CAMP CASEY, South Korea - Nineteen Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, were given a two-day tour of the historic districts of Seoul courtesy of the Dongducheon City Council Sept. 3.
The tour was planned with a new outlook on introducing Soldiers to Korean culture, said Chu Hyuk Yin, translator for the city of Dongducheon and liaison to the U.S. Army units located in the area.
"We used to have the Dongducheon tour, but there's not as many things to show," said Yin. "We tried to add the Seoul tour in order to let you guys understand our culture more effectively."
Soldiers were treated to lavish meals with authentic Korean foods, a Korean musical performance, and tours of two of the many palaces and historical districts interwoven in Seoul's infrastructure.
Many of the Soldiers who went on the tour had no idea what was in store.
Pfc. John Getchell, an M1 Abrams crewmember from the 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd ABCT, was the closest Soldier to when his platoon sergeant was instructed to send a Soldier to battalion headquarters with a change of civilian clothes.
"I like seeing new and different stuff, so I'm having a good time with it," said Getchell.
Meals were particularly educational for the Soldiers, few of whom had taken the chance to expand their palates since arriving in Korea in June.
"I didn't know most of what I was eating, but I enjoyed all of it," said Getchell.
Each Soldier found a different aspect of the tour that resonated with their interests. The biggest hit was the tour of the Gyeongbokgun Royal Palace, first built in 1395 under the Joseon Dynasty.
"I've never seen an Asian palace before," said Getchell. "I've seen the Buckingham Palace, but it's a completely different meaning to the word."
"I'm interested in the architecture and geographical design that they used to build all the buildings," said Spc. James Hackworth of Oklahoma currently serving with 1-9 Cav. "It seems like they've got a central point and they branch out from there kind of like Arabic countries with mosques."
This was also the first opportunity for many of the Soldiers to interact with the Korean people firsthand.
"It seems like personal space isn't much of an issue at all," said Hackworth. "It's different, but not dramatically different."
The group stayed overnight at a Korean guesthouse, a single-story villa nestled in the heart of Seoul's Jongno District. Soldiers sat cross-legged for fresh brewed green tea amidst the Feng Shui inspired architecture of the Choson Dynasty.
"I kind of figured I'd be seeing authentic traditional Korean signs and seeing a whole bunch of historical monuments and things of that nature," said Hackworth. "But the guest house, I didn't really think that would be a thing. I thought it would be a hotel or something."
Overall the Soldiers were very grateful to have such a unique and enlightening opportunity.
"It's pretty cool that they would do this," said Hackworth. "It definitely was a good experience."
Much of the tour was designed to expose Soldiers to areas they might like to revisit, said Yin. The hope is that by doing so, the city of Dongducheon might inspire Soldiers to use their time to experience all that Korea has to offer rather than confining themselves to the English speaking bars around post.
"I want Soldiers to have a different mindset, a more adventurous mindset," said Yin. "There's much more for a Soldier to learn or experience. I encourage Soldiers to be courageous and mingle with the culture."
"Just go out and see, experience different things, like this, like today," said Yin.
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