Boryeong Mud Festival offers therapeutic tourism at beauty and wellness center

Boryeong Mud Festival, one of South Korea’s most celebrated summer events, presents therapeutic experiences for festivalgoers with its mud-themed beauty and wellness center for the first time. The festival is an extravaganza of mud, first held in 1988 at Daecheon Beach along Korea's west coast, in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. Many holidaymakers enjoy the summer event not only to experience the dynamic, mud-themed activities -- mud slides, an air bounce, mud yachting and more

July 19, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Westin Josun Seoul presents summer Champagne promotion The Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, central Seoul, offers two Champagne promotions to celebrate the summer season. The Ninth Gate presents two bottles of Champagne with truffle fries for four guests. The restaurant offers Moet & Chandon Imperial and a bottle of the guests’ choosing among Taittinger Reserve Brut, Champagne Drappier Carte D’Or Brut and Louis Roederer Collection 243. The weekday dinner promotion is priced at 250,

July 19, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Water festival in Busan Water gun battles, slides and fully air-conditioned shelters -- perfect for parents to unwind while their children splash about -- are summertime attractions found at LetsRun Park in Busan. Every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 25, performances such as magic shows will take place at the water festival. Visitors can enter at two time slots, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Check the latest at park.kra.co.kr. Petite France in Gapyeong Petite Franc

July 19, 2024

Stargazing tours in August

With this year’s monsoon season expected to end in the last week of July, star-themed night tours are set to entertain holidaymakers with the clear skies that follow heavy rains. Hongseong Culture and Tourism Foundation is scheduled to hold two separate nighttime tours on Aug. 9 and 10. The tour on Aug. 9 will take place at Hoengseong National Soop Che Won in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, in which participants till take a light stroll and make ambient lights. The tour on Aug. 10 is set to

July 18, 2024

Everland presents perks on rainy days

Everland, the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, offers its visitors an opportunity to enjoy the theme park regardless of unexpected downpours. For those who visit the theme park when more than 20 mm of rain hits the region, Everland presents a free ticket to visit the theme park again, according to Samsung C&T, the theme park operator. The tickets are distributed through Everland’s smartphone application, and visitors must sign up for the

July 15, 2024

[Graphic News] Foreign tourists spend average of 6 days, W2.84m in Seoul

Foreign tourists in Seoul spend an average of 2.84 million won during a six-day stay, according to a recent survey conducted by the city government and the Seoul Tourism Organization. These figures show an increase of 958,000 won and nearly one additional day compared to 2019. The survey attributes the rise in tourist spending and extended stays to a greater number of visitors from Europe and the Americas. In 2023, tourists from the Americas accounted for 12.4 percent of visitors, up from 7.7

July 15, 2024

Culture Ministry, KTO launches new food tourism promotion

With the aim to promote its rich culinary culture and South Korea as a food tourism destination, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization have launched the “Taste Your Korea” campaign. Aside from always satisfying street foods in the vein of gimbap and tteokbokki, popular Korean dishes like bibimbap -- typically made with rice, an array of vegetables, beef and savory bibimbap sauce -- and Korean-style fried chicken are among the 33 delicacies hig

July 13, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Water festival at Korean Folk Village A water festival at Korean Folk Village is a way to try something old and new at the same time as visitors play with water guns, watch performances and craft shell bracelets. “A Flash of Water in Dry Sky” will run for two months through Aug. 25 at the village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The village is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, closing three hours later Friday-Sunday. Entrance fees are discounted for some. Check out more d

July 12, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Legoland Korea Resort presents Chuncheon tour package Legoland Korea Resort in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, offers a new promotion “Chuncheon Discovery” to enjoy a hotel stay at the theme park and take a closer look at the beautiful city. The package, available until Sept. 11, includes a one-night stay, free breakfast for two adults, three children and three tickets for Samaksan Mountain Lake Cable Car, where tourists can enjoy the country’s longest cable car course crossing Ch

July 12, 2024

[Graphic News] Suncheon garden, wetland lead tourist sites in visitor count

Suncheonman Bay National Garden and Suncheonman Wetland emerged as Korea's most visited tourist attractions last year, according to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. The report, which tracked visitor numbers at 2,752 leading travel destinations nationwide, revealed that these sites attracted 7,781,426 visitors in 2023. This marks a significant rise from their ninth-place ranking in 2022 when they welcomed 2,673,152 visitors.

July 12, 2024

Korail presents trips to North Gyeongsang Province's forests

Korail Tourism Development, a subsidiary of the Korea Railroad Corp., has unveiled five train trips to North Gyeongsang Province’s popular "forest bathing" spots for travelers. The recommended destinations are for those who wish to take a break from urban life and take a brief refuge in a lush forest, according to the company. Tourists headed to Pohang, a coastal city located in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province, can enjoy a two-day trip featuring forest therapy at Naeye

July 9, 2024

Free child-friendly water attractions offer escape from city heat

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and other local governments have opened free water attractions for youngsters to beat the summer heat without traveling far from home. Jungnang-gu, a district in eastern Seoul, opened the Jungnang Water Park, Sinnae Park water playground and a water attraction at Bongsudae Park in early July. Set to operate through Aug. 18, the water play areas are open to children under the age of 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. For safety reasons, they are closed

July 8, 2024

Jeju Tourism Organization unveils haenyeo experience package

The Jeju Tourism Organization is offering a “2024 Haenyeo Village Stay in Gimnyeong,” a three-day trip to the island to experience life as Jeju haenyeo, starting from July 19. Haenyeo, which roughly translates to “women of the sea,” are free-diving seafood gatherers who can hold their breaths for long periods as they harvest from the sea floor. According to the organization, travelers can not only get a chance to wear haenyeo’s equipment for a short period of time,

July 5, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Water festival at Everland Join revelers toting colorful water guns at Everland, as the country’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, hosts a water festival. “Water Stellar” takes place at Carnival Square through Aug. 25, with water splashing, squirting and fighting reaching a peak twice a day, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., as Everland actors put on a performance. Bring water guns, shoes, a towel and extra clothes, but be advised that there are no changing rooms. Check

July 5, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Seoul unveils Armani Beauty-themed dining menu The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, is offering a menu created in collaboration with Armani Beauty. Guests can take a stunning gastronomic journey at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone which is offering a unique dinner course that is inspired by the Armani Prive Les Eaux collection. Starting with Blini, Cornerstone offers sea bass crudo, spaghetti cacao e pepe, lamb ribs and a citrus carpaccio. The prom

July 5, 2024

Korea's beaches ready for summer vacationers

With South Korea’s daytime temperature rising to 33 Celsius or higher, the country's sandy beaches and open ocean are scheduled to greet summer vacationers with various festivals and water-themed activities. Gyeongpo Beach, the biggest beach along the east coast that attracts an average of 6.5 million tourists each summer, already kicked off its summer season with the Gangneung Beach Beer Festival on Saturday. Located in eastern Gangneung, Gangwon Province, the beach was visited by al

June 30, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Night stroll at Sejong arboretum The Sejong National Arboretum in the central city of Sejong offers admission at half price for those visiting in the evening. Between 6 p.m. and 9:30 pm. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 12, visitors will find performances of gugak, traditional Korean music, and a chamber orchestra, as well as flea markets. Tickets are priced at 2,500 won for adults. The first 500 entrants will be given lanterns. Check the latest performance schedule at sjna.or.kr. S

June 28, 2024

[Drama Tour] Relaxing weekend trip to Yangju

YANGJU, Gyeonggi Province -- One popular way to create an interesting plotline in Korean drama series is by depicting the changes and growth of a lead character since their countryside move to Seoul. Ranging from “When the Camellia Blooms” (2019), a hit drama set in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, to “Welcome to Samdal-ri,” (2023) which heavily features Jeju Island, Korean dramas offer a great window of opportunity for provincial governments to promote their cities and

June 22, 2024

Caribbean Bay opens water attractions earlier than expected

Caribbean Bay water park at Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park, announced it will fully open in June, running all its iconic water attractions three weeks earlier than expected. According to the resort division of Samsung C&T which runs Everland and Caribbean Bay, the decision was made after recognizing the recent early heat and a sharp rise in attendance. While the water park’s Adventure Pool -- a beloved attraction where the guests can enjoy the outpour of 2.4 metric to

June 21, 2024

Celebrated bartender presents unique cocktail experience on June 26

Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, looks to attract prominent cocktail lovers with a one-time guest bartender invitation event at the hotel’s premium vinyl music bar, The Timber House, on June 26. The upcoming event invites renowned bartender Choi Won-woo -- a 2019 bartender competition World Class Korea champion -- to showcase three of his special cocktails. While “miracle morning” presents pure American aloe scent with spiciness, “after sweating&rdquo

June 21, 2024