Day 10 - Lotte Mall Gimpo

“Wow” was the one word that came to my mind when I stepped into this shopping mall. Built in 2011, Lotte mall Gimpo is, in fact, one of the biggest malls in South Korea, consisting of Lotte’s very own hotel, cinema, supermarket and many other shops. From international brands such as H&M to Miniso. The entire mall was basically a maze, as it was so big with lots of twists and turns, I definitely had a hard time navigating around the mall.

Odao fact: Gimpo Airport was originally built and used by the Japanese during their occupation, and was operated by the Koreans and Americans after world war two ended in order to commercialize as a full-fledged airport in April 1958. However, it was still being used by the military. It was only after the Seoul Olympics when travel started to become a norm, coupled with the nation’s development, international flights were shifted to Incheon International Airport!

Want a unique view? Visit the observatory at the top floor of the mall to get a good view of Gimpo airport whilst planes buzz through the sky! Not only that you can also check out the stunning pond and playground outside of the mall, which turns into a musical fountain and several times a day!

Not only is lotte mall famous for its size and facilities, they boast a huge variety of shopping and dining options! I was definitely spoilt for choice and didn’t know what to get or even where to go!! I ended up settling for jjajangmyeon at the food court! It was relatively affordable and the food was great! I would definitely recommend the food court if you’re on a budget or if you would simply like a no-frills option!

The next thing the mall is famous for, Lotte Mart! It boasts a huge variety of household goods and food all the way to skincare and cosmetics. One can also have their meal whilst doing their daily groceries at the supermarket. Definitely, don't forget to get some of the must buy in the shop! From Maggie noodles to cheese chips here are some of lotte’s best sellers!

1. Shin ramyeon

2. Abc chocolate

3. Honey butter chips

4. Chocopie

5. Anytime mints

6. Market o brownies/cheese chips

7. Rice tea

8. Seaweed

These are some of the things that the supermarket chain sell which are very popular among tourists! However, these are only 8 out of the many popular and must buy items! Overall I say that lotte mall Gimpo is definitely a must go if you are in the Gimpo area if not, the majority of its many facilities can be found in Seoul city as well! Overall I would give it 2.5 out of 5 kimchis!

Written by Tina Ting as ODAO

Day 10- Food

잘 먹겠습니다!

On my last day here, I had pork stew for lunch. At first glance, it looked like bak kut teh from the look of the meat. It had huge chunks of potatoes and pork ribs. The pork ribs were very tender but bland, which I figured out by now that korean food were mostly quite bland when it comes to their stews. Also, the rice I had was different at this restaurant as it was mixed with red beans, which was an interesting experience. Overall, it was a very healthy meal that definitely helped cleanse my system from yesterday's fast food!

As for dinner, we were given cashback to eat whatever we wanted at our last destination which was at a mall at Gimpo Airport. We all had different meals as we filled up our tummies after a shopping haul at Lotte Mart.

Overall, my food experience from this trip, I felt that korean food is quite bland and healthy in terms of taste and that they really love their meats. They also eat a lot of vegetables as part of their side dishes. Though by the end of the trip, I really craved for some spice and stronger tasting food like laksa or chicken rice, I still enjoyed the food experience that korea has given me. I finally got to taste authentic korean food, fresh from the land of kimchi.

잘 먹었습니다!

Day 10 - IFEZ + Community Media Centre + NC Cube Mall

Located in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Korea, the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Global Centre aims to provide all rounded support for foreigners residing in the IFEZ. What kind of support do they provide then? Well, I headed down to the G Tower and the Community Media Centre where I found out more about their services!

The G Tower gave me a birds-eye view of the entire landscape of Incheon! The view was absolutely breath-taking as I moved along the glass windows from the 33rd floor, admiring the skyscrapers that were slightly below me. In this very tower, services extending from daily living, business activities, administrative service, educational courses and even international exchange events are provided. Basic to specialized counselling regarding legal, labor, tax and real estate related issues are also provided to help foreigners settle in the IFEZ.

The IFEZ has an area size of 132.9 km2, covering Songdo, Yeongjong, and Cheongna International Cities including Incheon International Airport/Ports and currently holds 2.9 million people.

The IFEZ is indeed a growing business landscape and is undoubtedly on its’ way to securing its’s spot on the top few free economic zones in Korea. I can’t wait to see how the IFEZ develops in the years to come!

Afterwards, we visited a nearby Community Media Center. The place allowed Incheon citizens to rent media equipment for free, so that they too can get a chance to be behind the camera and produce their own work. The center also provides training for residents who are interested to learn more about the field of media.

Fully equipped with radio booths, tv studios, and an editing room, residents have access to freely create any media content they want. We explored the center and played some interactive games too. It would be great if there is such a place in Singapore!

Next stop: NC Cube mall! This mall is unique as it is divided into four buildings named after the seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. There is also a canal in the middle, and several cafes built strategically next to it so that patrons enjoy their drinks and food beside the water.

The atmosphere was really good there. One can simply take a walk beside the canal too if they don’t like shopping.

My friends and I took the time to shop as there is a wide variety of stores there, including premier brands. I would love to visit this place again if I have the time!

Written by Abigail Leong and Peggy Tan as ODAO