The Seoul Derby: The Scavenger Hunt You’ll Want To Join

I have now hosted this event four times and I can honestly say it just keeps getting better and better. This year teams were in it to win it weeks in advance. The way the derby works for anyone that hasn’t partaken, teams of four sign up.

I limit it to twenty teams because it’s pretty dang hard to find an ending location where 80+ people can get together in all honesty. Having twenty teams really makes it spectacular though. The teams sign up without knowing where the starting location will be. I do this because I can’t have anyone finding the event online and rocking up at the last minute.

This event takes some serious planning and tossing your hat in the ring 5 seconds before the whistle just isn’t an option. This year, we kicked it off in front of the recently remodeled Sewoon Market and had teams run up to the ninth floor to get a gorgeous view for their first mission.

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The team names were hilarious this year too and some teams even came up with mottos! The team names included:

Bad Noonas, Team Fluffing Awesome, Our Kids Don’t Cry, The Chosun Ones, Girls Over Flowers, The Rainbow Poopers, Guardians of the Seolaxy, and Bone Thugs & Halmonies to name a few.

Missed the event? Don’t worry, you can buy The Seoul Derby – Personal Edition! Head out for fun with friends, family and set your own timeframe!

Add to that some amazing team uniforms and you just know these teams were not only shooting to win, but they were having fun while they were at it. One reason I started doing this was because sometimes I think people just take things too seriously. You can see Seoul, learn about history and culture and have fun while you’re doing it.

Racing around with friends in, some might say, silly costumes also takes away the pressure some might feel to approach strangers on the streets. Did you know that if you’re lost, you could approach someone and just ask for directions? Ask someone to help you with a phone call? Ask someone for help with a T-Money machine? It can be daunting in a new place, in a different place and this event sort of takes the fear out of the equation.

Some of the clues require that teams race up and ask strangers to take pictures of them stuffed inside of a phone booth. Some require people to ask strangers to join them in a human pyramid. Find a couple in matching attire and take a photo with them and I can only assume the teams compliment the couple while they’re at it. You just know the couple is walking away feeling awesome and the team gets points too. This is all in good fun and just requires some team gumption to approach someone and say, “hey, we’re playing a game. Won’t you join us for a moment?” And how neat is that?

The other reason I started planning this was because I LOVE games. I am pretty super competitive. Granted, I can’t play in a game of my own making, but it’s fun to watch everyone else play and enjoy themselves. On that note though, if anyone knows how to play euchre and wants to have a tournament, I am so down! (Midwesterners should know that game.. everyone else.. just please learn how to play euchre so I can have people to play with!)

This year, one team got to the starting location, Sewoon Market, at 11:45am even though the start time was 1:00pm. They wanted to look at a map and see if they could see what was around and guess their way through the game. They did end up winning so good on them! Not every team is that gung-ho, but most have some pretty good game.

Arielle put together an awesome video showcasing the teams and all of the fun they had. Check it out to really feel what this event is like. You’ll definitely want to join next year once you see this.

This event is a bit more than just a scavenger hunt. Though teams are provided with a pretty good list of clues to places and things to find, they are also directed toward various mission stops in an Amazing Race-esque style event too. This is where some of the sponsors and my blogger buddies can jump in and really test the skills of those in attendance.

This year teams met up with the Shelley from Travel-Stained and Mika from TheSeoulChild for their first mission on the rooftop of Sewoon Market. Next, they headed to Unhyeongung Royal Residence where they met up with the oh-so-cool Will Brooks from Seoulweaver. From there, they flipped some bottles with Korvia Consulting and then bounced over to a small park to meet up with the owners of Mogo an awesome healthy plant based home cooking service.

The teams were in it to win it and some of them are still chomping at the bit to know what their final scores were, so here they are my friends!

1. Team 5 with 242 Points
2. Team 13 with 231 Points
3. Team 18 with 229 Points
4. Team 1 with 226 Points
5. Team 15 with 226 Points
6. Team 14 with 220 Points
7. Team 17 with 213 Points
8. Team 10 with 212 Points
9. Team 2 with 207 Points
10. Team 20 with 205 Points
11. Team 19 with 199 Points
12. Team 16 with 196 Points
13. Team 3 with 196 Points
14. Team 6 with 191 Points
15. Team 9 with 190 Points
16. Team 7 with 187 Points
17. Team 12 with 183 Points
18. Team 11 with 182 Points
19. Team 8 with 124 Points
20. Team 4 with 121 Points

While the game itself is super fun, another great aspect is of course the sponsors and the prizes they provide. I try to work with fellow foreign owned businesses as well as companies that I have enjoyed personally. Restaurants from around town provide gift certificates for good eats and tour companies provide tickets for events and tours. Things to do and eat are up for grabs. This year, the amazing sponsors (aside from the ones mentioned above) included:

• CheeseMania: A fairly new establishment in the Hongdae serving up some very delicious and cheesy eats.
• 훌라훌라 Hulahula: A cool Hawaiian themed eatery in the Mangwon district that will leave you with those island vibes.
• 미니 print: A screen printing studio and gallery owned by an awesomely artistic couple. Check out their screen printing classes!
• Morococo Café: One of the best spots in Haebangchon for a bite and a bottle of wine.
• Nailcityseoul: THE spot to get your nails done in the city.
• Sprout-Natural Healthy Whole Food Service: A healthy food delivery service that will leave you full, healthy and happy.
• Sutome Apothecary: An apothecary in Mangwon where you can buy perfume or make your own.
• The Bakers Table: A popular brunch/lunch spot out of Noksapyeong Station.
• Tour 08 – Foreigner Tours: A company providing awesome trips and tours for the foreign community in Korea.
• Vineworks Korea: A wine venue that specializes in wine education with a twist.
• Puriface: A Korean beauty and skincare company with some awesome sheet masks.
• Fatboy Sandwiches: One of the best spots in town for a big good sandwich.
• ONE MORE TRIP: A platform making it easier for foreigners to book tours and make reservations.
• J’s Curry: A great eatery in Mangwon specializing in Thai themed dishes.
• Aqua Planet Ilsan: One of the biggest aquariums in the country.
• Buttermilk Biscuit Co. – Korea: The spot for a good biscuit in Seoul. MMMMMMhmmm
• SpoonMe: A premium plant based meal service with creative and healthy eats.

Thanks to everyone that came out and made this event super fun and of course a big thank you to Paperstreet for hosting the madness at the end. This local family owned business is super cool and some great hosts.