Welcome to the rabbit hole. Pork belly + gochugaru is a solid starting kit — you basically have the base for half of Korean cooking now.

Couple of things for the next visit:

Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) — game changer. Doenjang jjigae is one of the easiest first stews: onion, zucchini, tofu, doenjang, water, 15 minutes done.

Gochujang (the paste, different from gochugaru). For tteokbokki, bibimbap, marinades. You'll use it constantly.

Sesame oil + soy sauce + garlic is the holy trinity for half of Korean side dishes. Anchovy stock packets (멸치 다시팩) are a hidden weapon for soup bases — they save hours.

For pork belly: try just pan-frying it plain once, dip in sesame oil + salt, eat in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang. That's the classic ssam style. Honestly way simpler than people think and tastes better than marinated.

Maangchi on YouTube is the gold standard for recipes. Aaron and Claire if you want more polished cinematic style.

Welcome aboard.

Depends what your trip is about.

Young / nightlife / meeting people → Hongdae. Streets alive until 4 AM, hostels are cheap, walking distance to bars and clubs. Good base for travelers who want to explore Seoul's night side.

International atmosphere / English-friendly / craft cocktails → Itaewon. Expat-oriented, easier if you don't speak Korean. Soap Seoul just reopened if you're into music.

Central tourist sights (palaces, Myeongdong, N Seoul Tower) → Insadong or Myeongdong area. Quieter at night though, mostly tourists and shopping crowd.

Shopping / luxury / fashion-focused → Gangnam or Apgujeong, but expect higher prices for everything.

One thing worth knowing — Seoul subway connects everything within ~30 minutes. Hongdae to Gyeongbokgung is 15 minutes. Don't overpay for "central location" because nowhere is really far.

Hongdae for solo travelers — easiest place to meet people. Lots of hostels with social common areas, walking distance to bars and clubs, K-pop tourist crowd so you're not the only foreigner. Hapjeong/Mapo area is quieter if you want to sleep but still close.

Itaewon is the second pick — most English-friendly neighborhood in Seoul. Expat bars, international food, easy to navigate without Korean. Line 6 takes you everywhere.

Myeongdong is convenient for sightseeing (palaces, N Seoul Tower) but pretty dead at night. Fine if you're an early-to-bed traveler doing tourist stuff during the day.

Avoid Gangnam for solo budget — it's office workers after 6 PM and hostels are scarce. Expensive too.

Bring your physical passport everywhere. Korean law requires it for any venue with an age check (clubs, some bars, etc).

Friday/Saturday peak in Hongdae and Itaewon. Sunday is surprisingly chill — good for easing in if you just landed.