"Noo, it's not safee, it's a LEDC (less economically developed) country, not good houses, madly populated..."- Subhanki.
This country may not be flooded with as much violence as you may think.
Globally high suicide rates, violent protests, a plastic surgery capital: South Korea has problems within its society for sure. However, these problems exist within nearly every society at higher or lower rates, and when a tourist visits places with problems like these, they normally never notice. It is just part of a continental struggle to succeed in a society of standards and Confucianism morals.
Yes, i haven't forgotten: the threat of nuclear destruction up north.
To know anything about North Korea is quite something, for it is one of the hardest places for foreign media to cover, as its own media is extremely controlled and it is hard to see through the iron fist of the government's hold on the society we know hardly anything about.
But it has been five or so years under Kim Jong-un's rule, and there has been confusion about the threats of nuclear activity, when there hasn't been any direct movements except for testing and relocation of missiles.
So yes there is a threat from up north (but there has been no indication of impacts), but this kind of situation is apparent in many other countries where many people visit/live, for example America, where gun crime and brutality thrives.
In my experience, the gun and crime laws in South Korea are quite strict (OSAC Bureau of Diplomatic Security reports a low crime rating) and I often used to spot women and citizens walk alone at night.
Although, through alcohol consumption:
"reported sexual assaults of foreigners have risen 40% since 2008"-OSAC security board. This was due to stricter laws on sex crimes but overall violent crime rates have been "stable since 2010", which is relatively low despite having nuclear threats next door.
But these problems, struggles and fears melted away gently in my mind when I for the first time stepped before the gentle swaying of the sapphire docks and listened to the silence of the streets.
The day always seemed warm and calm; this was one of the most tranquil havens I had ever walked in, not at all violent and dodgy as I had assumed before. The markets were great; they were simply great mazes of things you could buy for ridiculously cheap prices. I really did once have a nice snack at a greasy sweet potato stall right next to a shop of maybe not so real Louis Vouitton collections. I think their street food is amazing. There are so many choices, stalls and corners, you might not want to get lost in this maze: bring a friend.
The language barrier may be a problem (Center of American Progress reports 45% of South Koreans have limited English proficiency) if you do not know the dialect so when purchasing/ordering things or asking for directions, you might want to be prepared.
The beaches of perfect paradise of the Jeju islands are gorgeous. Sheets of golden sand and green shrubbery stretch on for miles, and the water is never too cold and a lovely sheen of green(however sticking to the shore is advisable).
All of that however is nearly nothing compared to the night life of the city. Lights, lights, lights is all I could see, decorated around the wide busy streets. A city that consists of 1960's retro pubs and vast palaces of retail stores amongst authentic food joints and horse carriages lit up with hundreds of fairy lights.
However all these problems in South Korean society I've mentioned before are still there, and they haven't really gone away, but I want to personally remind you:
You see any beauty foreign to you, and so you never see its turmoil truly raw.
