5 episodes

Great Korean Railway Journeys - Series 1

First aired May 4, 2026Season 1

Michael travels by rail across South Korea, exploring a modern national success story.

Episodes

DMZ to Seoul still

Episode 1

DMZ to Seoul

NR
May 4, 202629 min

Michael begins his journey at the tense frontier of the Demilitarised Zone before heading to the capital of Seoul, a vast-fast moving city that has become one of the world's most advanced cities.

Suwon to Seodaemun (Seoul) still

Episode 2

Suwon to Seodaemun (Seoul)

NR
May 5, 202628 min

Michael’s South Korean railway journey continues in Seoul. Travelling across one of the world’s largest metro systems, he heads south to Suwon to visit Samsung’s headquarters.

Daejeon to Busan still

Episode 3

Daejeon to Busan

NR
May 6, 202629 min

Leaving Seoul aboard South Korea’s high-speed KTX train, Michael travels south through the heart of the country to explore how rail has shaped both its economy and identity.

Busan to Jeonju still

Episode 4

Busan to Jeonju

NR
May 7, 202628 min

Michael’s journey continues in Busan, South Korea’s second city, on the country’s south eastern coast. Later, he heads to Jeonju, where he meets a master craftsman producing hanji paper.

Gwangju to Jeju still

Episode 5

Gwangju to Jeju

NR
May 8, 202629 min

On the final leg of his journey, Michael travels to South Korea’s south west, where food, protest and landscape reveal the values that have shaped the modern nation.