GEEO South Korea Google Earth Presentation Script

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USA

Today I’d like to share with you a great experience I had over the winter break. I traveled to South Korea through a non-profit organization called GEEO that helps educators travel abroad so that they can learn more about different cultures to share with their students. I was joined on my trip by teachers from all around the United States.

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Asia

South Korea is part of the continent of Asia, which is Earth’s largest continent. Can anyone name any other countries in Asia? South Korea is in East Asia near countries like China, North Korea, and Japan.

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South Korea

Korea’s history spans thousands of years, shaped by dynasties, invasions, and rapid economic development. Early civilizations emerged on the Korean Peninsula around 2000 BC. One notable period is the Three Kingdoms era (57 BC–668 AD), when Goguryeo, Baekje, and Sillacompeted for dominance. Silla unified the peninsula in the 7th century, leading to a golden age called the Unified Silla period.

King Sejong the Great was one of Korea’s most important rulers. He created the Korean alphabet, Hangul, and reinforced Korean Confucianism as the official religion. Buddhism was previously dominant and remains Korea’s second-largest religion. Today, about half of Koreans have no religion, while 20% are Protestant Christian, 17% Buddhist, and 11% Catholic.

Korea has faced invasions from China and Japan. Japan colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945. After World War II, Korea was divided into North and South.

Today, South Korea’s cultural influence extends globally. How many of you listen to K-pop? BTS, BLACKPINK, NewJeans, and Stray Kids have become famous in the U.S., along with K-dramas and Korean cuisine.

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Seoul

Our trip began in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. King Sejong the Great’s grandfather, Taejo, made Seoul (then called Hanyang) the capital. Seoul’s metropolitan area has about 26 million people—larger than New York City’s 20 million. (A metropolitan area is a major city plus its suburbs and nearby towns with significant economic ties. [Can you use your city as an example?])

Seoul offers incredible local food. Street food stalls serve spicy tteokbokki (pronunciation) and crispy fried chicken, countless restaurants offer Korean BBQ, and you can find Kimchi—one of Korea’s oldest and most essential dishes—everywhere.

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Blue House

One of the first places we visited in Seoul was the Blue House, the official residence and office of the President of South Korea (until 2022). It is located in the heart of Seoul, and its name comes from its distinct blue roof tiles. The buildings and surrounding gardens are now open to visitors, and the president’s office has been moved to another location.

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Gyeongbokgung Palace

An even older and more historically significant building in Korea’s political history is the majestic Gyeongbokgung Palace (pronunciation), built in the 14th century under King Taejo. The palace was destroyed multiple times—by fire in the 16th century and by the Japanese in the early 20th century—but over half the original buildings still stand or are restored.

Many visitors, especially young people, wear traditional clothing called hanbok when they visit. Nearby shops rent or sell hanbok and other traditional Korean clothing, and if you wear hanbok to the palace, admission is free.

The palace complex is home to the National Folk Museum and the National Palace Museum, which contains royal treasures from Korean history.

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National Folk Museum of Korea

The National Folk Museum focuses on the daily life of historical Koreans. It is a fascinating museum that uses replicas of historical objects and buildings to illustrate the history of Korean traditional life.

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Bukchon Hanok Village

We visited Bukchon, a district of restored traditional Korean houses called hanok. The houses stand out against modern Seoul, making them a popular destination. It’s a great place to see traditional Korean architecture. Around 3,500 people still live there.

We also visited nearby Insa-dong, with narrow alleyways of art galleries, tea shops, and traditional restaurants. Historically, it was known for antique shops and artwork.

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N Seoul Tower

We also took a cable car up to the most iconic landmark in Seoul, N Seoul Tower, located at the top of Mount Namsan. The tower used to be a broadcasting station and is now a beautiful observatory open to the public. It offers panoramic views of Seoul’s sprawling skyline and the surrounding mountains. The tower is adorned with thousands of LED lights that can be seen from miles away at night.

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Namdaemun Market

One final point of interest in Seoul is Namdaemun Market, Korea’s oldest traditional market, dating back to 1414. It is also the country’s largest market, with over 10,000 vendors spanning several city blocks and selling everything from clothing and accessories to electronics, household items, souvenirs, and of course, delicious street food.

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Golgulsa Temple

After spending some time in Seoul, we took a high-speed bullet train to Gyeongiu (pronunciation), a Pacific Coast city that was Silla’s capital for nearly 1,000 years. Several of Gyeongiu’s buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Do you know what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is? A landmark or area designated by the UN for cultural or historical significance. The program conserves sites for future generations.

At Golgulsa, we stayed overnight in a Buddhist temple. We learned temple etiquette, watched a monk’s martial arts performance (called sunmudo), experienced the daily prayer ritual, and enjoyed a temple-style dinner. We slept in traditional ondol rooms with beds on the floor.

Sunmudo is a form of meditation that emphasizes the harmony of body and mind through observing one’s breathing. It is a traditional Korean Buddhist martial art that traces its origins back over 1,000 years.

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Yangdong Folk Village

One of the locations we visited near Gyeongju was Yangdong Folk Village, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beautiful 500-year-old site is a traditional yangban village, which was originally used by ruling-class aristocrats. The village was founded in the early 1400s and has well-preserved buildings and more than 160 tile-roofed and thatched-roof homes.

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Daereungwon Tomb Complex

We also visited the Daereungwon Tomb complex, yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains 23 tombs located inside large mounds called tumuli. The complex is beautiful with its rolling mounds and gardens, and you can visit inside the tombs, each of which holds thousands of relics from the Silla Dynasty. The contents of the tombs are over 1,500 years old and are believed to be the final resting places of Silla kings, queens, and nobles. In addition to the burial mounds, the park also has a museum where visitors can learn more about the history and archaeology of the Silla Dynasty, with some artifacts that were unearthed from the tombs.

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Bulguksa Temple

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site that we visited was Bulguksa Temple, which means “Temple of the Buddha Land.” It is one of the most historically significant temples in South Korea. The rulers of the Silla Kingdom originally constructed it in the 8th century as a symbol of their devotion to Buddhism and as a center for spiritual practice and enlightenment.

This building is called the Hall of Great Enlightenment and contains a golden statue of Buddha. There are a series of smaller shrines, pavilions, and meditation halls scattered throughout the temple complex.

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Cheomseongdae Observatory

Finally, we also visited Cheomseongdae (pronunciation) in Gyeongju. It may not look like much, but it is actually the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia and possibly the world. It dates back to the 7th century, and its original appearance and shape has remained unchanged for over 1,300 years. It was built to observe the stars and forecast the weather in the ancient capital city and scientific hub of Gyeongju.

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Busan

Our next stop after Gyeongju was the large port city of Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea. Throughout its history, Busan has served as an important center for trade and commerce, thanks to its strategic location along international shipping routes. Today, Busan is a key economic powerhouse and a major driver of South Korea’s industrial growth. The city’s port is one of the busiest in the world and it is home to thriving manufacturing industries, including shipbuilding, automotive production, and electronics manufacturing.

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Haedong Yonggungsa

One of the places we visited in Busan was the picturesque 14th-century seaside temple, Haedong Yonggungsa, originally known as Bomun Temple. The Buddhist temple was built in 1376. Unlike most Korean temples, which are nestled in the mountains, the cliffside Haedong Yonggungsa overlooks the East Sea with stunning ocean views.

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Gamcheon Culture Village

Next on our itinerary was Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside village with pastel-colored houses and maze-like alleyways. The village is decorated with murals, sculptures, and art installations, and it is full of quirky cafes, art galleries, and souvenir shops.

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Jagalchi Fish Market

We also visited Jagalchi Fish Market, the largest seafood market in South Korea and a paradise for seafood lovers. The rows of stalls offer an incredible variety of fresh fish, shellfish, and other marine delicacies, such as grilled eel, sashimi, and seafood pancakes. We also went to Gukje Market, one of the oldest and largest markets in the city, selling everything from clothing and accessories to electronics and household goods.

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Yongdusan Park

Yongdusan Park is a peaceful oasis nestled on a hill in the heart of busy downtown Busan. The green park is home to more than 70 different types of trees. Standing tall on the hill is the 390-ft Busan Tower, an iconic landmark for the city. The tower offers panoramic views of the city, the nearby port, and the distant mountains beyond.

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Busan Tower

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DMZ

We returned to Seoul by bullet train and visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has separated North and South Korea since 1953. Despite its name, the DMZ is the world’s most heavily militarized border, with barbed wire, guard posts, landmines, and over a million soldiers on guard daily. The 160-mile long, 2.5-mile wide buffer zone has little development. Without human activity, nature has flourished and wildlife has taken over.

This spot is the Joint Security Area (JSA), also known as Panmunjom. It’s the only place where North and South Korean soldiers stand face to face; it’s also where diplomatic negotiations and military talks happen.

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War Memorial of Korea

Our final stop was the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul. It exhibits Korea’s military history and preserves Korean War materials. With about 9,000 artifacts, it’s one of the world’s largest military history museums. Exhibits cover ancient times to the modern era, focusing on the Korean War and its aftermath. The outdoor area has military equipment including tanks, artillery, aircraft, and naval vessels. (Point them out in the satellite image.)

Exhibits show personal experiences of soldiers and civilians, plus the historical, political, and social contexts of these conflicts.