For today's update, I'll be writing about another phenomenon I've discovered here in Korea that helps make your experience more memorable. Speficially the pretty large amount of museums that are totally free to view. Compared to sightseeing in the US, this is a pretty impressive option to have when you're wanting to go learn more about the country. The impressive National Museum of Korea was the first of these attractions, and the second one will be discussed today.

First though, a quick word on subway stations in Korea. Navigating them can be confusing at first, especially if the station is a location for transfers to multiple other lines. However, signs are posted periodically in hangul, English and Chinese to ensure that travellers can find where they need to go. As is shown in the sign above, the arrows will point you in the right direction, so long as you know what station (and thus direction) you want to head for. Thus it pays to do a little research before heading out if your destination doesn't share its name with a subway station.

Today's featured free museum is the Sarangchae museum near Gwanghwamun and the Blue House, home of the President of Korea. To get to the area, you can either get off Line 5 at Gwanghwamun or Line 3 at Gyeongbokgung. I got off the latter, intending originally to go to Gwangwhamun Plaza which is home to a number of locations of cultural interest, as well as the US Embassy. A lot of subway stations here have artwork decorating their interiors, and above you can see a carved mural at Gyeongbokgung showing a Joseon dynasty procession. Totally unexpected to find, but it was worth taking a picture of.

A statue in front of the Sarangchae Museum.

I found out about the Sarangchae by glancing at the newly indispendsible Korea travel guide that I picked up on a whim at Soonchunhyang University. For something I just happened to pick up, it's really useful. On the map of the Gwanghwamun area, it mentioned the Sarangchae - which displays various gifts foreign dignitaries have presented to the Korean president. Deciding that this sounded pretty interesting and less likely to be crowded than a palace, I figured why not go?

Near the museum is a small park where one can rest, enjoy the shade, and contemplate a little bit of nature in the middle of the bustling metropolis that is Seoul. It's a memorial garden of some sort, though I've forgotten for what. However, it's quite pretty to look at all the same. Not many people seem to go to the park, so it's a nice break from the huge numbers of people that will be found near the palace.

Before getting to talking about the museum, above you'll see something that I think is pretty unique to Korea: exercise parks. In some parks you will find multiple stations for doing aerobic exericses, just sitting in the middle of an otherwise normal city park. This is because Koreans are so busy working that they sometimes just have no time to exercise otherwise. Stopping at the park for a quick workout is a convenient way to stay in shape without having to make a special trip.

Inside the museum there's a couple of diferent permanent exhibitions you can see, neither of which are terribly big. On the first floor is cultural information about Korea, including future visions of Seoul as a modern, green capital. A display shows Korean sporting triumphs as well, and there is a history of the Korean currency through the years. Above is the current set of won, which you will become very familiar with when you study here for a semester. Most commonly you'll see the 10 and 1 thousand won bills.

Upstairs is the presidential history area, where the diplomatic gifts are on display. While they are very fascinating on their own there was something even more interesting that I stumbled upon. Just like my discovery of the Sarangchae itself, I didn't even know it existed until I arrived upstairs (albeit that I came up from the end of the exhibit).

Behold: something that was just too odd to pass up.

Here I am, as the president of Korea!

Amongst the other things you'll see at the Sarangchae are the gifts themselves - some are quite intricate items here. Such as the jeweled elephant from the Thai ambassador, and the above horse which was a gift from President Lyndon B. Johnson of the US. Also there's an exhibit about traditional Korean food and cooking, though it's just an introduction to the cuisine at best. Foreign leaders' signatures can be viewed as well, including Hu Jintao and Barack Obama. Pictures of President Lee Myung-Bak with his foreign contemporaries are displayed as well, including the above one of a taekwondo pose alongside President Obama. While small, the Sarangchae is an interesting experience and provides some nice information about Korea's presidents and the Republic itself.

And outside the Sarangchae, you'll also have a nice view of the Blue House. Unless you schedule a tour two weeks in advance, this is the closest you're likely to get to the president's home. A large number of police officers were on duty in the surrounding area, and several asked me where I was going. While they helpfully pointed me to the Sarangchae, it's a reminder that this is a highly secure and policed area.