[Weekender] Services to help you make the most of your time in Korea

From superfast delivery to near ubiquitous Wi-Fi, Korea has a wealth of conveniences that would make many rivals blush.But the language barrier and an idiosyncratic internet environment have often made it difficult for visitors to take advantage. With a growing foreign population and tourism industry -- a record 17 million people visited the country in 2016 -- Korea has worked hard to make the country more accessible, with tech a particular plus if you know where to look.Apps and assistance exis

Jan. 26, 2018

[Weekender] Make the most of Korea: Plot your own course

Coming from the tropical Philippines, Korea was a wintry wonderland for Jane Galvez, who has visited the country four times since 2012. Galvez journeyed across Korea in search of off-the-beaten path locations and arty spots where movies and TV dramas had been filmed. With her sister Ellaine, Jane visited Busan, Seoul and Incheon over seven days in April last year. “South Korea will always be my favorite place to visit,” Galvez told The Korea Herald. “I can never get enough of it. It has changed

Jan. 26, 2018

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Anseong Ice Fishing Fest Visitors are welcome to participate in various winter activities such as ice fishing, sledding, traditional winter games and barehanded fishing. Gwanghyewon Reservoir, the venue of the Anseong Ice Fishing Festival, is one of the largest reservoirs of Anseong known for its first-class water quality that runs down from Charyeon Mountain Range.The festival lasts until Feb. 25, and admission is 5,000 won per person. Children under 5 are admitted free.Call the travel hotline

Jan. 26, 2018

[Video] Quirky interiors give Seoul’s guesthouses an edge

For years, foreign tourists have flocked to guesthouses in search of affordable accommodations during their stay in Korea.Nowadays, guesthouses have begun offering more than simple lodging facilities, incorporating quirky themes and eye-catching interiors into their spaces. The very act of staying at a guesthouse is evolving into an experience for travelers, according to Kang Seok-hwan, owner of Uhbu’s Guesthouse located in Dongdaemun, Seoul. Uhbu’s is a traditional Korean hanok structure decora

Jan. 23, 2018

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Anseong Ice Fishing Fest Visitors are welcome to participate in various winter activities such as ice fishing, sledding, traditional winter games and barehanded fishing. Gwanghyewon Reservoir, the venue of the Anseong Ice Fishing Festival, is one of the largest reservoirs of Anseong known for its first-class water quality that runs down from Charyeon Mountain Range.The festival lasts until Feb. 25, and admission is 5,000 won per person. Children under 5 are admitted free.Call the travel hotline

Jan. 19, 2018

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Anseong Ice Fishing FestVisitors are welcome to participate in various winter activities such as ice fishing, sledding, traditional winter games and barehanded fishing. Gwanghyewon Reservoir, the venue of the Anseong Ice Fishing Festival, is one of the largest reservoirs of Anseong known for its first-class water quality that runs down from Charyeon Mountain Range.The festival lasts until Feb. 25, and admission is 5,000 won per person. Children under 5 are admitted free.Call the travel hotline a

Jan. 12, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Foreign language service offered at Odaesan during Olympics

Tourist-friendly translation services will be available at Odaesan mountain during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, the Korea National Park Service said Sunday. The mountain, situated in the Olympics host city of PyeongChang, will offer history and culture tours in the mountain in English, Chinese and Japanese.An ‘Olympic zone’ has been built in the mountain’s fir forest, which consists of a 1-kilometer section of the mountain trail. In this zone will stand signs explaining the 15 spor

Jan. 7, 2018

[Photo News] Some 4,500 take a swim in Busan winter sea

The 31st Polar Bear Swim Festival took place at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Sunday. Some 4,500 people braved the winter sea like the bears the festival is named after. Of the crowd, 200 were non-Korean participants. Sunday marked a brief break in the cold spell, with the daytime temperatures rising as high as 7 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous day of minus 8 degrees. The age range of the participants this year went from 3 years old to 82 years old. The 31st Polar Bear Swim Festival took pl

Jan. 7, 2018

[Weekender] Travel bits

Anseong Ice Fishing FestVisitors are welcome to participate in various winter activities such as ice fishing, sledding, traditional winter games, barehanded fishing. Gwanghyewon Reservoir, the venue of Anseong Ice Fishing Festival, is one of the largest reservoirs of Anseong known for its first class water quality that runs down from Charyeon Mountain Range.The festival lasts until Feb.25, and the admission is 5,000 won per person. Children under 5 are admitted free.Call the travel hotline at 13

Jan. 5, 2018

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Seoul Christmas FestivalSponsored by Seoul Metropolitan City and Korea Tourism Organization, Seoul Christmas Festival is taking place at Cheonggye Plaza, the center of Cheonggyecheon Stream. Visitors can enjoy fancy illuminations, a Christmas tree and photo zones. Various events and programs are also prepared for a heartwarming end-of-the-year experience for everybody.A New Year’s Eve music performance and New Year’s Countdown will take place to commemorate the new year. The event lasts until Tu

Dec. 29, 2017

Seoul to hold ‘Hot Winter Market’ in Yeouido

“Seoul Hot Winter Market” is set to take place at Yeouido Han River Park from Tuesday to Friday, Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday.The market will feature about 30 food trucks that sell exotic dishes from all around the world, such as tacos, pad thai, sushi and steak. (Yonhap)Visitors can buy handmade accessories and home decorations from 130 market booths installed at the park. Musicians will busk every 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.The market will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.

Dec. 29, 2017

Seoul City to hold New Year’s sunrise festivals

To mark the first sunrise of 2018, Seoul is set to hold various festivals around the city on Jan. 1, the city government said Monday. The first sunrise will be seen from the city at around 7:47 a.m., according to Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.Seoul introduced the 20 best spots to view the sunrise, including six mountains located near downtown Seoul, 11 mountains located in the outskirts of the city and three big parks. The places are listed below. (Yonhap)1. Six mountains near the

Dec. 26, 2017

Santa village opens in Bonghwa County

A Santa Claus village in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, welcomed visitors on Christmas Day, Yonhap News Agency reported. (Yonhap)The county held the opening ceremony of its 2017 Winter Santa Village at Buncheon Station Plaza. About 500 people, including locals and tourists, flocked there to enjoy a Nanta performance and a prize draw. The PyeongChang Olympics torch relay also took place at the ceremony. (Yonhap)The village features Christmas-themed installations, including an igloo an

Dec. 25, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Holiday feast at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering Milton’s Festive Feast, a dining and entertainment promotion for the holiday season. The event will be held at the Atrium on the third floor on Sunday starting at 6 p.m., and features a buffet of various dishes, Santa Claus, live piano and brass music, a photo zone, comedy show and raffle. The hotel has been celebrating Christmas for the last 22 years. The two-floor lobby is decorated with a 10-meter Christmas tree, Sant

Dec. 22, 2017

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Lotte World Christmas Miracle Lotte Word Christmas Festival will be held from Nov. 11 to Dec. 31 with a “Christmas miracle” theme. Visitors can see Christmas decorations hung everywhere at the festival site.The event is held at Lotte World in Songpa-gu, Seoul and is open to visitors of all ages.For admissions and other information, refer to the homepage (http://www.lotteworld.com). It offers information in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Mongolian.Li

Dec. 22, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang puts finishing touches on Winter Olympics

President Moon Jae-in recently said in a meeting with South Korean reporters that he hopes the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics will contribute to easing regional tensions sparked by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.As Moon goes all out to promote the games, the government is now putting the finishing touches on preparations for the country’s first Winter Olympics.The Winter Games will kick off on Feb. 9, 2018 and run until Feb. 25, followed by the Paralympic G

Dec. 22, 2017

[Weekender] Light up the holiday nights: 4 must-visits to get in the Christmas mood

As 2017 nears its end, the city of Seoul comes alive with a mesmerizing blend of holiday lights and music echoing through the streets. For those still undecided on where to go on Christmas day, following is a list of four places one won‘t regret visiting.　Shinsegae Department Store, Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-guEvery November, the now-87-year-old Shinsegae Department store building transforms into a winter wonderland, thrilling visitors. The magical musical light show captures the hearts of locals and

Dec. 22, 2017

[Travel] Find serenity with the ancients at temples in Yogyakarta

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia -- The quiet city of Yogyakarta on Java, Indonesia, is flanked on both sides by two ancient temples paying homage to two different faiths.To the west is Borobudur Temple, a massive stone structure that soars up into the sky surrounded on all sides by lush jungle greenery. Built in the ninth century, Borodubur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world -- but it was a well-kept secret after being mysteriously abandoned. It lay quietly preserved by a tomb of volcanic ash unt

Dec. 15, 2017

Gyeongju, shimmering gem of ancient Korea

Before the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), from which the name “Korea” comes, the Korean Peninsula was a battleground for three ancient kingdoms -- Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla -- from the first century BC through the seventh century AD. The Silla Kingdom in the southeast, originating from what is today’s North Gyeongsang Province, was the unifier of the rivalrous kingdoms. Silla conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, leading to Unified Silla (668-935), where culture, religion and arts flourished

Dec. 14, 2017

[Photo News] Winter storm brings blizzard in PyeongChang

The traditional Korean calendars divided a year into 24 solar terms. Today, Dec. 7, matches to “Daeseol,” the 21st term in the calendar, which means “Big Snow” in Korean. Just like the name of the term, a strong winter storm has brought massive snowfall in Gangwon Province since Wednesday night. Ski jump slopes for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics are covered with snow (Yonhap)As of 7 a.m., 4.5 centimeters of snow has accumulated in PyeongChang, where the 2018 Winter Olympic Games will be he

Dec. 7, 2017