I Went to South Korea and Accidentally Ended Up at APEC with Trump

Photo by Shawn on Unsplash

I finally took a vacation after working at a burnout-inducing pace for a year and chose Seoul because I love cities that actually work. South Korea offers a masterclass in building density, transit, and public spaces that America still struggles to understand. I wanted a break, street food, and a chance to ignore the words “Planning Board packet” or “objectives and key results” for at least a week.

Instead, my trip was hijacked by APEC, a surprise visit from Trump, and anti-Trump protests popping up like random side quests. So, I turned the whole experience into an urbanism field trip, a political anthropology lesson, and a shopping spree rolled into one.

Seoul Hits You with Competence Immediately

Within an hour of arriving, I was already frustrated that America doesn’t have what Seoul offers. The city’s underground pedestrian tunnels are better than our above-ground sidewalks. While still putting cars at grade and some priority, they create nice spaces for people in a world that is human-sized and walkable. At first glance, they look like fancy subway entrances. Then you realize they’re entire networks—shops, food stalls, convenience stores, and escalators—all connected underneath massive arterial roads.

What amazed me is that these tunnels double as civil defense shelters. North Korea is close enough that air raid drills are a regular part of urban life, so Seoul built beautiful, life-saving infrastructure that is also functional. Imagine that: infrastructure with a dual purpose.

Meanwhile, back home, we can’t even stripe a protected bike lane without someone complaining about the “tyranny of paint,” or proclaiming that only a small percentage of people bike, so are we wasting our time helping build bike infrastructure (an endless argument every week that if these folks actually travel, they would see the benefits immediately but I digress).

The High-Speed Train Was Therapy

We took the KTX from Seoul to Gyeongju, which pulled me more into the APEC circus. High-speed rail in Korea is quiet, clean, seamless, and affordable—truly a stark contrast to Amtrak. You simply get on, sit down, and two hours later, you’ve crossed half the country. No drama, no freight trains delaying your schedule, and no 19th-century vibes. Even with high-speed internet the whole time.

America pretends we can’t achieve this, but Korea just did it. This KTX line was half that of the California High Speed rail being built, but it goes through wild terrain. I know if we can get things organized, we can have this at home.

And yes, I captured a lot of footage. I’m definitely turning this into a video because you wouldn’t believe how pleasant public transportation can be in a place that hasn’t decided “cars forever” is a constitutional amendment.

APEC Turned My “Relaxing Trip” into a Soft Launch of WWIII

I didn’t realize Trump would be appearing at the APEC meeting until police lines, metal barricades, and protests surrounded me. My hotel in Seoul was across the street from the Chinese embassy, which was already surrounded by what felt like half the national police force. Add an international summit and the chaos magnet that is Donald Trump, and you suddenly feel like you’re in a mashup of *The West Wing* and *Snowpiercer*.

Anti-Trump protests erupted everywhere with handmade signs, chants, organized groups, and random people shouting into megaphones. I captured plenty of that, too. You can feel that Koreans take democratic norms seriously; they don’t shrug off authoritarian vibes the way too many Americans do. They’ve lived through a dictatorship and fought to overcome it. Not sure if the leadership listens much to the Korean Democratic/Progressive factions based on their gifts to Trump, but the people were against using their wealth to prop up the US. The ICE raid of the Korean car manufacturing plant in the US did not do well here, putting Korean citizens into chain-gang style cuffs. It feels like we travel, I have to constantly apologize for our embarrassing leadership to folks I meet around the world, and the conversation steers uncomfortably towards these subjects.

Honestly, witnessing a crowd of people loudly reject authoritarian politics in another country was energizing. It served as a powerful reminder of what democratic engagement can look like when people truly care.

American Politics Feels Stale Next to Cities That Actually Work

Walking around Seoul, it’s impossible not to notice how much better their planning is. There are dense neighborhoods, mixed-use developments, and a transit system that just works. Housing is built where people want to live, and entire districts have sprung up in the last decade, already looking more functional than projects we’ve been “studying” for 30 years.

If you ever want motivation to keep fighting for YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) policies in the U.S., travel to a place that builds housing as if it’s a normal human activity. Korea had to rebuild a war-torn country from scratch seventy years ago, and they still outpace us.

That’s why I can’t take American anti-density complaints seriously. Travel. See what a city can be when it’s not held hostage by parking minimums and fear.

Consumer Brain Turned On

Everything was cheaper in Korea. My wife bought half the country’s skincare products, while I purchased a drone, a gimbal, and other gadgets I didn’t really need but convinced myself were “for content.” As foreigners, we don’t pay the full sales taxes either. While Trump did away with de minimis exemptions on imports, personal exemptions when traveling back still are there to avoid import duties, so we made heavy use of that, which honestly, the savings covered a portion of the travel costs. Especially with Trump banning products like the new DJI drones so I bought all the stuff illegal now to sell under his regime

We also tried banana milk coffee, loved it, and immediately hunted down banana milk back home at World Market. Definitely a trend worth trying. However, the banana milk here doesn’t hit the same.

A Meal Worth Flying Back For

We splurged on dinner at Jungsik in Seoul, easily one of the best meals of my life. I’ve dined at plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants that cost twice as much and provided half the experience. Korean fine dining is truly exceptional. If you visit Seoul and skip this place, that’s on you.

Tourist Trap Tip: Skip the Tower

Don’t waste your time at N Seoul Tower unless you enjoy waiting in lines reminiscent of theme-park torture. There are better views, better experiences, and more valuable ways to spend your time in the city.

The Takeaway: Korea is the Future We Keep Pretending We Can’t Have

This trip wasn’t meant to be a political pilgrimage, but it turned into one. Observing a functioning city thrive while American infrastructure lags behind was eye-opening.

Cities are choices. Housing production is a choice. Transit investment is a choice. Democracy is a choice.

Korea keeps moving forward. America keeps choosing nostalgia and excuses.

I came home more convinced than ever that we can build something better here. We have to stop pretending it’s impossible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to book another ticket back.