Once inside things look distinctly better. Rates are very reasonable (25000 won for a single, 30000 for a double), while the rooms themselves are clean and surprisingly well equipped.

My room, which measured approximately 4 x 6 metres not accounting for the adjoining bathroom, had a large wardrobe, a phone, air conditioning, two comfortable chairs, a water dispenser (hot and cold-a real rarity!), cups and sachets of coffee. The TV was hooked up to cable with BBC World, a movie channel and Korea's Arirang TV offering English language programming. In the bathroom, aside from the free toothbrush, shampoo and toothpaste, a decent shower overlooked a slightly wobbly bathtub. By far the most memorable aspect of the room, however, were the large mirrors that seemed to cover every available bit of wall space.

The Dong-baek, though not the easiest place to find, is very conveniently situated minutes away from the prime sights in the city. To get there, take the street running between the Gaeksa and the Seoul Bank building and take your second left (at Paris Baguette). Follow this street past Pizza Hut and the 21 Cine multiplex. The yeogwan is on the right just past the car park.