This article A Kids’ Guide to Seoul, is for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children practise reading and comprehension, learn new vocabulary, and discover fun facts about Seoul, the exciting capital of South Korea. Written by Sinead O’Carroll, an experienced ESL teacher and writer.
An introduction to Seoul
Seoul is the capital city of South Korea, a country in East Asia. It’s a busy city filled with bright lights, delicious street food, and modern technology.
Seoul is home to over 9 million people, but it also has peaceful places like riverside parks and ancient temples. The city lies along the Han River and is surrounded by green mountains.
Facts about Seoul
- Country: South Korea
- Currency: South Korean Won (₩)
- Language: Korean
- South Korean Flag: White with black stripes, and a red and blue circle in the centre
- National animal of South Korea: Korean tiger
What’s Seoul famous for?
Seoul is famous for being a city where old and new come together. You’ll find ancient palaces next to glass skyscrapers, and people wearing modern fashion alongside colourful traditional clothes. Seoul is known around the world for K-pop, Korean TV shows, technology companies like Samsung and LG, and tasty food like kimchi.
It’s also a leader in green spaces, smart transport, and even robot cafés!
Cool places to visit in Seoul
- Gyeongbokgung Palace: This is the largest of Seoul’s royal palaces. You can watch the changing of the guard and see people wearing hanbok (traditional Korean clothing).
- N Seoul Tower: This tall tower stands on a mountain and has amazing views of the city.
- Bukchon Hanok Village: A beautiful area filled with traditional wooden framed houses, narrow streets, and craft shops.
- Lotte World: A huge indoor theme park with rides, ice skating, and shows.
- Cheonggyecheon Stream: A relaxing walkway along a clean stream that flows right through the city centre.
What’s on the menu?
Seoul is a fantastic place for food lovers! Some popular dishes include:
- Bibimbap – a bowl of warm rice topped with vegetables, egg, and spicy sauce.
- Kimchi – a spicy, fermented cabbage dish eaten with almost every meal.
- Tteokbokki – chewy rice cakes in a sweet and spicy red sauce, often sold from street stalls.
- Hotteok – sweet pancakes filled with sugar, nuts, and cinnamon – perfect on a cold day!
- Kimbap – like a Korean version of sushi rolls, often filled with vegetables, egg, and meat.
What do people wear?
Most people in Seoul wear modern clothes like jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts. Seoul is known for its stylish fashion, and young people love to keep up with trends.
On special days or festivals, you might see people wearing hanbok – colourful, flowing clothes often with ribbons and wide skirts.
There are even shops where visitors can rent hanbok and take photos around the palaces!
Fun facts about Seoul for kids
- Seoul is one of the most high-tech cities in the world, with super-fast internet and robot waiters in some cafés.
- Seoul’s subway is one of the cleanest and safest in the world, with free Wi-Fi on the trains.
- K-pop stars in Seoul train for years before they perform on stage.
- There’s a special place called “Hello Kitty Island” in a shopping mall – all pink and cat-themed!
- Some schools in Seoul have robots to help teach English!
Vocabulary list
- Capital – The main city where a country’s government is based
- Skyscraper – A very tall building
- Temple – A building for prayer or religious ceremonies
- Fermented – A way of preserving food by letting it change naturally over time
- Traditional – Something from the past that people still do or use today
- Subway – An underground train system
- Palace – A large home for a royal family
- Hanbok – Traditional Korean clothing, usually colourful and worn on special days
- K-pop – Popular music from South Korea
- Pancake – A flat cake made in a pan, often served hot
Comprehension questions
Just click the plus (+) to see the answer
1. What river flows through Seoul?
a) Yellow River
b) Han River
c) Mekong River
Answer: b) Han River
2. What is bibimbap?
a) A sweet dessert
b) A spicy soup
c) A rice dish with vegetables and egg
Answer: c) A rice dish with vegetables and egg
3. What can you see at Gyeongbokgung Palace?
a) Robots teaching English
b) People wearing traditional clothes
c) Pink cats and pancakes
Answer: b) People wearing traditional clothes
4. What is hanbok?
a) A type of Korean food
b) A holiday in South Korea
c) Traditional Korean clothing
Answer: c) Traditional Korean clothing
5. How do people use Cheonggyecheon Stream today?
a) For fishing competitions
b) For peaceful walks in the city
c) As a place to wash clothes
Answer: b) For peaceful walks in the city
6. What kind of music is Seoul known for?
a) Opera
b) Hip-hop
c) K-pop
Answer: c) K-pop
7. What is kimchi made from?
a) Cooked meat and rice
b) Sugar and nuts
c) Spicy fermented cabbage
Answer: c) Spicy fermented cabbage
Sinead is a writer and EFL teacher with eight years’ experience. She’s a native English speaker who loves making news stories fun and easy to understand for children around the world. Her passions include travel, animals, and helping to make the world a kinder, more sustainable place.
