Two headlines about Korea recently caught my eye. Time Out named Seoul's Jongno 3-ga the world's coolest neighborhood, and the Financial Times called Seoul the "new Paris" for university students going abroad. Along with many other recent stories praising Korea as a destination for travel, study, culture and business, they reflect the growing global appeal of the country and its capital city. For decades, many Koreans associated overseas opportunity with the West. Corporate employees coveted postings in the United States and Western Europe. Ambitious young Koreans packed their bags for New York, Boston or Paris to pursue a Western degree, often seen as a ticket to upward mobility back home. Now, Korea is becoming a destination in its own right. According to government statistics, the total number of visitors to Korea reached 18.9 million last year, a record high. Walk through Jongno 3-ga, Seongsu or Hongdae, and you may hear as many foreign voices as Korean ones. This shift is very clear on campuses throughout Korea. As the Financial Times reported, Seoul is increasingly attracting stu