[Eye Plus] Seoul Dream Forest, where old and new create harmony

Tired of the busy city life and in need of a moment’s refreshment? Seoul Dream Forest is the place to go.  The 665,190-square-meter park in Seoul’s Gangbuk-gu is the fourth-biggest park in the capital -- after World Cup Park, Olympic Park and Seoul Forest. It offers the possibility of a peaceful walk. The vast expanse of nature is well-managed, and the facilities are well-placed to add convenience and enjoyment to the walk.  A concert hall and an exhibition building offe

March 20, 2021

Walk your way into spring

Though the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to linger, it is a good time of the year to leave the house, hit the road and explore the wilderness. South Gyeongsang Province, often represented by the metropolitan city of Busan, boasts more tourist destinations imbued with the beauty of local cultures, such as Jinju, Tongyeong, Namhae and more. Four hours by car from Seoul, the region is characterized by strong regional dialects and distinctive culinary cultures. There are also trails

March 20, 2021

More than half of Koreans traveled domestically since pandemic

A survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute survey showed that Koreans are becoming more relaxed about domestic travel as the COVID-19 situation continues. KCTI conducted online survey about traveling amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May last year on 2,000 Koreans over 15 and did a follow up survey last November on the same subjects, to which 1,079 responded. The results showed that Koreans became more willing to travel in the six-month period. While only 22.8 percent responded in May t

March 20, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Hadong Tea Festival The 24th Hadong Tea Festival will be held online from May 15 to 23. The organizers of the festival discussed canceling the annual event due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they decided to hold the festival to promote the 2022 Handong World Tea Expo. To prevent spread of the virus, this year‘s festival will mainly feature contactless online programs with limited offline activities held across Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province. To hel

March 19, 2021

Spring flowers expected to bloom at Joseon royal palaces and tombs starting Sunday

Spring flowers at the royal palaces and tombs are expected to bloom starting Sunday and continue to bloom until the end of May, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tomb Center said Friday. The expected start date is two to seven days earlier than last year, with the yellow flowers of the blunt-lobed spice bushes at Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung expected to start blooming Sunday and stay in bloom for two weeks. From mid-March to May, the four palaces of the Jose

March 12, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival The Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held online from April 1 to 16. The festival celebrates the legendary scholar Wang In from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 668). An envoy to Japan, it is said that Wang introduced the Chinese writing system to the Japanese. Online lectures, quizzes and trot music shows will take place as part of the festival. For more information, check the website at wanginfesta.com. Okcheon Seedling Festival The Okcheon Seedling

March 12, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival The Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival will be held from April 1 to 11. The annual spring festival went online last year due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. This year, the fesitval will be held both online and offline. The festival, usually held for three days, will be held over 11 days this year. Though the main festival area was the Jochiwon Station main street and along the Jocheon stream, it has been expanded across Sejong City this year to prevent overcrowdin

March 5, 2021

COVID-19 leads tourists outdoors

While the COVID-19 pandemic has nearly shattered the tourism industry around the world, it has sparked new changes to the domestic tourism scene. According to the Korea Tourism Organization’s big data platform (datalab.visitkorea.or.kr) which opened on Feb. 17, the number of visitors to other counties and cities in Korea went fell 18 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. However, some outdoor activity venues such as camping sites and parks near the Greater Seoul area, saw an increase of vi

Feb. 27, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Haeundae Light Festival The Haeundae Light Festival is being held across the Haeundae area in Busan. Light decorations have been installed at the iconic Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Market, creating a spectacular nighttime view. Outdoor events and hands-on experiences and activities, however, have all been canceled. The festival will continue until March 28.  Jeju Canola Flower Festival Welcoming spring, the Jeju Canola Flower Festival will open April 9. During the festival, canola

Feb. 26, 2021

[Eye Plus] Soraepogu, famous for fresh seafood, salted shrimp

Soraepogu Fish Market located in Namdong-gu, Incheon, is a popular tourist attraction in the metropolitan area with more than 8 million visitors a year. The fish market, located about 32 kilometers from Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, is the nearest mudflat to the capital. At the market, large and small fishing boats can be seen bringing in freshly caught seafood from off the coast of Incheon. The place is famous for shrimp, salted fish and blue crab. A 1.56 million square-meter Sorae Ecologic

Feb. 20, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is hosting its annual Lighting Festival until March 14. According to the Garden of Morning Calm, it is the first light festival in Korea to add lights to natural surroundings. The environment-friendly LED lights shine throughout the 330,000-square-meter garden. Admissions cost 9,500 won per adult, 7,000 won per middle and high school student, and 6,000 won per children.  Daegu Na

Feb. 19, 2021

[Eye Plus] A glimpse at a traditional Chinese garden in Suwon

Wolhwawon -- a traditional Chinese garden located in the center of Suwon, the largest city of Gyeonggi Province -- is open to the surrounding landscape, erasing boundaries between indoors and outdoors and offering visitors a taste of the Chinese way of life. Open since 2006, the garden, which is typical of 17th-century architecture in China’s southern Guangdong province, attracts residents looking to be with nature in the city and tourists searching for exotic experiences. Walls,

Feb. 6, 2021

[Eye interview] The unstoppable traveling chef

You are young, ready to plunge into life. You have plans, places to go, things to do. And boom, the walls close down on you. You are trapped. That is how young people around the world must be feeling in these pandemic times. For those on the cusp of full-blown adulthood, that delicious time of irrepressible youth and seemingly infinite possibilities, COVID-19 is a disruptor that has robbed them of the life that is rightfully theirs. The circumstances are no different for Lee Jeong-hyung wh

Feb. 5, 2021

[Eye Plus] Longing for home, close but far

Gyodongdo, an island in Incheon, west of Seoul, lies right below the western sea border with North Korea. Just 2 to 3 kilometers away from the North’s South Hwanghae Province and separated only by a stretch of water, it’s quite possible for visitors to get a peek at the reclusive nation with their own eyes.  The cross-border tensions have waxed and waned for decades since the separation of the two Koreas. But the small island is surprisingly calm -- longtime residents are busy

Jan. 30, 2021

Looking into a crystal ball

The Korea Tourism Organization has published two books on recent global tourism trends that suggest future developments for the local tourism industry. Like all others around the world, Korea’s tourism industry is facing perhaps the worst crisis in history due to the travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent survey of 500 tourism businesses by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 97.6 percent saw a drop in sales from January to September, year-o

Jan. 30, 2021

Culture Ministry selects 100 must-visit sites in Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization have announced the 100 Must-Visit Tourism Spots of Korea for 2021-2022. Fifty-one of the travel destinations on the list are natural attractions and 49 are cultural attractions, reflecting the demand for tourism related to history, culture and the liberal arts, the ministry said. A total of 19 spots have been selected five consecutive times since the biennial list was launched in 2013, including the five Joseon pa

Jan. 30, 2021

Mayfield Hotel Seoul offers ‘Wellness Forest’ package

The five-star Mayfield Hotel Seoul, located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is offering the Wellness Forest package for those looking to refresh, relax and recover. The package, available until mid-December, offers a one-night stay in a superior room and a variety of programs to help guests heal both body and mind. Breakfast that includes rocket juice, eggs and croissant is offered as room service, as well as a dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Bongraeheon or La Festa. Complimentary tea i

Jan. 24, 2021

KTO labels 2021 tourism trend BETWEEN

Korea Tourism Organization announced Wednesday, it labeled this year‘s domestic travel trends with the acronym BETWEEN, reflecting to the changes in the tourism industry sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The KTO, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, analyzed travel-related big data processed by social media, mobile carriers and credit card processing firms from January to August. Through the research, it was able to recognize how the tourism industry has been af

Jan. 16, 2021

Additional W594b in loans to be provided to tourism industry

South Korean tourism businesses that are suffering due to the pandemic will be eligible for additional loans from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A total of 594 billion won ($546.57 million) will be provided in the form of additional loans, while repayment may be deferred for 100 billion won worth of loans that are due next year. “We made changes by actively reflecting various feedback from the tourism industry, which is currently experiencing difficulties. We hope that th

Dec. 30, 2020

Double whammy: Forced to cancel, Airbnb guests denied full refunds

One of the most popular travel destinations for South Koreans in 2020 was Jeju Island, known for its wide-open spaces and natural surroundings, as an alternative to overseas travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Jeju Tourism Association, the number of visitors to Jeju Island dropped to around 500,000 in February and March, but soon began to rebound in April. Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said in an interview with the local daily Chosun Ilbo in June that Jeju Island was on

Dec. 27, 2020