is 2˚C  today). I would recommend getting a taxi around, as it would cost you less than $3.

[jarmo]

I live in Sweden so it's not like I'm surprised by a little cold weather.



Thanks for the tip.



/jarmo

[HBK]

Good Work, excleent pic's...

cheers friend

[RaspAxl]

I heard some of Korean fan forum members are gonna wait at the airport when GN'R entry into Korea.
How much chance to they meet Axl or other GN'R members at the airport? What do you think?

[jarmo]

I really have no idea.


Depends on the airport I guess.



I know here in Sweden, artists and other VIPs are often escorted out through special entrances into waiting cars....





/jarmo

[RaspAxl]

Thanks jarmo. I hope they won't bother the band much. I heard when Metallica were here back in 2006, some fans asked James for his autograph at the airport, he said "Let me go". 

[Ayako]

Thats so great !!!
Thank you so much;)

I am leaving here tomorrow !
cant wait!!!yey!

[Lurk]

If anybody wants to get my cell number to make meeting easier, fire a PM my way.