1 Incheon International Airport, which is about a 90-minute journey from Seoul by taxi or bus, is ranked among the best airports in the world.
Its terminals are crammed with shops and restaurants. The airport’s standard amenities
include a sauna, hair and nail salon, a 24-hour business centre with wireless internet access,
laundry service and a dental clinic.
2 The Han River bisects Seoul in half. The north is the seat of government, ministries, newspapers and established industries such as banking and finance.
The south is home to fashion, IT, entertainment and venture capital firms.
3 Depending on where your meetings are being held, it is essential to choose your hotel’s location wisely since traffic jams can make crossing the river a hassle. On the north side, near City Hall, the Chosun is the place where visiting dignitaries most often stay.
Its rival, the recently renovated and centrally located Shilla Hotel, sits on nine hectares of private landscaped grounds and has a rooftop restaurant with impressive city views.
South of the Han River, the new Park Hyatt has elegant and spacious rooms. Also a popular destination for business travellers is the JW Marriott, which is directly connected to a luxury department store and shopping mall. On the north side, in eastern Seoul, the modern W Hotel overlooks the Han River.
4 For lunch and dinner meetings, Restaurant at the Kukje Gallery is a favourite haunt for the city’s power brokers. It looks over a wall into Gyeongbok Palace, which was the seat of power of Korea’s ancient dynasties. The business and political elite can often be seen eating breakfast at the Chosun’s Ninth Gate restaurant.
Frequently preceded by a round of golf, deals are often closed at exclusive Japanese restaurants with private rooms, including Namu at the W Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton’s Hanazono and the Shilla Hotel’s Ariake.
5 On the north side of the city, stroll through the lively City Hall Park, then walk up Sejongno, the city’s most historic thoroughfare, before arriving at the 14th century Gyeongbok Palace.
Grab a cab for a short ride to Samcheongdong, a colourful neighbourhood dotted with galleries, cafés, and tea-houses, many housed in renovated traditional Korean houses.
South of the Han River spend an hour or so people-watching along Rodeo Drive, lined with high-end shops, and linger in a café in Cheungdam-dong.
Planning essentials for organising events in Seoul
South Korea's capital has much to offer convention groups
