Is Korea child-friendly?

[shanshanchua]

I'm fantasizing about going to Korea for a holiday with my family (husband + 2 young kids, 5 and 2 yrs old). In my impression, Korea is not that child-friendly... Does anyone know places that would be interesting for children (at least won't bore them to death)? Do eating places/restaurants welcome children, i.e. have high chairs, won't frown if we ask for child-sized cutlery & straws etc. Are there things that children can eat (blander, non-spicy stuff)?

Thanks!

[austinfd]

I'm fantasizing about going to Korea for a holiday with my family (husband + 2 young kids, 5 and 2 yrs old). In my impression, Korea is not that child-friendly... Does anyone know places that would be interesting for children (at least won't bore them to death)? Do eating places/restaurants welcome children, i.e. have high chairs, won't frown if we ask for child-sized cutlery & straws etc. Are there things that children can eat (blander, non-spicy stuff)?

Thanks!

There are lots of amusements parks in and around Seoul... Seoul Land even has a "zoo". The Han River is full of parks with playgrounds and bike rentals..etc. Check out a guidebook for specifics. Korean kids obviously have loads of fun here but they speak Korean! I've never thought about how foreign kids would feel here.

As far as food, I suspect you may run into some trouble at real Korean restaurants. They'll certainly give you a spoon instead of chopsticks, but forks can be harder to come by. It probably won't be kid-sized. But you could be a small set at one of several Wal-Mart like stores and take it with you. There are lots of non-spicy foods as well. Again, a good guide book might have a list like that.

I think you should come! Korea is a fantastic place. But I have a little trouble thinking of it as a tourist destination since I've lived here for 2 years.....