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Korea.net regularly invites readers to our offices, offering them the chance to directly experience the daily routine of a Korean office. Our third guest has been Diana Lim from the Philippines, who works in Seoul as a creator of social media content. She is an avid Korea.net reader.

“Korea.net provides in depth content, which is rarely available in English,” she said. What impressed her recently was the article about the fortresses in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province). “It was interesting to read about the variety of fortresses the nation has. I didn’t know at all about the differences before,” she said.

Lim was especially glad to encounter Korea.net’s photographer. “I love the photos uploaded onto Korea.net’s Flickr feed. They’re just wonderful,” she said.

She was very energetic and lively.

After a talk that lasted over an hour, two words lingered in the air: photographs and travelling.

Lim arrived in Korea in 2010. She didn’t have an interest in any specific part of the country at that stage. She chose to move here because she yearned for a life in a foreign country. Upon arrival, however, she met with many unexpected Korean delights. She discovered that Korea has different seasonal patterns and regional specialties, and exploring the wonders of Korea became her favorite hobby.

Almost every weekend, Lim goes out to take photographs of Korea. Two of her favorite places are Samcheok in Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province), which she loves for the wonderful views of the sea and the delicious raw fish, and the traditional village of Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province). A few months ago, Lim invited a friend from the Philippines to visit Busan, which was awesome, too, she said. “My friend was most impressed by Korea’s convenient transport system,” added Lim.

Though she enjoys taking trips around the country, staying in the capital also offers a lot for her to enjoy. Lim likes to go hiking along the not-too-high mountains scattered around Seoul. “One day, I spent all day in the mountains, walking along the Bugaksan Mountain Fortress in the morning and then up Inwangsan Mountain in the afternoon,” she said, adding that Ansan Mountain is another great hiking trail. “You can see both Bukaksan and Inwangsan mountains from the top of Ansan Mountain.”

Lim seemed to be accustomed to life in Korea. She said she often visits online markets to purchase cheap tickets to theme parks or to guided tours, a trend popular among the younger generation. “I was surprised at how cheap the tickets can be,” said Lim.

When she has no specific plans, she takes photographs of the nearby palaces or riverside parks. “When I visit the palaces, I imagine the kings and queens walking around there some 500 years ago,” said Lim. Having an interest in Korean history, especially in the daily life of the royal families, Lim especially likes the love story between Seodong and Princess Seonhwa, which is believed to have taken place at the Gungnamji Pavilion in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province).

Recently, Lim has gotten into toy photography, using tiny figurines of a general and a princess. Lim has taken photographs of the toys with a backdrop of the Hangang River, of Inwangsan Mountain, of fortress walls and even of the hanok village. All these toy photographs are available in a series at her Flickr page.

“These days I see many people riding bicycles,” said Lim. “Bike riding is on my bucket list, as a thing to do while in Korea.”

Talking with Diana Lim was pleasant. She seemed to know how to enjoy her time in Korea much better than the locals do.

By Lee Seung-ah, Paik Hyun
Korea.net Staff Writers
slee27@korea.kr