The Backpack You See Everywhere in Seoul — Especially on Grandmothers

 If you spend a little time walking around Seoul, you will notice a particular kind of bag.

It is a backpack.

Not the kind carried by a student on the way to school. Not necessarily a sporty backpack worn by someone heading to the gym. This one is often carried by an older woman, usually on her way to the market, the neighborhood store, a bus stop, or the subway.

Once you notice them, you start seeing them everywhere.

Small backpacks. Large backpacks. Black ones, brown ones, patterned ones. Some look almost like handbags with two shoulder straps. Others are clearly designed to carry a surprising amount of stuff.

And yes, you will see quite a few of them on Korean grandmothers.

Why a backpack?

The simple answer is that it is practical.

A backpack leaves both hands free.

That matters in Seoul.

You might be carrying groceries in one hand, holding an umbrella in the other, checking your phone, opening a subway gate, or picking something up at a market. A shoulder bag can slide around. A handbag has to be held. A backpack simply stays on your back.

There is also something useful about having a little more room.

A Seoul grandmother's backpack may start the day carrying only a few things. By the time she comes home, it may contain groceries, a water bottle, tissues, an umbrella, a shopping bag, and several things she had not planned to buy.

The backpack is ready for all of it.

It looks a little different in America

If you picture an older woman in the United States going out for the day, you might imagine a crossbody bag, a shoulder bag, or a tote.

These styles are also commonly recommended for older American women, particularly because they are practical and easy to carry. Crossbody bags, for example, leave both hands free, while totes can hold more items for everyday errands.

Backpacks certainly exist in the United States, too. But the everyday image feels somewhat different.

In Seoul, the backpack can look less like a fashion accessory and more like a small piece of everyday equipment.

And that may be the key to understanding it.

Then it rains

There is another reason to pay attention to these backpacks.

Seoul gets plenty of rain.

Not every backpack is waterproof. Some are made from materials that can handle a little moisture, while others can become quite wet during a heavy downpour.

So when the rain starts, the umbrella has another job.

It needs to protect the person — and, if possible, the backpack.

You may see someone holding an umbrella slightly farther back than usual, trying to keep the bag underneath it. For heavier rain, backpack rain covers are also available.

It is a small everyday problem with a very practical solution.

But there is one place where a backpack can become a problem

The subway.

Seoul's subway trains can become extremely crowded, especially during busy hours. And a backpack worn on your back takes up space behind you.

It can bump into someone.

It can get in the way when people are trying to move.

And in a packed train, even a small amount of extra space matters.

So there is a piece of subway etiquette that many people in Seoul have become accustomed to: when you get onto a crowded train, take your backpack off your back and carry it in front of you.

People do this almost automatically.

The backpack that was so convenient on the street suddenly needs to be moved.

A bag that changes with the situation

That is what makes the Seoul grandmother's backpack interesting.

It works differently depending on where she is.

On the street, it keeps both hands free.

At the market, it carries things.

In the rain, it needs an umbrella.

On the subway, it moves from the back to the front.

The bag itself has not changed.

The situation has.

And perhaps that is why the backpack fits Seoul so well.

Life here often involves walking, shopping, public transportation, stairs, elevators, crowded sidewalks, sudden rain, and carrying things from one place to another.

A backpack simply makes all of that a little easier.

So, what's inside?

Of course, there is one question you may find yourself wondering when you see one.

What is inside that backpack?

There is no single answer.

Maybe groceries.

Maybe an umbrella.

Maybe a water bottle, tissues, a wallet, reading glasses, medication, a phone, or a small shopping bag.

And sometimes, probably, something completely unexpected.

That is part of the charm.

The backpack does not announce what is inside. It just quietly carries the day around Seoul.

The next time you see an older woman walking down a Seoul street with a backpack, look at it a little differently.

It may not be a fashion statement.

It may simply be the most sensible bag for getting through an ordinary day in Seoul.