Apr 19, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Hanbok for foreigners at Coex AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding an event where foreign visitors can try on hanbok, free of charge. The event is held from Monday through Friday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Garden of Korea in the aquarium. It is a year-round event that is available exclusively to foreigners.Hanbok is the Korean traditional clothing, and garments available at the event are styled after those worn by royals of Joseon era.For more information on Coex Aquarium in Korean, English, Chines

Apr 19, 2019

Journeying across scattered islands off Taean

The West Sea is famous for islands scattered across the coast, like breadcrumbs enticing seagulls. The 114 islands off the coast of Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Province, are a typical example. Featuring a natural habitat that has remained free from human touch for the most part, each island boasts its own unique characteristics. There is no train connection, so visitors have to either drive or take a bus to the coastal town. If you are traveling from Seoul, buses are available at the Central Ci

Apr 16, 2019

Jeju Island gets Southeast Asian media attention

In March, Southeast Asian media flocked to Jeju Island on multiple occasions. One was a visit by Malaysian singer Wany Hasrita to film her new music video. During a five-day stay in mid-March, videographers captured the beauty of the island, including the canola flowers of Sanbangsan, Seopjikoji and Woljeongri Beach. In the video the singer wore hanbok, traditional Korean clothing, rented from a local shop called Miya’s Closet. Net.TV Indonesia crew members pose for photos in hanbok. (The Planet

Apr 13, 2019

[Photo News] Korea colored in pink with cherry blossoms

Spring has finally arrived in Korea, with cherry blossoms forming pink clouds above streets. The Yeouido area in western Seoul is a popular destination for enjoying cherry blossoms, especially Yunjung-ro, a 1.7-kilometer road lined with cherry trees. The annual Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival attracts a large number of visitors each year. (Yonhap) (Yonhap) (Yonhap)Another must-visit spot is Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul. Though it is not as densely populated with cherry trees as Ye

Apr 12, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Tulip Festival (1)Everland is hosting its Tulip Festival until April 28 to mark the onset of spring. Its themed garden features sculptures and paths adorned with beautiful spring flowers. There is also a photo zone featuring the 26-meter-tall Flower Magic Tower. As night falls, visitors can enjoy the LED Musical Rose Garden with light-emitting diode roses of various colors, accompanied by music.Refer to the official website, www.everland.com, for more information in Korean, English, Jap

Apr 5, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Tulip Festival Everland is hosting a Tulip Festival until April 28 to mark the onset of spring. Its themed garden features sculptures and paths adorned with beautiful spring flowers. There is also a photo zone featuring the 26-meter-tall Flower Magic Tower. As night falls, visitors can enjoy the LED Musical Rose Garden with light-emitting diode roses of various colors, accompanied with music.Refer to the official website, www.everland.com, for more information in Korean, English, Japane

Mar 29, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Tulip Festival Everland is hosting the Tulip Festival until April 28 to mark the onset of spring. Its themed garden features sculptures and paths adorned with beautiful spring flowers. There is also a photo zone featuring the 26-meter-tall Flower Magic Tower. As night falls, visitors can enjoy the LED Musical Rose Garden with light-emitting diode roses of various colors, accompanied with music.Refer to the official website, www.everland.com, for more information in Korean, English, Japa

Mar 29, 2019

Paradise City resort opens theme park

The Paradise City resort in Incheon said Wednesday that it is opening a theme park featuring media arts, eateries and other attractions.Wonder Box will be a nighttime amusement park within Paradise City with a look befitting its name -- created through media facades and interactive media in a joint effort with the Moment Factory studio. Wonder Box / Paradise CityIts dessert lineup will include Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong’s first store in South Korea.The moonlit Luna Carnival is an event

Mar 29, 2019

Everland rediscovers identity as ‘eco park’

The Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has vowed to reinvent itself as an “eco park” by fully utilizing its rich botanical gardens, launching new programs with its infrastructure such as the Speedway motor track.Leading the way is the newly created Plum Blossom Trail, opening Friday.  The EverlandSpanning 33,000 square meters, it is the biggest botanical garden in the park’s history. It boasts some 700 plum trees of over 11 different species, scattered among 10,000 trees and color

Mar 25, 2019

Seoul hosts tours at royal palaces

Royal palaces of the Joseon era (1392-1910) will hold limited tours, with Deoksugung inviting guests to see inside its buildings and Changdeokgung holding its annual nighttime tour.From Wednesday to Sunday, and on April 2, tours of Deoksugung’s five main buildings will be held twice a day from 10 a.m. to 11:20 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 5:20 p.m., according to the Cultural Heritage Administration.Deoksugung was originally built as a home for the royal family, but became a palace after a Japanese invasi

Mar 22, 2019

A family getaway at Haeundae, Busan

Although not a traditional resort town, Busan has the ABCs of a quick weekend getaway: the accommodations, the beach, and celebrated tourist attractions that are accessible by public transportation.The great thing about Busan is that it is big enough to have something for everyone -- from 24-hour bars and super clubs to scenic walking trails. One major attraction is the beach at Haeundae, one of the most popular sites in the city of 4 million. Located in the southeast part of the city, it has on

Mar 22, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Tulip Festival Everland hosts its Tulip Festival to mark the onset of spring, running until April 28.The themed garden features sculptures and paths adorned with beautiful spring flowers, with one of the photo zones featuring the 26-meter-tall Flower Magic Tower. As night falls, the unique LED Musical Rose Garden can be enjoyed, where LED roses are lit in various colors, accompanied with dynamic background music.Refer to the official website -- www.everland.com -- for more information i

Mar 20, 2019

Germany holds exhibitions, events to commemorate Bauhaus centenary

Bauhaus, the early 20th century German crafts and fine art school, will be commemorated this year through a number of special exhibitions and events around the country.According to the German National Tourist Board, the marketing theme for 2019 is celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the institute formally called the Staatliches Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919. Last year‘s German tourism theme was “culinary Germany.”“We believe that Bauhaus is a crucial heritage in Germ

Mar 15, 2019

[Weekender] Itaewon: Present and future

Will expat-friendly neighborhood retain charm in wave of gentrification?