UPDATED May 26, 2026 BY Guest Author IN Journey to the East no comments South Korea: Bike Paths, Barbecue & The Road To BusanArjuna Boucher-Pertuisot is the Content Creator on the 2026 Journey to the East Cycling Tour.South Korea was never going to be just a warm-up for Japan.For many riders on Journey to the East, the Korean section began with curiosity and a few assumptions: Seoul, skyscrapers, skincare, K-pop, perhaps some excellent food. What followed between Seoul and Busan was more layered than that. Over several days, the group rode through riverside parks, quiet farming valleys, mountain passes, coastal towns and city corridors where bicycles seemed to have been considered from the very beginning.The first surprise was the cycling itself.Leaving Seoul, the route quickly found the Han River and settled into a rhythm that would define much of the Korean section: smooth bike paths, clear markings, bridges built with cyclists in mind, and regular access to toilets, cafs, convenience stores and rest areas. This was not cycling squeezed into the margins of a road system. It often felt like its own system entirely.Annegrete, who has ridden many long-distance tours around the world, put it simply, The cycling infrastructure is in a class of its own.That became one of the recurring conversations at lunch stops and dinner tables. Riders noticed how the paths moved through the country without feeling separate from it. One moment the group was rolling beside apartment towers and city parks; a little later the same path would open onto rice paddies, rivers, low mountains and small towns. Even near major urban areas, the bike routes often kept a sense of calm.South Korea also carried its history close to the road. Along the Han River, riders passed concrete military structures facing north, quiet reminders that the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. In other places, monuments and historical markers appeared beside otherwise peaceful landscapes. It gave the ride an unusual contrast: a country that can feel highly modern and organized, while still living beside unresolved history.Then came the climbs.The route south was not only river paths and smooth pavement. Around Suanbo, Andong and the inland mountain sections, the group began to work harder. Some climbs arrived early in the day. Others came after riders had already settled into the idea that the route might be gentle. The historic Mungyeongsaejae pass offered one of those moments where the ride became more than a transfer between towns. It was a reminder that this peninsula has always been crossed by people moving between regions, capitals, markets and homes.Not everyone climbed at the same speed. Not everyone rode every kilometre. That is part of the nature of a TDA tour. One rider summed it up well after a tough day toward Busan, Everyone does this at their own speed and comfort level. Nobody is keeping score.That attitude shaped the Korean section. Some riders chased the climbs. Some stopped often for photos. Some took time to notice trees, temples, graves, bus stops, cats, snacks, or the small details that are easy to miss when the group is moving quickly.Food became another way into the country.Korean dining can feel generous before you even know what you have ordered. Tables fill with small dishes: kimchi, pickled vegetables, soups, rice, sauces, greens, seafood, noodles, grilled meat. There were Korean barbecue nights, with marbled beef cooked at the centre of the table. There was pheasant in Suanbo, served in more ways than most riders had ever imagined. In Andong, some riders found their way to jjimdak, the braised chicken dish the city is known for.Breakfast also became part of the experience. Rice, broth, vegetables, seaweed, pickled radish, fish cake and gimbap-style spreads appeared in the morning, sometimes long before Western appetites had fully adjusted. For some riders, it was a welcome change. For others, it took a few days of negotiation with the stomach.Then the route turned toward the coast and arrived in Yeongdeok, where the crab theme announced itself before dinner did. Crab signs, crab sculptures and crab-shaped details began appearing around town. By the time the group reached the harbour, there was no doubt about the local specialty.Dinner that night became one of the memorable meals of the section: a long seafood spread with crab at the centre, joined by sashimi, shrimp and other dishes that kept arriving until the table ran out of space. It was the kind of meal that makes people linger longer than planned.As Britton wrote after that evening, This is one of the reasons we travel, to eat what this place actually eats, to sit at a table and be surprised by what arrives.Those surprises were not only on the plate.Korea kept offering small, specific details: apple-shaped bus stops in apple country, crab-themed bus stops near the coast, outdoor exercise stations filled with older residents, men gathered over board games beside the river, spotless public toilets in unlikely places, and convenience stores stocked with enough drinks and snacks to rescue almost any tired cyclist.One rider described the Korean bike trails as being woven into the cities, paths that could feel like nature even when urban life was nearby. That may be one of the best descriptions of the section. Korea rarely made riders choose between city and landscape. The two kept appearing together.The final approach into Busan brought the section to a fitting close. After the last hills, the route dropped toward sea level and followed the river into the city. The path lifted at times above the water, with fishermen below and thickening trees around the edges. Then the scale changed. Bridges, port cranes, container ships, glass towers and traffic all appeared, and the group entered one of Asias great harbour cities.It was a big ending, but not a loud one. The bikes were loaded, riders folded into vehicles, and the Korean section suddenly became something behind us rather than ahead.The next chapter would be Japan. But South Korea left its own clear mark: in the river paths, the climbs, the shared meals, the crab shells, the barbecue smoke, the quiet memorials, and the feeling that this country had given the group much more than a passage from Seoul to Busan.For riders, the question now is not only what Japan will bring.It is also what parts of Korea will stay with them once the wheels start turning again.RELATEDTOURJourney to the East While South Korea and Japan are close neighbors, their lands and cultures are completely unique. Cycling across these countries, one after the other... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "South Korea: Bike Paths, Barbecue & The Road To Busan" Cancel reply