Michael Portillo
Self - Presenter
No poster
Series SeasonSeason 1 episodes2026
Great Korean Railway Journeys
Series 1
Michael travels by rail across South Korea, exploring a modern national success story.
Episodes
Each episode has its own detail page.
Episode 129 min2026-05-04
DMZ to Seoul
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.
Episode 228 min2026-05-05
Suwon to Seodaemun (Seoul)
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.
Episode 329 min2026-05-06
Daejeon to Busan
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.
Episode 428 min2026-05-07
Busan to Jeonju
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.
Episode 529 min2026-05-08
Gwangju to Jeju
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.