Amid the dozens of private art galleries on Insadong street you will find tiny craft shops bursting with creativity (check out the four-storey Ssamzie complex) - look for pale green celadon vases, pen-and-ink drawings and calligraphy, and world-class stitching at Kukjae Embroidery.

BBC: A perfect day in Seoul

Incumbent President Hamid Karzai, dressed in his traditional purple and green striped robe, cast his vote shortly after the polls opened and had his finger stained with ink that is supposed to last for two weeks, a measure intended to thwart fraud by preventing people from voting multiple times.

CNN: Officials hail Afghan vote a success despite deaths