At first South Korea left me cold and vaguely confused. However, I have grown to deeply admire its odd mélange of ultra-modern high-tech, glaring pop culture and homespun folk customs. Forget clubbing in Gangnam; meander the street markets of Seoul like Insadong to glimpse ladies wrapped in hanbok jackets and old men swapping war stories while poking each other with acupuncture needles.

Performer at Korea House, in Seoul.
Buddhist prayers at Jogyesa temple in Seoul, Korea.
South Korean border guard at the DMZ, Panmunjom, South Korea.
Kimchi fermentation pots in Naganeupseong Folk Village, Korea.
Buddhist monk at Jogyesa temple in Seoul, Korea.
Changing of the guards ceremony at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea.
Drone view of the colorful buildings of Gamcheon district in Busan, Korea.
Local tourists pose with a guard at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea.
Performers at Korea House, in Seoul.
Changing of the guards ceremony at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea.
Traditional dancers at Korea House, in Seoul.
A Korean couple dressed in tradioinal clothing in Jeonju, Korea.
Changing of the guard ceremony at Deoksugung Place in Seoul, Korea.
Drone view of Naganeupseong Folk Village in Korea.
Drone view looking down at the Boseong tea plantation in Korea.
Performer at Korea House, in Seoul.
Bamboo forest leading to Songgwangsa Temple, in remote South Korea.
Vendor at Noryangjin fish market in Seoul, Korea.