After Taipei, Fran, publisher and CEO, and I carried on to Seoul for the final stretch of our Asia trip. Once again, this was my first time in South Korea. We landed at night and had a car service take us to our respective hotels. I stayed at Lotte Hotel Seoul while Fran stayed at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. 
As we pulled up to Lotte Hotel, I quickly took notice Christmas was in full effect, with the most beautiful Christmas lights on all the trees in addition to more Christmas décor by the entrance and a Christmas tree in the lobby. It really got me in the Christmas spirit in the middle of November! Check-in was a breeze, and they escorted me to my quarters. Life at Lotte Hotel was pretty incredible. It truly is the definition of a 5-star hotel. I stayed in a junior suite which included two bathrooms, a kitchen table and kitchenette, living space and large desk. The bathroom is enormous, with a double vanity and a heavenly shower. 
Each day in Seoul felt like a blur because of our busy schedule, thanks to our international representative for South Korea, Jeff Hwang. Thanks for all your hard work and for taking selfies, Jeff! 
Highlights included a meeting and interviewing the mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon. That was neat, and I totally felt like an international diplomat in that moment! Park Won-soon is also a potential presidential candidate for South Korea; did I just meet the future president of South Korea?! The food in Seoul is tremendous! I had my fair share of Korean kimchi, barbecued meats, noodles and fresh fish and sushi. Next time, I’d like to explore their street food since I have read great reviews. 
One of my high school friends from Wisconsin actually lives in Busan. We met up on my last night and ventured out to Itaewon for some local vibes. It was interesting to see how the locals spend their Friday evenings shopping for art, eating international flavors and dancing the night away at any or all of the night clubs in Itaewon! I look forward to exploring more of Seoul’s beauty in the near future! — Rafie Iannello, account director, Pacific Rim
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