[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival The Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival, initially slated for February, will be held online until Dec. 31. The festival, an annual event that celebrates local snow crabs caught off the east coast of North Gyeongsang Province, was scheduled for Feb. 20-23. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has moved online. A cooking show, a lucky draw and online sales of freshly caught snow crabs can be accessed at www.ydcf.co.kr, as well as on the festival’s social media chan

Dec. 4, 2020

Traveling in pandemic times

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, South Korea is seeking innovations to meet the challenges it presents. The following is the third article in a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. 28,714,247. That’s the number of number of South Koreans who traveled abroad last year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. Due

Dec. 3, 2020

THE WEEK&Resort expands horizons of urban boutique resort

Trinity D&C Co., a real estate development and hotel resort company, held a grand opening ceremony of Korea’s first urban boutique resort THE WEEK& Resort in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, on Nov. 26. THE WEEK& Resort plans to pioneer a new field differentiated from existing resorts under the concept of Korea‘s first “urban boutique resort.” It will attract the attention of customers through its close geographic accessibility to downtown and a young and stylish sense

Dec. 1, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival The Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival is an annual event held in Sunchang, South Jeolla Province. The festival celebrates the many different sauces and pastes made from fermented soybeans. This year’s event runs until Nov. 29 and involves a photo contest, a talent show and more. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is being held online, and festivalgoers at home can upload photos of their sauce pots. Festival organizers are also soliciting suggestio

Nov. 27, 2020

Taean-meets-glam on social media

Korea is bracing for another surge in the coronavirus pandemic, with rising numbers of cluster infections nationwide. As the global health threat continues to disrupt our lives, traveling may not be the wisest activity for a while. However, if one must travel, Taean, a coastal county in South Chungcheong Province, is an option.  A two-hour drive south of Seoul, Taean can be easily reached by car from many regions in Korea. The locale is also encompassed in wild nature, dispersing visitor

Nov. 21, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival The Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival is an annual event held in Sunchang, South Jeolla Province. The festival celebrates the many different sauces and pastes made from fermented soybeans. This year’s event runs until Nov. 29 and involves a photo contest, a talent show and more. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is being held online; festivalgoers at home can upload photos of their sauce pots. Also, the festival organizers are looking for suggest

Nov. 20, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

  Winter lights at E-World Theme park E-World in Daegu will host its signature Christmas Fantasy festival from Nov. 21.  Earlier this month, the amusement park turned on the lights on its 9-meter-tall Miracle Tree. During the festival period, Lighting Balloon Road will be on display, along with other photo zones themed around Christmas and winter. The Miracle Rose Garden with 100,000 blue light roses will light up, too. On the opening day, Santa Claus will welcome visitors.  T

Nov. 13, 2020

BTS’ ‘See You in Seoul’ video reaches 400 million hits

Seoul city’s promotional video featuring BTS topped 400 million views two months after its release, announced the Seoul Tourism Organization on Monday. The video “See You in Seoul,” featuring each member of the hit seven-member act introducing the city of Seoul, was released on Sept. 11 on the city‘s tourism platform (www.visitseoul.net) and social media channels.   The promotional video racked up more than 100 million views 10 days after the release, and generat

Nov. 9, 2020

[Eye Plus] Autumn foliage at peak

Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter and tree leaves are slowly turning colors. When the autumn season is on the way, Hwadam Botanic Garden becomes a highly sought-after destination.  Hwadam Botanic Garden is an eco-friendly arboretum located at Konjiam Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, about an hour’s drive from central Seoul. Spread across 65,265 square meters, the park has 17 gardens with different themes. Some 4,000 different species of plants and trees make up

Nov. 7, 2020

Fall is upon us: ‘Color show’ trails across Korea

In a turbulent, disturbing year, the change of seasons has remained constant and the changing colors of the leaves signal the peak of the autumn season. It is a time to explore the mountains, forests and countryside and enjoy the annual color show, as mountains across Korea turn shades of red, orange, yellow and more.  The color fest will not last long, with the winter season lurking just around the corner.  Before the brilliant explosion of colors makes way for heavy snow and frost

Nov. 7, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Seoul Lantern Festival The 2020 Seoul Lantern Festival is being held across the city of Seoul this year in an aim to disperse visitors and promote local businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.  While the festival in Jamsil, eastern Seoul, has wrapped up, lanterns will be on display from Nov. 4 to Dec. 31 in Itaewon, central Seoul, inspired by the hit webtoon “Itaewon Class.” Fashion-inspired lanterns are being showcased in Dongdaemun until Nov. 15. In Myeong-dong, lanterns d

Nov. 6, 2020

Korea’s first panda cub named Fu Bao

The first panda cub born in South Korea has been named Fu Bao 100 days after her birth, according to Everland, a theme park under Samsung C&T, Wednesday. The female panda cub was born July 20 at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Fu Bao is a Chinese name, meaning a treasure that brings happiness. The name was selected by 50,000 people who voted both online and offline. It is an international custom to give a panda cub a Chinese name some 100 days after birth. According to Everland, p

Nov. 4, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

  Seoul International Cafe Show The 2020 Seoul Cafe Show will take place Nov. 4-7 at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul.  The annual event was launched in 2002 to promote the coffee, tea, bakery and dessert culture and related industries. The event aims to introduce the latest trends in the cafe scene. This year the organizers have set up a COVID-19 Free Zone to ensure everyone’s safety.  Tickets cost 18,000 won per person for a one-day admission

Oct. 30, 2020

[Photo News] White clouds painted across clear, sunny sky in Gangneung

The sunny sky has a bright blue hue in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, near the East Sea on Thursday morning. White clouds are painted across the morning sky as the contrasting colors of the silver grass below bring out its vivid blue. (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldcorp.com)

Oct. 24, 2020

[Photo News] Pathways at Joseon royal tombs reopen to public

The Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center said it will open five more forest trails at Joseon royal tomb sites from Friday. Paths have been opened up at Uireung in Seoul and at four royal tomb sites in Gyeonggi Province: Yungneung and Geolleung in Hwaseong, Jangneung in Gimpo, and Sareung as well as Hongneung and Yureung in Namyangju.  The photo shows a pathway in the traditional tree nursery at Hongneung and Yureung in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Photos

Oct. 24, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Autumn forest at Everland Everland’s Forest Camp is offering eco-friendly programs for visitors this fall. Forest Camp is a park spread across 90,000 square meters of land, managed by amusement park Everland for the past 50 years. The park has a dense forest of some 34,000 trees and plants. Various programs are available, from trekking, meditation, yoga and music concerts to barbecue party events. For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, visit reservation.everlan

Oct. 23, 2020

Culture Ministry to lend additional W40b to tourism industry

  The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Wednesday that it would inject an additional 40 billion won ($35.2 million) into South Korea’s tourism industry in the form of loans in the next two months. “As of the end of September, tourism industry sales had dropped by 9 trillion won compared to last year,” Choi Yoon-hee, second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, said during a press conference Wednesday. In its 2020 budget, she explained, the ministr

Oct. 21, 2020

Camping in the age of COVID-19

Camping has come under the limelight in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an outdoor activity that guarantees fresh air, some space from others and also individual freedom. But because campsites are not virus-free zones, campers must be responsible when using common areas. Larger, less crowded campsites may be better options under the current circumstances. Here is a list of some campsites recommended by the Korea Tourism Organization.  Meonguri Valley Camping Site Pocheon, Gyeong

Oct. 17, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Busan Fireworks Festival The 16th Busan Fireworks Festival will take place on Nov. 7. Organized by the Busan Culture & Tourism Festival Organizing Committee, the annual festival is held every autumn along Gwangalli Beach. During the festival, visitors can enjoy a myriad of unique and colorful fireworks at sites across Hwangnyeongsan, Dongbaek Island and Igidae Coastal Park. For more information in Korean and English, visit www.bfo.or.kr. Mungyeong Chasabal Festival The Mungyeong Cha

Oct. 16, 2020

First five-star hotel of global brand to be built in Gyeonggi Province

  Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, will get its first five-star hotel with a global brand in Pyeongtaek by 2022, the city government announced on Thursday. According to the municipality of Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), a global hotel company, plans to build a voco hotel with more than 250 rooms near a United States military base in the city by December 2022. Voco is a luxury brand owned by IHG. The municipality said it h

Oct. 15, 2020