“Shh!” A tour guide raises her index finger to her lips, signalling for my group and I to keep it down. We are in the Bukchon Hanok Village in central Seoul, next to the famous first palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung. Hordes of tourists, charmed by the area’s low-rise, wing-tipped houses and hilly streets are wielding selfie sticks. Many are clad in hanbok (traditional dress) from nearby rental shops.
Wearing the hoop-skirted dresses or flowing wraparound jackets is a popular sightseeing activity, but this isn’t technically a tourist attraction – the neighbourhood is residential; a labyrinth of around 900 tightly-packed hanoks (traditional houses).
