Two smoking men, 30 stray cats, and a mechanical goose observed as I pushed against the merry-go-round. After a few heaves, the rusting carousel began to move, setting the dusty horses into a slow, undulating trot. Fifteen years ago, this ride didn't require such effort. It was part of the bustling family-run theme park Yongma Land in Seoul's Jungnang District.
The Rise and Fall of Yongma Land
The funfair opened in the early 1980s and enjoyed great success until competition from the nearby high-tech Lotte World and the IMF crisis of the late 1990s ended its heyday. The power was cut, the gates closed, and a colony of feral cats replaced the screaming children. However, this wasn't the end for Yongma Land.
A New Life as a Tourist Attraction
The park's savvy owners recognized its potential as a tourist destination. They reopened the doors, offering visitors a chance to explore for 5,000 Korean won (approximately £2.50). I arrived on a hot April morning and approached the tall iron gates marked 'Welcome Magic Land'. A blind cat lounged in the sunshine, yawning, before a man with keys appeared.
"Come in?" he asked, gesturing welcome. I was the first visitor of the day and quickly discovered Yongma Land's peculiar charm. Left exactly as it was when it closed, the rides are slowly decaying. The paint on a large rotating octopus is flaking and stained yellow. Its eight legs still support carts, but the central head looks shriveled with manic, wonky eyes. Scattered around the park are random solo rides, including a sun-bleached Union Flag racing car, a filthy yellow submarine, and a troubled-looking Father Christmas.
Relaxed Rules and Celebrity Appeal
Eager for a better view, I asked the owner if I could climb onto the dry-docked pirate ship. He took a puff before shrugging consent. I was similarly allowed onto the spinning disk. This ultra-relaxed attitude surprised me in Seoul, the most rule-driven city I've ever visited. It's a place of countless signs forbidding smoking, dog walking, and hiking without a flashlight. Jaywalking is as rare as a sub-£5 London pint, and despite no public bins, street litter is nonexistent. Yongma Land could not be more different. Health and safety rules seem absent, and a shabbiness at odds with South Korean character has been embraced.
This may explain its popularity, not just with local cats. K-pop megastars BTS and Blackpink have filmed music videos here, while hit shows The Sound of Magic and Cafe Minamdang have used the rusty rides as locations. It's also a popular wedding photography spot, as I discovered when a perfectly made-up bride and groom posed in the octopus's shadow.
Seoul: A City of Contrasts
The existence of a large, abandoned theme park with few patrons in one of the world's most densely populated, high-tech cities is curious. But then, Seoul is full of contrasts. The ultra-high-rise city of 10 million packs three times as many people per square mile as London. It's a glittering neon metropolis that outshines Piccadilly Circus in parts, while elsewhere it ascends to picturesque, cherry-blossom-dotted heights thanks to Namsan Mountain.
You might think this combination of beauty and modernity would come at a cost, but Seoul is breathtakingly cheap for British tourists. A half-hour cab ride costs £5, a round of five beers a tenner, and a suitcase of cutting-edge cosmetics a third of UK prices. The question is whether these good times will end. The world's 12th-largest economy has been hit hard by the global energy crisis. Oil reserves are so low that state employees are banned from driving one day a week, and washing machines should only be used on weekends. President Lee Jae Myung has said the Iran conflict created a "war-like situation" for Koreans. Like Yongma Land, South Korea faces a future where the lights might be switched off.
How to Visit
Tickets can be bought on the door for 5,000 won (£2.50). Photography permission may cost more, depending on the owners' mood. Inside Asia offers tours of Seoul and Yongma Land specifically. Virgin Atlantic flies daily from London Heathrow to Seoul.
