[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding the “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” event, with special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.Special summer activities include underwater performances by the Octonauts at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9 p.m. The event is held f

Aug. 2, 2018

Former prison lives with vestiges of Korea’s patriotic past

In the 1975 book “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison” by Michel Foucault, the late philosopher builds on Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the panopticon -- a type of institutional building for social control, where prisoners are surveilled by a watchman at the center -- as a disciplinary tool of the modern state machinery. In the course of its ruthless imperial expansion and oppression, Japan constructed a long chain of panopticon-shaped penitentiaries across the Korean Peninsula from the

Aug. 2, 2018

[Photo News] Sea of giant, yellow sunflowers at Haman county

With sunflowers in full bloom, the sixth annual sunflower festival is being celebrated in the host county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province. Local farmers have reportedly planted 1 million sunflowers on 48,000 square meters of land. Festivalgoers can take part in activities such as music performances, cheese-making classes and face painting. The festival, which began on July 21, runs through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. General admission is 2,000 won ($1.80), which will used to support

July 31, 2018

Coex Aquarium introduces summer performances and ‘healing time’

Coex Aquarium has introduced a set of programs for this summer including extra performances by its divers and a session where visitors can lie down on a bean bag and enjoy the sight of aquatic life.Throughout July and August, except Mondays, the “Healing Time” session is being held at the Deep Blue Square of the aquarium where special performances are held.But from 6:30 p.m. until closing time, bean bags are brought out for visitors to relax while a commentary on the fish swimming in the giant t

July 27, 2018

Vivaldi Park's new attractions bring new kind of fun

HONGCHEON, Gangwon Province -- Vivaldi Park’s water park Ocean World has always been a big draw for both adults and kids, but its latest attractions bring a different type of appeal.　It is not easy to find high-speed go kart tracks in Korea, but K1 Speed, an indoor go kart racing company based in California, has opened its first track in Asia at the Vivaldi Park resort in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The track at Vivaldi Park is 202 meters long and 3,057 square-meters wide, with its karts that c

July 26, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding its “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” event, with special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.The special features for the summer season include underwater performances by the “Octonauts” at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9 p.m.

July 26, 2018

Hilton Busan’s 1st anniversary

Hilton Busan celebrated its first anniversary this month.The luxury oceanfront hotel located in eastern Busan has risen as an iconic landmark in the region for its beautiful scenery and architecture since its grand opening on July 1, 2017. Guests look around the hotel’s wedding chapel (Hilton Busan)It has been touted as a top “destination hotel,” inviting guests to visit the area particularly for the hotel.Celebrating the success, the hotel held its Gourmet Journey event on July 12, allowing par

July 19, 2018

[Weekender] Ethereal summer escapes overseas

As the summer heat rolls through Korea, many are hoping to travel abroad for an enjoyable, relaxing vacation. With so many convincing options and intriguing places, it is often overwhelming to research and decide on a fun, exciting and affordable location.Based on online rankings from South Koreans, popular social media posts and opinions from Korean youth, The Korea Herald has compiled some of the most interesting places to visit overseas this summer. Not too far from home, each of the destinat

July 19, 2018

[Weekender] Summer getaways at hotels for ‘one-stop luxury’

Summer holidays are finally here.The idea of getting away from city life is always fun. But the reality is that it’s scorching outside, most of Korea is well over 30 Celsius degrees, and everywhere you go will be crowded with holidaymakers. Plus, the roads are already packed with millions of vacationers. When you do finally reach the beach after hours stuck in highway traffic, you find yourself swimming shoulder to shoulder with others. Koreans often say the beaches are “half water, half people”

July 19, 2018

[Weekender] Living, not just sightseeing, travel destinations

Back in college when you were backpacking across Europe, you jammed in as many activities to do as you could; every second counts when you’re traveling on the hard-earned money you made tutoring and waiting tables. But sometimes people -- rather than crossing off all the items on to-do lists -- wish they could just live like the locals, soaking in the mundane everyday stuff that only people living there know to look for: That bakery around the corner, that bistro down the block, that little book

July 19, 2018

[Weekender] Following palace murder trail on jaunty trip

YEONGWOL, Gangwon Province -- As the ferry leisurely sailed toward Cheongnyeongpo Cape, Gangwon Province, a needle-floored pine forest gradually rose from a distance. In the thick of sweltering summer heat, the verdant woodland provided an umbrella of shade and cool breeze, a stillness suspended from the trappings of modern life.It was here, on a sequestered patch of greenery, that King Danjong (1441-57), the sixth king of the Joseon era, was sent into a brief exile before his death at the age o

July 19, 2018

More foreigners seek to visit southeastern port city of Busan

More foreigners have shown interest in visiting South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, industry data showed Wednesday, amid the government's efforts to pursue balanced regional tourism growth. According to the data from Skyscanner, an online site that compares trip prices, the number of searches for a round-trip ticket to South Korea from abroad in the July-August period on its website increased 63 percent on-year.Among others, Busan, the country's second-largest city, located 450 kilome

July 18, 2018

[Herald Interview] Travel startup embraces chatbot to offer intelligent budget options

Amid the sweltering, humid weather, many Koreans look forward to traveling overseas for the perfect getaway. The only problem is that travel requires a set of cumbersome procedures ranging from picking a destination to booking hotels and arranging transportation. While working at global travel site Expedia, Jung Ji-ha wondered how he could simplify the process in booking hotels for future customers. Along with the tech expertise he had gained working at Hyundai C&I, Jung decided to jump into the

July 13, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding the “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” consisting of special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.The special features for the summer season include underwater performance by the “Octonauts” at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, the operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9

July 12, 2018

Tracing the footsteps of Swan King in Bavaria

Munich, the state of Bavaria retain tradition, mixing with modern lookMUNICH -- Ludwig II of Bavaria was a curious figure: From his obsession with French style, fascination with palaces and his mysterious death to his apparent terror of face-to-face encounters with anyone, even his subordinates, the 19th century monarch was truly “der Marchenkonig,” or “the Fairy Tale King.”But it is not just the palaces. The town of Munich and Bavaria exude an atmosphere of stepping into a storybook, with each

July 12, 2018

Lufthansa rebranding more than new paint job

German air carrier vows to boosts value with premium service, Munich hubMUNICH -- The glass-plated walls and ceiling of Munich Airport’s Terminal 2 let in light from outside, sufficiently lighting up the place even in grim weather.The building was designed that way to give visitors the feeling of being completely in the open -- fitting for a place that connects users to 137 locations across the worldThe Munich Hub of Lufthansa, an airline of the Lufthansa Group, flies passengers to 111 destinati

July 12, 2018

[Weekender] Euljiro Nogari Alley offers unpretentious pub fare

During a sudden downpour in Seoul on Monday evening, Euljiro turned into a ghost town surrounded by a modern megapolis. Located south of the Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul, most of the shops and restaurants in Euljiro closed their business after a busy day dealing with customers visiting electric shops and publishing companies. But at the end of the dark alley, a light still glimmered. Under the roofs decorated with small flags of different nations, crowds of people sat in bright red plastic ch

July 6, 2018

Receiving all types of guests as hotel-residence complex

Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences (Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun) aims to meet the needs of all kinds of guests, from business travelers to family visitors and long-term guests. The hotel, which officially opened Sunday, is situated in Dongdaemun area, a famous shopping district in central Seoul. Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun Hotels & ResidencesOf the 523 rooms, 331 are classic hotel rooms for business travelers while 192 rooms are residences, much like apartments and studios, eq

July 6, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Donggang International Photo FestThe annual DongGang International Photo Festival features events such as the DongGang Photography Award Exhibition, International Open Call and Photojournalists Exhibition. It runs till Sept. 21. Admission is 3,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for teenagers and 1,000 won for children. The event is open to visitors of all ages.For more information, call the travel hotline at 1330 for information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese. Everland Summer Water FunThe an

June 29, 2018

[Best Brand] Vivaldi Park featuring new attractions

Vivaldi Park is adding more fun experiences to its repertoire by adding new attractions, including the first “horror experience-type water slide” in Korea.Pharaoh‘s Tower, will open late June at Vivaldi Park Ocean World and will have the horror theme park attractions of Pharaoh’s Maze on the first floor and Double Spin, Double Tornado water slides on the third floor. Double Spin is a four-person slide which boasts a bobsled-level high speed while Double Tornado has the riders plummet down a funn

June 26, 2018