Living at my own pace, exploring a wide world.

Dear reader,

Thank you for opening this letter. Since it’s my first one, let me start by telling you who I am and why I’ve decided to write to you.

I’m a Korean living in Seoul. I’ve always loved discovering different cultures, and that love has taken me all over the world. Wandering unfamiliar alleys, eating what the neighborhood eats, and settling into the rhythm of a city for a little while. That’s what travel has always meant to me.

Along the way, I learned one thing. The best travel advice rarely comes from tourists. It comes from locals. The restaurant a local friend recommended always gave me better memories than the famous one in the guidebook. Guidebooks tend to recommend the same places, but a local’s perspective captures the true character of a city.

Lately, something has been happening in my city. Seoul is filling up with travelers from all over the world. I see them every day on the streets, in the markets, and on the subway. Whenever I do, I find myself thinking, “I hope they receive the same kind of warm, local guidance I was lucky enough to receive in other countries.”

That’s why I’m starting these letters. I want travelers to experience Korea not as it’s packaged for tourists, but as we actually live it, and to return home with lasting memories. So I’ll be writing to you, one letter at a time, about the places and culture of Korea through the eyes of someone who calls this city home.

About the name “whigoori”

I should explain the name. Whigoori is a combination of two things I love: whiskey and neoguri (너구리), the Korean word for raccoon. Picture a whiskey-loving raccoon somewhere in Seoul, writing you letters. That’s me.

What I’ll be writing about

• Places locals actually go, both in Seoul and beyond.
• Korean culture, including food, drinks, cafés, and the little things travelers often wonder about but rarely get a proper answer to.
• And sometimes, whatever happens to be on my mind. That’s what letters are for, after all.

See you in the next one.

From Seoul, whigoori

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