Tales carved in two cities

Unless a traveler is a history buff or a person of scholarly bent, they might not take much interest in the folktales and legends of old towns. What is new and trendy grabs more attention on social media. 　 Not surprisingly, many historical sites and neighborhoods stand empty -- neglected, for the most part, by travelers. But upon a closer look, these historical sites hold unique stories buried underneath the seemingly mundane landscape. Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, is one of the cities

Oct. 16, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Have a Nice Day Festival The Have a Nice Day Festival will take place Oct. 23-24 at Samsung Hall at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. Every year since 2015, this event has offered a chance for music lovers who are unfamiliar with music festivals to enjoy music in an accessible way. This year’s festival consists of two sections, which start at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The lineup includes popular artists such as singer/songwriter Stellar Jang, rock band Soran, indie band Standing Egg, duo MeloMa

Oct. 15, 2021

[Eye Plus] Fall flowers blooming at Seoul Olympic Park

Seoul Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul, was built in preparation for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games. Korea hosting its first summer Olympics in 1988 was seen as a culmination of the nation’s rapid growth over a few short decades.  When construction work started, a massive Baekje Dynasty earth fortification, called Monchontoseong, was excavated and then restored to allow visitors to enjoy a historic stroll in harmony with the newly-built park.   Now

Oct. 9, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Night of Jeonju and Heritage Story The Night of Jeonju and Heritage Story will take place Oct. 22-23 at Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju Hanok Village and Jeolla Gamyeong, the provincial government office. The annual event was postponed from September due to a COVID-19 surge. The two-day festival seeks to remember Korea’s cultural heritage and ancestors, and Jeonju is home to many Joseon-era historical sites. The festival will be held both online and offline. While admission fees vary for d

Oct. 8, 2021

[Photo News] Harvesting tangerines on Jeju Island

Tangerines are one of the many reasons Jeju Island is well loved by visitors. Approximately 500,000 metric tons of the citrus fruit are produced on the island every year, accounting for a majority of the tangerine production in Korea.  Historical records show Jeju Island has a long history with the fruit. “Koryosa,” the 135-volume annals of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), records that people of Jeju Island have offered tangerines to the nation’s kings as gifts since AD 105

Oct. 2, 2021

[Photo News] Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

On Sept. 29, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida released a sneak peek of what’s to come for its 50th anniversary celebration.  The celebration will take place at all four Disney World theme parks and it will be an 18-month long event.  “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” is exciting for Disney fans as it will change Disney World as we know it. New attractions, an elevated dining experience, specialty food items, upgraded nighttime entertainment, limited-e

Oct. 2, 2021

[Eye Plus] A Night Stroll to Namhansanseong Fortress

One of the best places in Seoul to catch a glimpse of the beautiful city is Namhansanseong Fortress.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Namhansanseong Fortress is located in the small city of Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province.  It was built during the Unified Silla period to protect Hanyang, the capital in the Joseon era.  Today, the fortress remains as one of the most significant heritage sites containing the history of Korea. There are multiple courses that allow sightseers to observe

Oct. 2, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Bupyeong Pungmul Festival The Bupyeong Pungmul Festival is scheduled to take place in Bupyeong, Incheon, Oct. 13 to 17. This year’s festival will be held both online and offline. The in-person activities will be at Camp Market and the Bupyeong Art Center, and the event will also be broadcast via the festival’s official YouTube channel. The festival, established in 1997, seeks to promote traditional culture, recall Bupyeong’s farming traditions and share with visitors the rhy

Oct. 1, 2021

[Eye Plus] Travel the world in Kyoha Central Park

Kyoha Central Park is one of the most scenic places to enjoy the autumn breeze in Gyeonggi Province. Visitors can walk along beautiful gardens with different themes. Each garden features traditional styles of seven countries: Korea, India, France, Italy, England, Japan, and China.  Greeting visitors from the entrance is the Korean garden. The garden has a number of replicas of historical architecture and landmarks, such as the gardens of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. A pavilion with a t

Sept. 25, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Mungyeong Chasabal Festival The Mungyeong Chasabal Festival will be run as an online-offline hybrid festival from Oct. 1 to 10. The festival will be held at Mungyeongsaejae Open Set Studio in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, an area famous for traditional ceramics. Visitors can learn the different steps of making traditional ceramics. Programs include a stamp tour, exhibition hall and more. An online Chasabal shopping and additional auction program will be held at the Mungyeong Cultural To

Sept. 24, 2021

[Photo News] Blooming buckwheat flowers in Bongpyeong

Unlike other flowers that bloom in spring, the buckwheat flower blooms in September. Bongpyeong-myeon in Gangwon Province is well-known for the buckwheat flower. Inspired by breathtaking views of fields covered by a carpet of buckwheat flowers, Korean novelist Lee Hyo-seok who lived in the area wrote the bestselling novel “When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom.” Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Bongpyeong held a buckwheat flower festival each year in commemoration of the author. Althoug

Sept. 20, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Bupyeong Pungmul Festival The Bupyeong Pungmul Festival is scheduled to take place in Bupyeong, Incheon, from Oct. 13 to 17. This year’s festival will be held online and offline. The festival is taking place at Camp Market and Bupyeong Art Center in Bupyeong, and will broadcast via festival’s official YouTube channel. The event, started in 1997, seeks to promote traditional culture by reproducing scenes of Bupyeong farming culture. Visitors can enjoy the rhythms of pungmul, or far

Sept. 17, 2021

Walking through gateway to Korea: Incheon

For first-timers to Korea, Incheon might simply be thought of as an airport city. For those often on business trips to Korea, the city might be associated with Songdo, a rising global business district of high-tech skyscrapers. Aside from the images commonly pictured today, however, the city of Incheon boasts vibrant historical stories along with scenic beauties preserved in the once booming old town districts. For the fall season, the Korea Tourism Organization selected six different walkin

Sept. 16, 2021

Korea International Tourism Show 2021 prepares post-pandemic travels

The sixth Korea International Tourism Show, held Sept. 9. to 12 at the Kintex exhibition hall in Goyang, northwest Gyeonggi Province, finished with a vision for the potential of the tourism industry and its future both in and outside South Korea. The event, organized by the Korea Exhibition Industry Center, featured more than 300 booths from 181 organizations, including 97 local governments in Korea and 14 from overseas, in addition to various travel-related content companies. Themed “T

Sept. 12, 2021

[Weekender] Dead poets’ salons

 In celebration of National Reading Month in September, some 8,700 book festivals and related programs are planned to promote the classics and new works to the public, according to the Culture Ministry.Adults read an average of 10 books per year while school-age children read an average of 41 books a year, Culture Ministry data from early 2020 showed. Culture critics attribute this significant drop in reading after the teenage years to “reading fatigue” stemming from pressure t

Sept. 11, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Suwon Culture Night Suwon Culture Night will take place in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, from Oct. 15-17. Held at Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Temporary Palace, the areas are decorated with media art installations, titled “eight nights.” Every corner of the fortress offers a historical and cultural experience to visitors. Admission fees vary by program. Updated information can be found on www.swcf.or.kr.  Jeonju International Sori Festival The Jeonju International Sori Fe

Sept. 10, 2021

Promoting tourism with mix of Korean hip-hop, folk music

Following the great popularity of tourism campaign videos featuring Leenalchi and the Ambiguous Dance Company last year, mixing pansori with a modern twist and contemporary choreography, season two of the series offers another fresh mix: Korean hip-hop and traditional folk music. The second season of “Feel the Rhythm of Korea,” produced by the Korea Tourism Organization, was released via YouTube on Friday, with the episode shot in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, attracting over

Sept. 6, 2021

[Eye Plus] Alleys that connect Korea’s past and present

Traditional Korean houses, or hanok, are tightly clustered at Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, providing a chance to travel back in time and enjoy the views of nearby Joseon palaces. Bukchon is near Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, and its inhabitants in the past included many influential families and aristocrats. While bordered by modern buildings, the neighborhood itself is like a village frozen in time. At Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, the visitors can experience

Sept. 4, 2021

ASEAN-Korea Center to present a virtual trip to ASEAN countries

The ASEAN-Korea Center has organized a virtual “ASEAN Familiarization Tour” to enhance the ASEAN-Korea tourism cooperation.  The tour, which lets Korean travel journalists and social media influencers explore tourism destinations in ASEAN member states, moved online last year, when global travel restrictions began. The center produced promotional videos introducing tourism spots and resources in ASEAN countries. This year, Korean actress and entertainer So Yu-jin and millenni

Sept. 4, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Ulsan Onggi Festival The Ulsan Onggi Festival will take place at Oegosan Onggi Village in Ulsan from Oct. 1 to 8. The festival seeks to promote “onggi,” a traditional Korean earthenware pot, and offers visitors a chance to learn more about the pottery through various programs and hands-on experiences, including making onggi and an onggi master exhibition. The event welcomes visitors of all ages. Admission fees vary according to different programs. More information can be found at www

Sept. 3, 2021