LIVING Life and Traveling with Cerebral Palsy: One Week in South Korea!
Stephen A. Dantzig, Psy. D.
The great, the OK, and accessibility/things to consider when traveling with mobility devices or medication.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
This is a blog written for my memories, but also as a resource and reference for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawai’i to accurately guide those of us with disabilities with an honest appraisal of what to expect and how to enjoy this incredible country to the fullest. No lie, it was not easy, but it was awesome—thanks to my travel companions Joan, Jasmine and Jahstine! I will show what we saw, share what I learned, and provide my own accessibility ratings for everything we did along the way. The introduction to this memoir will contain random photos from our trip, but then they will follow the sequence of the trip.
First things first: Seoul and Busan are amazing places to visit if you are a fan of history or culture. Both cities are incredible hubs of ancient, old and new. I love Asian history, so I was in my “zone.”
Gyeongbokgung Palace–Room for a teenage king built by his father.
However, your journey begins long before your plane touches down. Joan US citizens do not need a visa. We were also temporarily exempt from the K-ETA (that could change at the end of 2026). We DID need to file an e-arrival card up to 72 hours before ARRIVING in South Korea. The process is a bit more complicated if you are from a country where you need a visa (like our traveling companions). You might be going through the Korea Visa Application Center rather than the embassy directly. They were great about returning emails, but you may need to some more digging to gather everything you need for the visa, with a response usually within an hour. You STILL need a e-arrival card even with a visa. It is fairly easy.
View from a cable car at Namsan
Many of us are on medications. Check carefully to see if your medication is on the “banned” list. Don’t freak out if it is: you just need a doctor’s note and prescription (both saved as PDF files) and obviously all flight and hotel information to apply online for a permit to bring in your personal medication. You will receive an authorization form to enter the country with the EXACT amount of medication needed for your stay in South Korea. Print and bring the authorization with you. You need to declare any medication that you get authorization to bring in. Note that they WILL count your medication and compare it to the authorization form. It is probably a good idea to bring a copy of your prescription even if your medication is not on the banned medication list.
Egret in the Korea Folk Village
Flying with a power wheelchair has been more of a fear than the reality. HOWEVER, check the watt hours of your battery. Some batteries are under the threshold while some are NOT allowed. The batteries for my Jazzy Ultra-Light chair are just under the threshold. I have a spare, so check with your airline to see if BOTH batteries are OK to go with you. Chat or email with your airline so you can print the confirmation and bring it with you to the airport: I showed the email at one of the airports and had no problem. We needed the spare one day, so we were really happy that we had both—and remember to pack your battery charger! While you are at it, bring an plug adapter or power converter to charge your US devices.
Jogyesa Buddhist Temple
Batteries must be removed and brought on board with you (batteries cannot be checked with your chair unless they are part of your chair). The watt hours of your battery may be examined at check-in. Some security check points require you to take out the battery for x-ray, some don’t. MOST times you will be able to bring your chair to the gate and check it there, but there could be a discussion about that at check-in. A pleasant surprise this time was that some arrival destinations bring your chair to the gate while others require you to collect your chair at the baggage carousel. Either way, be sure to request wheelchair assistance at your destination.
With the “guards” at the Palace
OK! On to Seoul, South Korea! First, our companions: Joan and I were joined by her sister, Jasmine and her boyfriend Jahstine (who turned out to be a tremendous help!) We learned the value of hiring private all-day tours over group tours on a trip to Singapore about 7 years ago. It is the only way to go! Just mention that you have a wheelchair so they assign a car large enough to handle it. Tours By Locals in Seoul and Korea Go Tours in Busan earn an accessibility rating of A+. Kevin from Tours by Locals in Seoul and Fiona with Wani from Korea Go Tours in Busan were outstanding. Both offered an extremely comfortable minivan that easily fit four of us and the folding wheelchair was no problem. In fact, the assistance offered loading and unloading the chair was above and beyond what they were asked to do. If you are a person with a disability and want top quality private tours in Seoul or Busan, then you can book these tours with these guides knowing that you will safely enjoy your time.
Seoul and Busan do not score as well. Accessibility overall rating C-. Bring a strong friend and have a great time!
The roads—C. Yes, there are curb cuts, but they can be bumpy. Roads and sidewalks can get very bumpy. Busan might rate a B-.
Restaurants and shops—D. Access is rarely via ramp (usually a step or two) and many restaurants are upstairs. I enjoyed my visit because my amazing travel mates lifted my chair up the two steps. Many of the people working in the restaurants were helpful. Most of the souvenir shops simply were not wide enough so I sat outside while my friends shopped (which was fine with me!)
On to the trip (note–English is not a commonly spoken language and why would it be–you are in Korea!):
Day 1: I guess the Incheon airport is on an island because there are three very long bridges from the airport. The Orakai Insadong Suites was amazing with a three-bedroom suite and kitchen and living room. It would make a great choice for families. It was further from the airport than we expected and there were no open restaurants after 8:30PM that we could find. We ordered 2 orders of fried chicken for delivery and had plenty of leftovers.
First breakfast in Korea–at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf!
Accessibility: B+ There is a slight step up at the front door which was no problem for the chair. The back exit/entrance has a ramp. There is a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the back of the hotel that is accessible for a quick snack and cup of coffee before a tour. Don’t fret if you a coffee lover—Seoul and Busan are full of coffee shops!
Day 2: We booked a private all day Seoul tour through Tours by Locals. Kevin was an amazing tour guide. He was so helpful with the chair and very knowledgeable about Korean history. The first and longest stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace in time for a changing of the guards ceremony. There is a special viewing area for children and people in wheelchairs. It was an interesting representation of history.
The palace was built in 1392 when the Joseon Dynasty started but the current palace was built in 1867 after a fire. The details in the buildings are incredibly beautiful.
The Joseon Dynasty lasted from 1392 to 1910. Others feel that the end of the dynasty lasted until 1945 because they were fighting for independence from 1910 to 1945. The Korean alphabet, or Hangul, is unique in the world. It was developed by King Sejong to address the extensive illiteracy of the country. The Hangul consisted of 11 vowels based on the elements of the sky, the earth and humans and 17 consonants based on the elements of trees, water, fire, iron and soil. The Lords were not happy originally, preferring to keep written language among the elite.
We learned about the Korean alphabet next to this beautiful hallway
The palace is huge with many buildings, including the King’s throne room and party room. The shape of the buildings was designed in harmony with shape of mountains.
The Palace is featured in many K-drama shows—even I recognized the main grounds of the palace!
The Korean National Folk Museum is next to the palace. Statues on the grounds were either totem pole guardians of the community or tombstones.
It was a full but fascinating morning and now it was time for lunch! The restaurant was inside the Annyeong Insadong Mall. Kevin gave us lessons in Korean etiquette and proper ways to eat and the importance of making rice soup dessert. Overall, I found the food in Korea to be (quoting Phil from Somebody Feed Phil) “not as yummy as I expected!” However, this was the first of several exceptions. I had a spicy pork dish with soup and rice. I learned to move the rice and the pork into a side bowl and add hot water to the rice leftovers. You let the water and rice sit and “cook” while you eat. The spicy pork lived up to its name! HOT but really good. Side note: kimchi is a well known Korean dish and it is served as a side with almost every meal…and it is good! Accessibility of most restaurants once you navigate the two step entrances (this one was flat): B+ tables are close, but manageable.
There was a monk praying with the Buddha!
Across the street from the mall was the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. The temple was established in 1395! We learned later that South Korea is about half Buddhist and half Christian. This temple was so COLORFUL that it could overwhelm the senses.
Colored mini banners (for lack of better words) hang from the ceiling along with and ball shaped lanterns almost dominate the area. There is also an area with all white banners and lanterns. Color represents the living, while white represents the spirits of those past that are circling around the globe for 49 days before entering heaven.
A structure called a Pagoda was used to preserve crystals after cremation and it became known as the Body of Buddha. The temple also features replicas of dragons and a white elephant. Dragons help make wishes come true. The Buddha was a priest when his mother dreamed of a white elephant: the priest became the Buddha.
Accessibility-B+. Accessible, but some ramps have sand so your chair could slide.
The city from the Han River. The Han River is known for its floating Island wedding ceremonies and features in K-Dramas. Sadly, it is also known for being the final resting place for people who were cyber bullied to the point of no return. Cyber bullying simply needs to STOP. Accessibility-A accessible by ramps
We found a local restaurant (they are all local restaurants!) where we proved we were tourists because we ate half of a very plain pork soup before we learned that the spices were next to us! Then it was pretty good!
Day 3: We had breakfast at a beautiful little cafe along an alley. The alleys along the main roads of Seoul are hidden gems of color and design, not to mention food!
I had excellent strawberry “pancakes” (very fluffy) and possibly the best cup(s) of latte (covered in a whipped cream) I have ever had. Exception number 2 to my food rating. Good luck finding brewed coffee with cream! You want cream, go latte!
Our next stop was Namsan tower which required a cable car ride up and down for wheelchair accessibility, which only added to the great experience!
The tower is actually on a mountain and was used for defense during the dynasty. Five huge rocks were monitored by guards. Smoke coming from one rock was a warning to potential invaders. Smoke coming from 5 rocks meant trouble!
The number of locks was truly incredible as were the views of the city. Accessibility: Nansam Tower-A- accessible via cable car, elevators and ramps. One large gazebo did not appear to be accessible.
Day 4: We gave the black widow a workout today. We walked back (I rode!) back to the palace where Jasmine and Joan rented hanboks (traditional Korean gowns worn throughout history dating back to 57 BCE!
Modern hanboks tend to be in the style of the Josean dynasty era, particularly those worn by the nobility and royalty. Hanboks are known worldwide through Korean dramas set around the palace. Joan and Jasmine were Korean queens for a day! Great fun!
We then went to the Starfield Library in Gangnam. My first thought was “we are going to a library?” This library was different. The centerpiece of the Starfield Mall, the library features 13 foot bookshelves and unique sculptures along with a dizzying array of colors from the 1000s of books there. Accessibility-A accessible via ramps and elevators
Day 5: What a day! Kevin picked us up again and we got out of town. First stop was Suwon to see the old fortress and a terrific martial arts demonstration and then to the MUST SEE folk village in Yongin.
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress: The fort walls are not straight but curved for added strength. Small cutouts in the walls were where arrows were shot from, and slightly larger holes could handle a small canon. Accessibility B. Mainly accessible with some bumpy spots and some steep hills where I needed assistance.
Martial arts: We then caught the end of a martial arts demonstration which was quite amazing. Accessibility-A. Accessible from sidewalks.
However, one of the highlights of the trip so far was the living replica of a Korean village from the old days. This is a must see if you are visiting to get a sense of the culture and history of Korea.
We were first treated to a traditional wedding ceremony which was so beautiful. The village and the history were equally beautiful, from learning about ancient tools to farm to traditional homes, Kevin filled us with sights and lessons about the old days.
Accessibility-A- mainly accessible with a few bumps
I had met a couple at breakfast on out first morning in Seoul. They highly recommended a restaurant that served braised pork over a bed of aged kimchi. We asked Kevin to drop us off there but they only had seating upstairs so we ordered the dish for takeout—which I preferred. This was the third exception to my food critique! It was very good and “clear your sinuses” HOT! It was a nice send off from Seoul.
BUSAN!
Day 6: It was a relatively smooth trip to Busan—once I luckily confirmed the train station-we were going to the wrong station! This was the part of the trip that I was most worried about because I was not positive about storing our luggage or my chair on the train. It was relatively easy and we were in Busan in just over two hours. It was easy finding a taxi for all of us to the hotel. The reality was nowhere near as scary. We arrived at Cozy Tree. It was a pleasant hotel with nice staff. There was a step up to the room, but we made it work. We walked (I rode) around for about 2 1/2 hours to explore and had dinner. In typical fashion we found the nicer route on the way back to the hotel! The busy section reminded me of a mini version of Times Square! In fact, the “downtown” section proved to be a vibrant and lively section with a lot of stores and people. Just find out what the best direction to go to find it!
Day 7: What a great experience! This was the only day in 7 that was cloudy, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Fiona and Wani from Korea Go Tours were outstanding. Fiona was a lot of fun! First stop was the Haedong Yongungsa Temple. I was warned that it was down a steep hill and that I might need to sit it out, but Jahstine and Wani would have none of that and backed me down the hill, giving me another lifelong memory! South Korea is still at least 50% Buddhist.
The temple is by the sea and this time with lanterns from Buddha’s birthday. Fiona gave us a Korean zodiac lesson. I am an ox: hard working, kind-hearted and STUBBORN! Fiona gave us each a coin purse with three coins to place around and make wishes. One is on my zodiac statue and one on a huge gold Buddha.
My wish for the Buddha statue was for all of us to stop this nonsense and, without adding any religious overtones, live in the spirit of the Buddha and Jesus. Again, no religion, just the spirit of peace no matter what religious beliefs you have. I still have my third wish coin to remember that beautiful sentiment. The scene was beautiful with statues at the top of the hill resembling larger versions of the guardians at the Folk Museum in Seoul. Wonderful experience. Accessibility-C There is a steep hill going down to the temple that might be difficult to navigate alone. I had to put the chair on manual and 2 people brought me down backwards. No problem going back up.
The next stop was a circular glass bridge with views of the coast. It was an interesting way to allow visitors to view the coast of Busan.
We then had a fascinating lunch experience at a fish market where you pick the fish (live) and you go upstairs to the restaurant where your fish is served within minutes. Fishing is one of Busan’s main industries. This was one of those exceptions to my mediocre food rating. We chose shrimp and sea bream—I never heard of sea bream! So ono! Fiona surprised us with a small birthday cake for Joan! Accessibility-A. The fish market is on the ground floor and there is an elevator to restaurant.
We walked around a very large outdoor market with 100’s of very colorful stalls selling everything you can think of from vintage clothing to street food. Accessibility- C There is plenty of room to cruise around to see the myriad of shops but each shop is too narrow to enter.
The last stop was Gamcheon Culture Village, which was definitely a highlight of the trip. The village is known equally for its current wall murals and art influence as it is for the colorful living village below. Sadly, the village’s beautiful colors has a dark history. It was Busan’s slum during the Korean War and shacks were constructed for housing. The problem was that all the houses looked the same so people painted their homes different colors, so they knew what house was theirs. To this day it remains a place for very affordable housing below while a thriving arts/tourist street exists above. Accessibility-B it is mainly accessible but beware of some of the hills going down to the tourist area.
Day 8: Our last day in Korea was fairly quiet. We were exhausted! Our flight was at 9PM so we went for a late lunch and final stroll around. We finally had a Korean BBQ experience. The experience was a lot of fun as Jahstine cooked our food at our table. The food was good but personally I would have liked a little salt!
Final accessibility notes:
Public restrooms at major attractions-B+ most have dedicated restrooms for people with disabilities
Travel B+ Airports and train stations fully accessible. We were able to get the chair and luggage on the train but the staff was helpful only to a degree.
An unsolicited opinion of the Jazzy Ultra-Light Wheelchair: There were times when I was concerned about the many bumps the “Black Widow” faced, but she came through like a champ. My friends and even the tour guides got the fold-unfold procedures down to a science (and she was folded and unfolded A LOT!) and it fit into every car we used. The weak link for the Jazzy is the connection from the controller/joystick to the chair. We used a circular clamp over the connection, and it held over all the bumps. DO order a back-up battery. You won’t regret it.
Final thoughts as an “older” person with a disability on a major trip (full honesty): It was great! It was a trip that will grow in fondness as it also ages. While there were no major problems (I did mention the need for a backup battery, right?), it was exhausting. However, bring friends and can do. I learned that I needed A LOT of help, especially when the overall accessibility was so low. Again, my travel companions made all of the difference. I got on the plane home from the Philippines (we also spent time with family in the Philippines) thinking that this was my last major trip. Now, a week and a blog later…maybe…let’s go to Japan! Perhaps there are more accessibility blogs to come!?!?!
Gahmsahabnida Korea. You did not disappoint!
