Seoul's new city hall is impressive. The glass structure is gorgeous.

It's also possibly a huge slap in the face for the Japanese.

From the inside out, Seoul's new City Hall is a work of art. The interior walls are shrouded in green leafy flora that climb from the ground to the ceiling; the exterior, made solely of windows, provides a gorgeous light. But the new building constructed in 2012 has drawn criticism stemming from its perhaps not-so-innocuous shape.

The actual city of Seoul is landlocked so it's interesting to note that City Hall looks a lot like, well, a tidal wave. And while the building's exterior reflects the beautiful skyscapes of city, its glass curves may insinuate uglier intentions. Many critics of the new structure believe its wave-like mold was created as a smug stab at the Japanese who are still struggling to recover from the 2012 Tsunami.

Relations between the two countries have remained somewhat tense since the Japanese invasion and subsequent 35 year rule on the Korean peninsula; the Japanese government has failed to apologize for several travesties against the Korean people, including the unpleasant history of comfort-women.