i found some nice, fairly cheap yeogwans behind Lotte Department store in Busan. seoul, i don't know. i've only stayed there a few times and never found any thing great or cheap.
whenever i travel in korea i usually stay in the yeogwans/love hotels or minbaks.
the love hotels (especially the new ones and you can tell from the outside) are relatively cheap (25-35,000) but are super nice inside. we stayed in one that had a tv, vcr, computer with internet, fridge, a sofa and table. plus it was super clean. internet was free. it was about 35,000 won.
on the cheaper side, try a minbak. at least if you are out of the big cities or are around some bigger mountains. minbaks are basically a room somewhat connected to someone's house. usually cost between 15-30,000 won per night. sometimes the house owner servers food, usually for a price. they are great way to experience the country in korea and get a feel for how people outside of the city live. i have stayed in a some really nice ones. one was in a small village outside of Jirisan National Park down south. very big, clean and the old grandmother was super nice! another one i stayed in was IN Songnisan National Park about a 30 minute hike up the main trail. if you don't have a tent or sleeping bags, this is the next best way to go camping!
hope this helps!
eric |