Gyeongju blends old with new

Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC–935 AD) in today's North Gyeongsang Province in the southeastern Korean Peninsula, is sometimes called a “roofless museum” for its centuries-old temples, palaces, royal tombs and treasures scattered around different areas of the city. With great accessibility to Silla’s legacy along with a blend of nature, history and culture, the city enjoys a reputation among Koreans as a must-visit tourist destination. The

Nov. 23, 2024

Culture ministry, KTO to focus on barrier-free tourism

Turning South Korean cities into a barrier free, mobility-friendly tourist destination will be one of the major objectives of Korea Tourism Organization next year. According to the KTO, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the travel organization will be accepting applications from metropolitan cities and local governments that are aimed to improve convenience for tourists, starting from Friday to Jan. 16. KTO is scheduled to name a third barrier-free tourism area, following Gangneung

Nov. 22, 2024

[Photo News] Winter at Legoland Korea Resort

From Friday to Christmas Day, Legoland Korea Resort -- a theme park in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province -- will be holding its seasonal winter festival, “Merry Brickmas.” The event features musical performances, lighting ceremonies for a 9-meter Lego Christmas tree, special quests for visitors, and the new Holiday Snow Play and Bricktopia Lounge attractions. Musical shows featuring Legoland mascots Mike and Amy will take place twice a day at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Ninjago Theater, while

Nov. 22, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul presents enchanting Christmas cakes Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, a serene retreat on the slopes Namsan in central Seoul, is offering four decadent Christmas cakes from Dec. 14 to 25. Indulge in the signature Noel C’est la Vir, a pistachio and berry creation that tastes as delightful as it looks. Vanilla lovers will swoon over the Noel Fraise, featuring custard cream and strawberries. For chocolate aficionados, the Neige is a rich pairing of cassis and

Nov. 22, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Mums at Jeju Folk Village Find fields of chrysanthemums at their peak at Jeju Folk Village, where visitors can also get an idea of how life on the island looked in the 19th century. Flower installations make for a perfect setting to take a few snaps. The flower festival ends on Sunday. Admission for adults is 15,000 won, discounted for seniors, teens and children. Visit jejufolk.com for more information. Light festival at Ansan Star Village A light festival is running year-round in Ans

Nov. 22, 2024

Explore last-minute fall getaways in Danyang

With South Korea experiencing sudden cold snap, the next few weeks will be your last chance for a fall getaway. If you missed this year’s fall foliage you might still catch a glimpse at Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, where the traces of autumn have yet to disappear. Hikers can explore Guinsa, the head temple of Cheontae Buddhism, or Sobaeksan, a popular mountain located in eastern Danyang. The trails in both places are steep in many areas and will have hikers out of breath as they ma

Nov. 21, 2024

With 'Suneung' discounts, theme parks eye influx of high school seniors

South Korea's iconic theme parks are offering large discounts for this year’s Suneung-takers, looking to lure high school seniors and graduates looking to shake of some exam stress. This year's suneung, South Korea’s college scholastic aptitude test, took place on Nov. 14. The theme parks have begun their annual promotions aimed at test-takers looking to destress and celebrate their hard work. Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -

Nov. 18, 2024

Hallasan to welcome visitors now without trail reservations

Hallasan, the highest mountain on Jeju Island and in South Korea, is scheduled to launch a reservation-free period for its popular mountain trails, including Gwaneumsa Trail and Seongpanak Trail, starting from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27. Jeju’s provincial government and Hallasan National Park has been limiting the number of hikers for the two Hallasan mountain trails -- a maximum of 500 and 1,000 visitors a day for Gwaneumsan Trail and Seongpanak Trail, respectively -- to ensure the travelers&rsqu

Nov. 17, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Moonlight walk by Nowon stream Take a nighttime walk along Danghyeoncheon, a stream in Nowon-gu, Seoul -- a path adorned with installations. The free annual festival invites visitors to think about “breath” this year as they view works by 24 teams of installation artists, including two teams from Taiwan. The stream, between Sanggye Station on Subway Line No. 4 and Junggye Station on Subway Line No. 7, will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday. For more information, visit

Nov. 15, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Pink muhly at Hueree The Pink Muhly Festival is running at Hueree Park on Jeju Island through Nov. 17. Relish in the shining pink muhly grass -- a tall, flowering variety known for its mauve-hued inflorescences. Admission costs 13,000 won for adults with discounts available for those younger and those participating in group tours. For more information, go to hueree.com. Autumn colors at Hwadam The Autumn Colors Festival is taking place at Hwadam, a botanical garden bursting with fall f

Nov. 8, 2024

Everland unveils hidden ginkgo tree forest

YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province -- Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is known for its thrilling rides and much-loved animals like the Bao panda family. But if you need another reason to visit Everland, the park's unique fall foliage is open to public visitors for the first time. The theme park's latest attraction is a 14.5-million-square-meter ginkgo tree area named For Rest, considered the largest colony of ginkgo trees in Korea. But this

Nov. 6, 2024

KTO to publish foreign language e-book on Korean food, ingredients

Stories about popular regional cuisines, ingredients and liquors will be published in Korean and foreign languages in an e-book titled "Taste Your Korea," according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The e-book, to be published in collaboration with the leading Korean comic artist and foodie Huh Young-man, will be released by the end of the year. Huh is best known for his mega-hit comic, “Sik Gaek,” (2002-2010) and is the host of the food reality show “Huh Young-man&r

Nov. 5, 2024

Local food festivals enjoy unexpected popularity as snacks go viral

Local festivals in Korea on the theme of bunsik, Korean light meals and snacks, are enjoying unprecedented success, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors in recent weeks. Although the festivals were held in cities 2-3 hours by car from the Seoul metropolitan area, where half of the Korean population lives, some cities saw visitor numbers similar to their whole populations as the events went viral online. The 1st Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, held at Samyeongdaesa Park in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsa

Nov. 4, 2024

Klook launches rural tours for inbound tourists

Hoping to make rural travel for tourists from overseas more convenient, global travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook is launching a new product, Klook Private Taxi Tours, on Monday. The travel platform’s real-time express bus booking and payment service -- only available for foreign tourists -- opened in January this year. Its new taxi tour promotion is set to benefit vacationers who face difficulties hiring private vehicles to access tourist destinations in rural sites off the beat

Nov. 3, 2024

Medongaule: Garden of all gardens

YANGPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Gardens are a place of serenity. The Gardens of Medongaule -- formally “Les Jardins de Medongaule,” a garden complex scheduled for full opening next year -- are no exception. Even more, the sheer size of the gardens will leave you awestruck. The compound of Medongaule, meaning a valley (gaule) of bindweed (medon), spans some 200,000 square meters. That’s roughly the size of Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul. Medongaule is divided into two main gard

Nov. 2, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Geoje Island Flower Festival The free flower festival will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday at the Geoje Agricultural Development Institute, which also serves as a theme park in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. Over 100 different types of chrysanthemums and 250 kinds of camellias will be showcased. Artworks like paintings and photos shedding light on the region will be on exhibit as well. Check out the latest at geoje.go.kr. Pink Muhly Festival Admire the shining pink muhly g

Nov. 1, 2024

KTO names best public campgrounds of 2024

The Korea Tourism Organization unveiled a list of 20 top public campgrounds of 2024 to promote the excellence of the country’s public campsites and continue to develop sustainable camping cultures across the country. The public camping grounds were recommended by the provincial, city governments and public institutions and they were organized and evaluated in four categories -- family-friendly, pet-friendly, eco-friendly area and barrier-free. The campsites were assessed once again with th

Oct. 31, 2024

103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul

Seoul City introduced 103 streets and trails where pedestrians can enjoy the fall foliage of around 70,000 deciduous varieties, including maple, ginkgo, cherry and metasequoia trees. The list revealed last Wednesday introduces well-known fall foliage spots such as Deoksugung-gil along the wall of Seoul’s Deoksugung, Songpanaru Park around Seokchon Lake in southern Seoul and Ansan Trail in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, as well as routes for a brief stroll in nearby residential areas. The t

Oct. 28, 2024

[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country

With its last course -- an 11.4-kilometer trail connecting Unification Security Park in Goseong, Gangwon Province and Goseong Unification Observatory in Goseong, Gangwon Province – having opened Sept. 23, the entire 4,500-kilometer-long Korea Dulle Trail that traces the perimeters of South Korea along the eastern, southern, western coasts and the border area of the Demilitarized Zone in the north is now open. The trail is a great way to discover and experience the country with your feet fi

Oct. 26, 2024

[Photo News] Sacheon Airshow paints autumn sky

The annual Sacheon Airshow, a major air show in the country's southern region, kicked off Thursday with an opening ceremony featuring flybys by the Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team. Co-hosted by the South Korean Air Force, Sacheon city government and Korea Aerospace Industries, the four-day air show is held at an air base in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Spectators can enjoy the showcase of military aircraft, including demonstration flights of the homegrown KF-21 fighter

Oct. 25, 2024