Seoul

Seoul appears as a way station in Marilyn Monroe’s journey to perform for U.S. troops in Korea, linking the crowded departure and the onward trip to a military base inland. The novel identifies it as the capital of South Korea, but does not depict an extended stay or a performance in the city itself.

A Transit Point on the Journey

Amid photographers and camera operators, military staff escort Marilyn Monroe to an unsteady aircraft bound for Seoul. From the capital, she is to continue by helicopter inland to a joint Army and Navy base. The route gives Seoul a precise narrative role: it is a passage between the public spectacle of her departure and the remote setting of her troop visit.

The Korean Setting

The journey also marks a sharp change of environment from Los Angeles. Although it is April, Marilyn wears camouflage coveralls, a blue windbreaker, heavy boots, and a military cap fastened under her chin against the cold wind. Seoul anchors this unfamiliar setting geographically, while the onward helicopter leg carries the journey beyond the city.