I felt somewhat out of place, but I couldn’t put my finger on the reason why, as the Namsan Cable Car took off and the journey to the top of N Seoul Tower begun.
Around me I was being stared at – something I had become accustomed to having been in Asia for over a month now – but there was something else, a feeling like I was almost intruding.
Trudging up the stairs towards the tower realisation hit: I was the only person not part of a couple. The guys were all gently guiding their girlfriends up the snow covered paths, or acting as a safety net for those who wore high heels; not the smartest footwear in the snowy minus-degree weather. Other girls posing playfully as their boyfriends happily snapped photos on their phones or camera.
N Seoul Tower is a romantic pilgrimage for those couples who wish to declare their eternal love, much akin to that of the Pont de l’Archevêché in Paris; But unlike the governments in Paris, New York and other cities where love locks are presently cut down, N Seoul Tower actively encourage people to leave locks in specially designated areas – even going as far to commission metal trees and hearts for this purpose – where now thousands of love locks spreading a message of love are scattered around the base of the tower.
As couples braved the cold to gaze at the love locks hand in hand, or scribble their messages of love ready to affix to the railings, I felt a little pang of jealously. Travelling solo is fun, but sometimes I want another person to share the moment with and perhaps place our own love lock.
It wasn’t long until I was distracted and smiling again when one overly zealous young Korean man made it his mission to take photos with every girl present at the tower that day, boyfriend in tow or not!
Love locks of all shapes and sizes were affixed around there. Made from genuine locks, some where made from mobile phone covers or scraps of paper. Curiously there was a chopping board with a message of love, a sock, and also a spoon…. though in my opinion the best locks were ones with photos on them.
I was also delighted to see a ‘condom’ lock… that’s right ladies and gents, the message of practicing safe sex with your beloved is alive and well in Seoul.
The messages of the love locks also varied. Some stressed the love of the family whilst others were between boyfriend and girlfriend, pledging to be together forever. Some were slightly sadder, wishing for a date from their beloved, and then there was a very curious looking Mexican cat – pet love perhaps?
The chairs atop N Seoul Tower look like they’re broken, with a bend in the middle; but they’re actually heart chairs. The bend certainly did seem to help people get even closer to their significant other.
If people didn’t have a love lock they scribbled their messages of love on the chair itself, making it a cute, multi-purpose feature.
With love locks around the world, one of the biggest problems that governments and cities have is that the lovers then throw the keys away – often off hillsides or into water causing environmental problems – to ensure no one finds the key to unlock the padlocks, meaning that their love won’t endure. To combat this N Seoul Tower have come up with a helpful but charitable option.
Couples can leave their keys in the Postbox of Love after locking-up and part of the revenue from the keys collected in the postbox is donated to underprivileged children, the perfect campaign to spread the love around South Korea!
Let me know in the comments below
How do you and your significant other show your love?
Have you and your special someone left a love lock somewhere special?
Details
N Seoul Tower
105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 용산구 남산공원길 105 (용산동2가)
Admission: The love locks are located outside N Seoul Tower and are free to see.
If you wish to go into the observatory it costs ₩9,000 (AUD$8/GBP£5.30) for adults and ₩5,000 (AUD$4.40/GBP£2.95) for children. Additional discounts can be found here.
There is also a fee to ride the Namsan Cable Car or for a bus to the peak where the Tower is located.
Website: http://www.nseoultower.co.kr
How to get to N Seoul Tower: I visited N Seoul Tower in the middle of winter (January) and it was snowing out, so I chose to take a taxi from my hotel.
For the most up-to-date information on how to get to N Seoul Tower, check their website here.
Where to stay in Seoul: I stayed at the Millennium Seoul Hilton. Like any Hilton, they offer a comfortable, spacious room with some of the best beds on the market. Furthermore, through the Hilton Honors program, I earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points for my stays and – as a gold member – I was upgraded at check in, complimentary WiFi and breakfast, and had access to the Executive lounge during my stay.
What really won me over was the location of the Millennium Seoul Hilton. Located a short walk from Namdaemun, Namsan and the Namdaemun Gate, as well as plenty of cafes and shops.
If you stay at the Millennium Seoul Hilton, make sure your taxi doesn’t take you to the Grand Seoul Hilton which is located on the other side of town. I made the mistake and it was quite a costly one.
There are lots of hotels in Seoul, you can find more options here.
Where to buy love locks:
There are some love locks for sale at N Seoul Tower but they are quite costly and often come brandished with logos. I recommend finding some in the local markets, such as Namdaemum Market, which will offer you a better price and more varieties. Some will even offer engraving for a small fee.
Personally, I prefer ordering my own love lock from Amazon. They have a great range, are well priced and some sellers include the engraving in the cost! You can buy a love lock on Amazon here.
Planning a trip to Seoul?
A Trip to Bau House Dog Cafe in Seoul
Have you packed these items?
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34 Comments
Sammi
February 8, 2013 at 3:51 amawesome! i would love to go here if i ever have a boyfriend 😛
Nicole
February 8, 2013 at 4:22 pmYou should go Sammi! It’s beautiful with or without a boyfriend. =)
Irine Koo
February 11, 2013 at 5:27 amNice Pics! These pictures remind me few months ago my life in Korea. Thanks for that 🙂
Nicole
February 18, 2013 at 10:04 pmIt’s a pleasure, Irine. =) Hope you enjoyed your time in Korea!
cosmoHallitan
February 25, 2013 at 5:38 pmLove this! I’m heading to Seoul soon with my hubby and another couple – we are definitely putting this on our itinerary!
Nicole
February 25, 2013 at 7:09 pmEnjoy your trip and can’t wait to hear what you think of N Seoul Tower. 🙂
nicole @thewondernuts
March 26, 2013 at 8:34 amThe hubby and I put our love lock on the pont d’arts bridge in Paris (post coming soon one these days…) Anyway, everywhere we go, I bring a lock because I kind of want to put a love lock for every place we went to. It can be a treasure hunt. =)
kimreiNaa
September 14, 2013 at 5:05 pmamazingg .. Im from in Indonesia
salam kenal..:D
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December 5, 2013 at 5:16 pm[…] put their love lock in Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower maybe) (you can find more information about it here […]
Matthew Jenney
January 31, 2014 at 2:58 pmAwesome post on Namsan T0wer! Made me really feel like I was there again!
shykin yap
February 6, 2014 at 6:04 pmmy daughter is travelling with her friends family to Korea this 24 March 2014…hope they can make it to this place by their own..
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February 26, 2014 at 1:52 pm[…] icons or just scattered randomly have continued to grow around the world. From Paris to Cologne, Seoul to Chile, the craze continues to […]
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February 27, 2014 at 6:13 am[…] Romantic Seoul: Love Locks at N Seoul Tower […]
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April 4, 2014 at 3:53 am[…] up close and personal take a cable car to the top or walk. Be sure to add your lock of love to the collection of locks once you get […]
Dan Schaumann
June 17, 2014 at 12:23 pmAhh man I love the message on the lock from the person who hadn’t had a date in 2 years. I hope he/she found one.
Awesome photos – I was at N Seoul Tower a few ago and was blown away by the amount of sheer love on display there 🙂
Glamourous Traveller
August 10, 2014 at 12:06 pmSo lovely! Unfortunately I ended up missing this when I visited recently =(
Jason Weaver
October 23, 2014 at 6:09 pmHi Nicole. When are you coming back to this place. I’ll be waiting.
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February 6, 2015 at 6:52 am[…] Source 1 Source 2 […]
anara_love
May 13, 2015 at 2:37 pmi want to go korea someday
G Riley
May 17, 2015 at 8:54 amI am have an artist design a huge iron heart for love locks, I would appreciate knowing if the Soeul piece opens to attach the locks and any other structural elements.
Thank you
Audrey & David
June 3, 2015 at 4:30 pmHi ! We went there on 2010, and there were already tons of love locks. At that time, I don’t think people in Paris used to leave locks on the Pont des arts. Somebody confirm ?
Anyway, lovely review about this beautiful place !
Red Rose
June 15, 2015 at 8:56 pmI want also to go there with my friends since I don’t have yet a boyfriend hahaha.
I want to experience too on how it feels to be there in actual place and l leaving a love letter.hehehe
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June 20, 2015 at 7:41 am[…] we got out of the tower we went to the top of the building to look at the locks of love. […]
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November 30, 2015 at 2:40 pm[…] they have a love lock fence just as Paris. To learn more about the love lock fence, visit this blog. Also, the last time I was in Korea, I went to Lotte World which is ranked #14 under the […]
Carmel World Traveler
March 5, 2016 at 5:11 pmHeading to Korea this month. I’m looking forward to visiting this site after reading your post. I hope three people can fit on those heart shaped benches! =)
Rosemary
April 19, 2016 at 11:21 pmThis reminds me so much of the love I found and the love I have lost. I won’t forget the moments we had in this place but one day, I sure will come back and find time to unlock the one we put on it so I could also free myself from the heartaches it caused me when I gave it a try of trusting him. 🙁 But thanks for posting such a good one! 🙂
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Kari
August 17, 2017 at 6:59 amMy boyfriend (now my hubby) in a Biz trip left a lock with our names 🙂 I haven’t been there but I love this place!!! It’s very special to me!
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March 4, 2021 at 7:47 pm[…] made and even included several scenes that had the magnificent landscapes of Korea, including the N Seoul Tower, where Lara Jean and her sisters found many locks with names of owners that had experienced eternal […]