DISCOVER YOUR SEOUL: ERIC KIM SEOUL SOUTH KOREA STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE 2022 (September 30-October 2, 2022)

Dear friend,

If you’re hungry for adventure, and curious to experience the culture and streets of Seoul, South Korea, I cordially invite you to my new DISCOVER YOUR SEOUL ERIC KIM TRAVEL STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE (September 30th to October 2nd, 2022):

Why Seoul?

I think Seoul is one of the most under-rated places for photography, street photography, and travel. Also, as a Korean American, I do have skin in the game, quite literally.

Seoul for travel

Currently we are living through a period of what they call, “long COVID“. That means that moving forward into the future, uncertainty will continue to rise. We all love to travel, experience new things, but the difficult thing is finding a location which is suitable for us.

One of the great reasons why soul South Korea is a great location is because they have dropped their quarantine requirement, and it is quite easy for anybody to travel there now. Tokyo is another great exotic place in Asia which I love traveling to and doing street photography, yet currently there are still lots of restrictions on traveling there, and also I am quite uncertain whether they will quickly change their policies.

Has K-pop, Korean culture, or Korean food intrigued you?

If you have ever heard of BTS, BLACKPINK, or have friends or family or kids who like K-pop, Korean dramas, Korean films, Korean street food, and Korean culture, SEOUL is for you.

What I envision for this workshop experience is the unique chance for you to have a full stack experience: having the opportunity to learn more about the Korean language, history, food, culture, and the streets.

Seoul South Korea is so fascinating to me, because it has many fascinating and diverse neighborhoods, like the bohemian Sinsadong, the fun street scene of Myungdong, street food and coffee culture, and of course the fun drinking, Korean barbecue, and Soju experience in Gangnam (yes the same place where “Oppa Gangnam Style” from PSY came out out of).

How easy is it to fly to Seoul South Korea?

Very easy. There are lots of direct flights from LAX to Seoul, as well as direct flights from New York. Also, if you live in Asia, it is very easy to get to Seoul South Korea, I like Asiana and Korean air. Singapore air also has some great routes.

Bring the family along

What I envision as very cool about this soul South Korea experience is that it could be fun for the whole family. If you have a partner, or kids, you could fly there with them. During the workshop experience, they could go shopping, explore the cultural heritage of Korea, and also join us in the evening for dinner and drinks.

What also personally interests me about teaching a workshop in Seoul South Korea is that it is a personal opportunity for me to improve my Korean, as I am probably more American than Korean, yet still very tied to the culture. During the workshop, I will also teach you simple phrases in Korean, asking people to make a portrait of them, or just interacting with locals.

What is also great about going to Seoul South Korea is that most Koreans have at least basic conversational skills in English, which makes it very easy for us English speakers to travel there. There are at least 1000 times more fluent in English in Seoul South Korea, than Tokyo.

Also, because there is a strong link between the South Korean and American economy, it is very easy for you to use your international credit cards there, ATM machines, etc.

What you will experience during the workshop:

A new exciting and foreign environment, which will stimulate your photographic inspiration and motivation
The opportunity for you to experience Korean culture firsthand, while also learning a little bit about the Korean language, and how to speak some basic phrases in Korean
The chance for you to eat great and authentic Korean street food, something all your friends will be jealous of.
Having a unique insider outsider experience, because I, ERIC KIM will be your travel street photography instructor, I will use both my Korean knowledge and American knowledge to give you the most bespoke and unique experience possible.
A chance for you to improve your photography, and become a better photographer: consider this workshop as your creative turbocharger, to improve your photographic vision, and creative vision. Also the opportunity for you to build your confidence in street photography, and also improve your compositional skills.
Buy experiences, not stuff: you could buy a new Apple product, buy a new Tesla, or spend your money on things, but I think investing in yourself, and travel experiences is the best bang for the buck. What I personally recommend is staying in Seoul South Korea for at least a week, so you could have some chance to explore Korea by yourself, maybe with your family or friend, to make your trip worth it.
Insanely fun: First and foremost, I want to optimize this workshop experience for you to have lots of fun. Seeing the world through Seneca‘s eyes, I have discovered that having fun is actually the best way to learn. Why is that? When you’re having fun, it actually means that you’re exercising your creative muscles, and this is the best way to learn, create new memories, and become a more advanced photographer.
No real downside: certainly the cost for the flight, accommodations, and food, and the workshop tuition is not cheap, yet, is impossible to go on experience without getting something timeless out of it. Experiences, memories, transform you. They make you a better you.
Making photos you’re proud of: I can personally guarantee you that you will make at least three photos you are insanely proud of during the workshop. And certainly at least one photo that will become portfolio worthy. If you feel like your photography and creative soul has been put on the back burner ever since Covid, this is your opportunity.
Seoul South Korea is insanely fun and exciting, and not so many people have traveled there, as compared to Japan: Adventure and take a route off the beaten path, and go somewhere that is a little less common. Uncommon experiences are more interesting, more fun, more stimulating, and a more interesting flex.

What should I pack, and bring?

Just keep it minimalistic. If you’re traveling by yourself, see if you could travel there with just one backpack. Of course bring your digital camera, whether it be a Ricoh GR, A Leica, Fujifilm, a Sony, etc.

Bring along your laptop, or if you want to be more minimal, just bring an iPad with the SD card reader. Or if you’re super hard-core, just bring your iPhone, and get a lightning to USB adapter, and just process all your photos on your phone. An iPhone Pro is actually a very good mobile photography photo processing device, which can allow you to just leave the laptop at home.

Pack merino wool

The weather should be pretty good, maybe a little bit on the hot and humid side, because it is technically the summertime. I see the ideal travel clothes is merino wool, invest in some travel clothing from Outlier.nyc. All you need is two merino wool T-shirts from outlier.nyc and just wash your clothes in the hotel sink or bathtub every single night.

If you want cheaper options, just get the airism clothes from Uniqlo, or you could buy cheap merino wool stuff on Amazon which also works well.

100% tuition money back guarantee

I am so confident that you will have a phenomenal experience at the workshop, that I offer an unconditional 100% moneyback guarantee. I cannot cover the cost of your airfare or hotel, yet if after the workshop experience you are not satisfied, or you don’t feel like you’ve had a phenomenal experience, I will refund 100% of your tuition, or offer you credit to a future workshop, either in person or online. This is my personal motivation to guarantee that you will have the most transformative photographic experience possible.

So what are the next steps?

Secure your spot for this highly desirable and limited workshop experience. This workshop is limited to only 5 intrepid individuals, who are willing to transform themselves, both photographically and creatively.

SECURE YOUR SPOT

Your investment is 2500 USD for the opportunity of a lifetime:

SECURE YOUR SPOT HERE >

How do I know if my spot is secure?

If you paid the tuition for the workshop, your spot is 100% secured. Also about a month before the workshop, I will give you more detailed information on meeting points.

Where should I stay?

Ideally staying in Gangnam will make you the most central. Yet because it is a little bit more expensive, honestly staying anywhere in Seoul, closest to Gangnam is a good bet. I recommend just using hotels.com, or Airbnb to find a place which suits your budget.

The great thing is that in Seoul, the Korean Subway is super easy to take, an extremely efficient, and will take you anywhere in less than 30 minutes.

Questions on vaccination, and Covid tests

News:

Officials in South Korea will lift pre-departure test requirements for inbound air and sea international passengers from Sept. 3. Travelers will no longer need to hold a negative RAT or PCR test result taken within 24 and 48 hours, respectively, before departure. However, travelers must continue to take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival in South Korea.

In other words, you longer need a negative Covid test to enter South Korea. However, once you arrive, you must take a PCR test in South Korea.

More info:

International Travel Restrictions: South Korea permits entry for most fully vaccinated travelers and returning residents. Visa-free and visa-waiver programs have resumed; an updated list of permitted locations is available here. Passport holders from eligible countries need to obtain an electronic travel authorization (K-ETA) before entering South Korea. Travelers must take a PCR test within one day of arrival. Passengers can pre-book a PCR test at Incheon International Airport (ICN) or take the test at an approved medical facility; travelers must register their test results on the Q-code website. Individuals that test positive will need to quarantine for seven days. South Korean nationals and Alien Registration Card (ARC) holders can self-quarantine at home, while short-term visitors must quarantine at a designated quarantine facility. Arrivals are subject to mandatory screenings at points of entry.

RESOURCES

Ministry of Health and Welfare COVID-19
Quarantine COVID19 Defence (Q-Code)
Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Travel Safety Guidelines)

Google is your friend

As the information is constantly evolving, I recommend just using a Google search on the most updated travel requirements from your own home country.

Korea Air has a good portal here: https://www.koreanair.com/us/en/travel-update/covid19/map

Travel visa requirements for Americans

From the USA— KETA and a valid American passport.

Get the KETA here

Also note — these are subject to change. Please ensure the most up to date information before booking your travels:

Workshop logistics

Dates: September 30th to October 2nd, 2022 (all-day Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Times: 11am-4pm every day
Meeting locations: Depending on the day. You will be informed of meeting locations about a month prior to the workshop, in a personal email from me.
Student cap: 5 passionate streettogs

Fortune favors the bold

Traveling is uncertain, and sometimes scary. Especially if you’re going to a place you might have never been to before.

I say go for it. You have everything to gain, nothing to lose:

Secure your opportunity!

Fortune favors the bold! Secure your spot for the workshop below:

2500USD TUITION PORTAL VIA PAYPAL/CREDIT CARD >

Insanely pumped to have you!

ERIC