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

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

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

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

Traces of literary figures remain in the rustic alleys of Seoul

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

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

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

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

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

 Among central Seoul’s gray concrete buildings, lies a 450-meter road lined with walls plastered with pictures of eccentric comic characters from stories that mesmerized Koreans for decades. 　Painted in vibrant colors, the walls on Zaemiro, meaning fun street, bring life to Korean comic characters that later become inspirations to many K-dramas. 　In the first section, visitors are welcomed by the characters from “The Palace,” a popular teen romance cartoon-turned-drama

Yangyang Salmon Festival The Yangyang Salmon Festival is taking place at the Yangyang Namdae Stream in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. The festival celebrates one of the city‘s famed specialties of the sea. The annual event is held in mid-October when the salmon return to spawn. The festival offers activities including salmon tasting, salmon rubbing and salmon ecology exhibitions. Visitors of all ages are welcome and admission is free. More information can be foun

Once serving as the first South Korean-made railway, the Gyeongchun Line delivered cargo, people and memories between Seoul and Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, for more than seven decades beginning 1939. The line terminated operations in 2010, but was reborn into a forest park a few years later.  Gyeongchun Line Forest Park is located in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul. The 6-kilometer-long park is divided into three sections. In the first section, visitors are welcomed with eye-catching murals, c

With the aim of boosting the presence of Ulleungdo as a global tourist destination for both local and global visitors in the next five years, the Korea Tourism Organization has joined hands with Ulleung County and Kolon Glotech, Inc., the KTO announced Friday. Ulleungdo, an island east of South Korea is 72.86 square kilometers in size, and has a population of about 10,153. The island is known for its well preserved natural environment along the coast and its geographic significance, overlookin

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival is taking place at the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, from Sept. 24-27. The festival celebrates Korea’s unique celadon, “buncheongsagi.” Programs promoting buncheongsagi, including cooking with buncheong ceramic pots and pottery making, will be available. 　　　 The event is free to visitors of all ages. More information can be found at festival.buncheong.net. Ro