12 Different Good & Bad Ideas for a 1st date in Seoul or South Korea

As today is Valentine’s Day I thought I’d write a short list of places in which you can take a date or maybe loved one out to.  One of the toughest decisions in life is where to go on a first date, you always want to make the best first impression possible but takes often near impossible when you don’t know your date very well or at all. The location for a first date is made doubly difficult if you are in a foreign country, however Seoul and Korea in general has a number of great opinions. Here are 6 nonspecific ideas for that first date, as well as 6 things to avoid.

Charming

• A Quiet Hof: It better to choose somewhere you’ve been to before and therefore know the menu and the clientele. A Hof can create a relaxing atmosphere and can enable you to chat comfortable.
• Bike Rental: Located close to the 63 building, renting a bike is a cute way to spend a couple of hours on the banks of the Han River in Seoul.
• Han River Ferry: Will set you back around W7,000 and is a relaxing way to see Seoul. Tip: Go at an off-peak time as the queue can get long.
• Seoul Zoo: It located just outside Seoul and costs only W3,000 to get in. There are plenty of different animals to see and normally it’s not very busy. Top Tip: Visit the animal nursery, everyone likes baby tigers.
• A walk in the park: A simple yet affective option for a first date either at the end or the beginning. In my opinion free space is a premier in Seoul and other large cities in Korea and therefore if you can escape to a park/lake for 30mins or so it can give you a chance to talk freely with your date without distractions. This is only really possible from spring to autumn. Seoul Forest is a good option (details here)
• Photo Sticker Place: Depending on how your date as gone, a fun photo sticker place is worth a visit. It may be popular mainly with teenage girls but it can give you a nice and cute memento from your first date.

Dull

• A Sports Bar: Unless your date is a massive sports nut taking them to a crowded, noisy and standing room only sports bar is not a great move.
• A Western Bar (Friday or Saturday Night): This goes doubly if you have a Korean date as you may feel comfortable there but they won’t and may leave within 15mins. They also like to sit down and not get hit on by other guys at the bar. During the week it’s a better place to go to as you can show off your darts/pool skills J.
• All you can eat: Normally both parties are nervous on a first date and don’t really want to eat much therefore going to an All-you-can-eat place is a bit of a waste of both time and money.
• Cinema: Although a top idea in the past, unless you know your date well it could cause them 2 hours of boredom and end any chance of future dates.
• Karaoke / Singing Room / Norebang: Risky unless you’re an amazing singer as it can cause a very uncomfortable situation if nobody wants to sing. Also as this is a first date it may not be the best however on a second, third or double date it may work out ok.
• A Kimbop Shop: Even if it is a first date, it’s better to spend a little more than just W2,500 on a place of Tuna Kimbop and Kimchi.

I admit these view are from a male perspective but should be true for a women as well. If you disagree with my views or have any other suggestions please feel free to comment below.