"Do not be fooled, it is still Korea" 6 Exotic domestic destinations in Korea

If it is difficult to travel overseas for reasons such as cost and time, there is a good alternative.
How about looking for an exotic local tourist destinations in Korea?
The Korea Tourism Organization has selected six exotic tourist attractions as a recommended destination to visit in April.

The Mediterranean village at Asan city, Tangjeong-myeonDogo-myeon, in Chungcheongnam province has a blue-roof and pastel-tone fence.
This former vineyard was transformed with the architectural style of the Greek islands facing the Mediterranean Sea and southern France.
The alley with 64 buildings is divided into Santorini, Parthenon and Provencal areas.
There are workshops, restaurants and souvenir shops, and at night, the lighting of the Milky Way lights up the atmosphere.
There are about 3000 different kinds of plants from worldwide at flower Botanical Garden in Dogo-myeon, Asan city. Entering the large greenhouse, the red Begonia flower tunnel boasts a spring atmosphere along with pond gardens and maze gardens.

One of Seoul Itaewon's hidden attractions.
There are several halal food specialty shops in Korea's first Muslim Korean Muslim center in Seoul and its surroundings, creating an exotic atmosphere.
At the same time, old residential areas and alleys remained intact and very Korean.
The laundry and hairsalons that kept the town for a long time, and the new workshop and café which are new to it, make a harmonious blend.
It is a steep hill road. You can look down on Itaewon city center from roof top cafe or bar. There are a lot of interesting places around the road such as Itaewon antique furniture street where the atmosphere seems to have shifted Europe, and vinyl and plastic which enjoy analogue sound of LP and CD are nearby.

Ansan is the area where most foreigners live in Korea.
As of January 2019, about 86,000 people from 107 countries live in Ansan. Of these, 21,000 people from 57 countries live in Won gok-dong.
Won-gok-dong area has been designated as a special district of multicultural village in 2009 by recognizing this particularity.
The Ansan City World Cultural Experience Center is a place where you can experience the culture of more than 50 countries including China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Congo and Nigeria.
You can see about 1400 exhibits including musical instruments, dolls, masks and clothes.
An abundance of food is also an unforgettable experience of Ansan Multicultural Village.
There are 184 catering restaurants from various countries including China, Indonesia, Nepal, India and Vietnam centering on multicultural food streets.
62 of them are employing local professional chefs in accordance with the recommendation system for local cooks by the Ansan Residents Support Center.

In Chuncheon city, Gangwon province, Korean can feel the atmoshere of Ethiopia in East Africa.
It is thanks to Ethiopia Korean War Veterans Memorial located on the waterfront. It was a place to honor Ethiopian troops' work and sacrifice during the Korean War and shaped traditional Ethiopian houses.
Ethiopian culture such as coffee as well as dispatch process and battle record during Korean War can also be seen here. The Ethiopian house across the road is a café with Ethiopia theme dating from 1968 before the memorial was built.
The Emperor of Ethiopia sent the name of the cafe and the golden lion, which is the symbol of the imperial family, and sent the coffee beans from royal family until 74.

Daewongsa, located in Boseong, Jeonnam Province  is an opportunity to meet the Buddhist culture of Korea and Tibet.
Walking along the 5.5 km long cherry blossom ramp, you can see the exotic pagoda comes first. It is a Tibetan pagoda called 'Chorten'.
There is a harmony of white and white flag 'Tarchos' with a 15m high white magnificent Sumi Gwangmyung tower.
Opposite is the Tibetan Museum built in Tibetan style.
You can participate in Tibetan cultural experience or temple stay with your acquaintances.
The Bongseong-gun Baekmin Museum, Seo Jae-pil Memorial Park and Taebaek Mountains Literary Museum are within five minutes from Daewonsa Temple.

The German village in  Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam province is a town where Korea miners and nurses who left Germany in the 60s and 70s returned for retirement. More than 40 German-style buildings with white walls, orange tiles and roofs create an exotic landscape.
Korean German built traditional German-style houses with locally imported construction materials.
There are also many restaurants where you can taste German food such as German sausages, beer and bread.
A horticultural art village is located on the lower hill above German village.
The theme parks around the world was bulit in the area of about 163,500㎡ such as the French gardens emulate the gardens of the Versailles palace, Japanese gardens that blend rocks and stone, modern American gardens, and windmills in a stunning Dutch garden.

Tourist attractions with Free Admissions on Seollal(Korean lunar New Year's days).

Known as Seollal, Korean New Year is the first day of the lunar Korean calendar. It is the most important of the traditional Korean holidays.
During this national holidays, large number of places that charge admission fees open free of charge.
Here are places which open for free during Seollal to go with family, friends, and lovers.

The four ancient palaces in Seoul.
Gyeongbuk Palace, Changdeok Palace, Changgyeong Palace, Deoksugung Palace, etc. during the Lunar New Year holidays
These palaces open for free as well as Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tomb of Joseon.

Let's have a meaningful time feeling the ancient Korean dynasty's track on the occasion of the national holiday.

Period: February 2nd to February 6th

Visiting hours: vary by location

Highly recommended for family.

National Museum of Contemporary Art

National Museum that presents quality exhibitions opens for free during Seollal.
There are also events that give away calendars and free invitations on a first-come first-served basis.

Recommend if you want to have a quiet time away from a crowded place

Locations: Seoul Hall, Deoksugung Palace, Gwacheon Hall

February 4th to February 6th

Visiting hours: vary by location

Suggested for couple or solo

Suwon Hwaseong, Hwaseong Fortress

Admission is free on New Year's Day.

Why don't you walk through the castle road and reflect on your New Year's resolutions?.

Period: February 6th

Visiting time: 09:00~17:00

Suggested for family

Damyang Jungnogwon

Place where you can stroll through the forest and relieve your daily stress.
Damyang Jungnogwondo is famous for bamboo forest

It is open free on New Year's Day.

Period: February 6th

Visiting time: 09:00~18:00

Suggested for parents

Baekdudaegan Mountain Range arboretum

The National Baikon Arboretum offers free admission to visitors born in the Year of the Pig and family within 4 people and visitors wearing Hanbok on Seollal period.

It progress several traditional field works such as ice sledding and top-spinning game and write down your New Year's wishes and hanging on a rope.

Period: February 4th, February 6th (5th is closed)

Visiting time: 09:00~17:00

Recommended for family

Bonte Museum

The Natural History Museum, a famous place in Jeju offers free admission for children under 6th grade of elementary school only on New Year's Day.
Parensts can watch various art works and talk about art with their children.

Period: February 6th

visiting Time: 10:00~18:00

Suggested for children.

The west gate (yeongchumun) of Gyeongbokgung palace is finally open for visitors on December 6

Yeongchumun,the west gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace will be opened to public for the first time in 43 years.

The Gyeongbok Palace Officer of the Cultural Heritage Administration (Woo Kyung-joon) announced that the west gate of Gyeongbok Palace will be fully open from December 6th.
It is to enhance the convenience of visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace and Seochon area.

Yeongchumun was rebuilt in 1592 when the Gyeongbok Palace was destroyed by fire during the 1592 Imperial Japan War, and was rebuilt by Dae Won-kun.
In 1926, during the Japanese colonial period, the railway line was laid, and the surrounding masonry collapsed and was demolished. It was restored to its current shape in 1975.

Currently, there are three gates in Gyeongbok Palace including Gwanghwamun in the south, Shinmunmun in the north, and the entrance to the National Folk Museum in the east.
It will now be able to enter and exit from all direction, the East, West, South, North gate of Gyeongbokgung
The entrance time and admission fee (3,000 won) are the same as other entrance gates of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

On the opening day, December 6, at 11 am, 'Yeongchumun opening ceremony' will be held and the entrance to Gyeongbok Palace is free on this day.



The west gate of  Gyeongbokgung palace in early 1900

Korea holds the 3rd most powerful passport as citizens of South Korea can visit 188 countries without visa.

Japanese officially hold the world’s most powerful passport along with a tiny city-state Singapore followed by South Korea and a powerful EU nation, Germany and france.
As the passport index shows, Korea holds the 3rd most powerful passport as citizens of South Korea can visit 188 countries with or without visa.

USA Today unveiled the passport power index of more than 200 countries around the world, citing the '2018 Henley Passport Index' published by the UK consulting group Henry & Partners.
It is based on the number of countries that can travel without a visa, national recognition, and freedom level.

Japanese can visit 190 countries without a visa or arrival visa (visa issued upon arrival at the airport). Until last year, Singapore was in the top position but this month Japan took the top place by signing a non-visa agreement with Myanmar. Singapore ranks second with 189 countries.

"The passport index does not represent a diplomatic relationship, but it is clear that Asian countries are pursuing effective foreign policy," said Henry & Partners.

The Seoul City on 43rd anniversary edition of the fashion magazine 'Vogue Brazil'

The cover of the 43rd anniversary edition of the fashion magazine 'Vogue Brazil' featured world-renowned super model Alessandra Ambrosia in Seoul, one of cutting-edge city in the world.

On April 28, a photo from Vogue Brazil on the Instagram showed a surprise to Korean on the other side of the globe.

Vogue Brazil, along with photos, explained that "the exciting city of Seoul was an ideal city to commemorate our 43rd anniversary." The 40 pictures that were released on May 2 did not betray our expectations.
The people who flew 17,570 kilometers captured the streets of Seoul from the stranger's gaze.
The photographer Rafael Pavarotti did not look at Myeongdong or Namsan, which foreign tourists often visit.
Instead, the locals crowded around the Hongdae alley and the suburbs of a quiet temple to find an exotic impression in the frame.
The appearance of Seoul seen from the perspective of foreigners is felt very much to Korean who have a place of life here.

Three weeks after the release of the picture, Vogue Brazil talked about the behind-the-scenes footage in Seoul.
The cover model Alessandra expressed a great surprise by saying "It was more than I imagined". In particular, she said she was impressed with Korea's advanced technology development.
Alessandra, who is famous for the "Eternal Muses of Victoria Secret", is a model that is deeply related to Korea.
She worked as an advertising model for LG in Korea in 2010.
For 8 years since she went back to Brazil, things seemed changed quiet a lot in Korea.

"It was a really special experience to shoot at Wawoo temple."
Brazil vogue photographers who walked every corner of Seoul, such as fancy streets and five-star hotels, caught up with the unexpected place to grab a moment to be a art.
The Wawoo temple in Yongin City captivates the strangers with a unique mood.
Wawoo, a famous temple with a huge 'Budda statue' (8m high), is founded in 1970 by Seo Jae-ja, a Buddhist monk, to pray for the unification of North and South.
Alessandra and Vogue Brazil also built their own miniature stone statue here.

Koreans who have seen photos where the places of their everyday life become the background of the 'Hip' pictorial found it fresh and interesting. However, there were also voices pointing out that those who produced the pictures did not have a deep understanding of Korea.
It is as if the scene that seems to simulate the Harajuku of Tokyo is conspicuous.
Indeed, Vogue Brazil has expressed Hongdae Street as 'Korea's Harajuku' in the pictorial article. However, Hongdae street is distinctive in its own way so that it does not needed to be expressed by the name of another area.

Mount Sogeum Swinging Bridge and Museum San in Wonju, Gangwon Province

The government recently released recommended theme tourist course which inspired by scene from TV in Wonju, Gangwon Province to promote domestic travel industry.

The first course was a Mount Sogeum Swinging Bridge. It has never appeared in the drama, but after the installation, crowds rushed in and it was on TV news many times.
Sogeum Mountain means little Mt. Kumgang which is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea.   A 200m long, 1.5m wide walking suspension bridge, the largest in the country, has been completed and is open for public starting January 11. The bridge is part of the Sogeum Mountain hiking trail and spans a chasm between two peaks. 

A cafe terrace overlooking the museum's seminar room where coffee CF was made famous.

I came down from the mountain and got in the car, and the sun shone through the sky.
The Oak Valley, which I found in snowy winters two years ago, looked like another country.
The work of 'Museum San' by Ando Tadao, a world-renowned architect which stood in a lush new greenery, still remained.   Museum San was chosen as one of the tourist attraction for this TV inspired travel course because it was the location for the "Maxim Canoe Advertisement (CF) with actor Gong Yoo".

"Archway" by Alexander Liberman in the water garden at the front of the museum.

However, Museum San is a museum with a lot of content and collection that can not be complimented by a simple history of 'once appeared on TV'.
Ando said that the concept of the museum was designed based on the impression that it is "the cozyness surrounded by beautiful mountains and nature, which is free from the hustle and bustle of the city."
The museum conforms to the topography of the mountain and is composed of total lengh of 700-meter building that leads to the Welcome Center, Flower Garden, Water Garden, Main Building, Stone Garden, and James Terrell Gallery.
The 'Box in Box' 'Concept is in harmony with the surrounding nature.

Ferry from Incheon to Jeju which was discontinued after the "Sewol ferry disaster" will operate again in June 2019

A new operator has been decided recently and a thorough preparation for a safe waterway has begun.

Incheon Port has 12 passenger ship routes such as Baekryeong Island and Yeonpyeong Island, but the passenger ship connecting Incheon to Jeju Island has been stopped running for 4 years since the Sewol ferry incident in 2014.

Due to the constant request from Incheon and Seoul customers, a company operating a 'Pohang - Ulleungdo' route was selected as a new operator of 'Jeju route' ferry at Incheon port.

The Incheon port Office said that among the seven applicants, it was the only company with good financial stability and experience in operating passenger ships.

The company plans to operate ship of 24,000 tons class, which is 3.5 times bigger than "Sewol ferry", from June next year.
The ship which was built two years ago will carry 1,500 passengers and 120 vehicles and can travel 40 kilometers per hour.

As the interest in safety has been higher than ever before since the disaster, we need more thorough preparations such as the expansion of the pier and the safety of night driving.

DMZ which has been uninhabited for over 60 years, is becoming the ultimate heaven for endangered species

Otter, class 1 endangerd specie

The demilitarized zone (DMZ), which has been uninhabited for over 60 years, is becoming the ultimate heaven for endangered species and plants that are gradually disappearing in Korea.
This is why the ecological value of the DMZ, the outcome of the war, is getting new attention.

According to the "DMZ Biodiversity Comprehensive Report" published by the Ministry of Environment and the National Ecology Agency in 2016, which collected the results of ecological surveys conducted in the DMZ for more than 40 years since 1974, a total of 4873 species of wild animals and plants were found in DMZ area.
The surveyed area, the DMZ, is 1557 km 2, which accounts for only 1.6% of the Korean peninsula, but about 20% of the total Korean peninsula species (24,425 species) live here.

In particular, a total of 91 species of endangered species, including 16 species of endangered wildlife class I and 75 species of class ll, were found in the DMZ area. Currently, there are 267 species of endangered wildlife on the Korean peninsula, which means that 34% of them are now endangered species that are concentrated in the DMZ.
In particular, cranes and musk deer were found to live only in the DMZ area. The researchers analyzed that "because of the restricted accessibility of the public for the protection of military facilities and safety reasons, they provided a stable habitat for wild animals and plants."

Following pictures are some of major endangered species that have been identified as living in the DMZ.

Endangered species Class 1 cranes



Endangered Species Class 1 White-tailed sea eagle



Endangered Species Class 2 serpent

Endangered Species Class 2 giant water bug

Endangered Species Class 2 gobiobotia brevibarba

Endangered Species Class 2 slender shiner

Muslim tourists spotlighted as a new customer to fill in void left by Chinese tourists in Korea

Muslims tourists are attracting attention as new customer to fill vacancies in Chinese tourists who have been significantly decreased since the placement of the THAAD (high-altitude missile defense system) on the Korean Peninsula.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KITA) on Monday, about 870,000 Muslim tourists visited Korea last year.
It decreased 11.7 percent from the previous year (985,885) but increased 17.4 percent from 748,691 in 2015.

Considering that the number of foreign tourists (13.34 million) who visited Korea in 2017 decreased by 22.7% from the previous year, the decrease in Muslim tourists visiting Korea last year is not significant.

Most of the Muslims visiting Korea are tourists from Southeast Asia.

The number of Indonesian tourists visiting last year decreased by 21.9 percent to 23,387, while the number of Malaysian tourists decreased by 1.2 percent to 300,740.

Middle Eastern and North African account for less than 10% of the total number of Muslims visiting Korea while tourists from Indonesia and Malaysia which have a high percentage of Muslim population account for about 45% of the Muslims who visited Korea,
Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the proportion of middle east countries out of total Muslim tourists visited Korea is small, but the total expenditure per person is three to four times more than Southeast Asian Muslim tourists.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesian tourists spent an average of 849,282 won in Korea and 796,995 won for Malaysian, while tourists from UAE spent 246,8942 won and those from Saudi Arabia spent 3.157 million won per person on average.

In particular, many Saudi Arabia and UAE tourists are looking for Korea for high value-added medical tourism.

As of 2016, 31% of UAE tourists visiting the country and 13% Saudi Arabian tourists visited Korea for medical tourism.

Last year, Muslim tourists from the Middle East increased even though decline in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country overall.

The number of tourists from the Middle East last year was 217,538, up 12.4% from the previous year.

Tourists visited to Camp Greaves, filming Location of drama 'Descendants of the Sun' increased 4times in 3years

The Camp Greaves DMZ Experience Center, which was created by Gyeonggi Province using returned US military bases is gaining popularity among tourists.

Gyeonggi Tourism Corporation and Paju City revealed on Jan 25 that 23,116 tourists visited Camp Greaves last year.
It is more than four times the figure of 5,771 people in 2014, the first year of opening.
The number of visitors to 2015 is 11,993, and the number of visitors in 2016 is 17,128.

Camp Greaves is a returned US military base a couple of kilometres from the DMZ.

In real life, Camp Greaves was the base camp of US troops for years after the ceasefire agreement was signed by both North and South Korea.
The US military was stationed in 1953 and returned in 2007.

Gyeonggi Province, through the agreement with the Ministry of National Defense, was donated a portion of Camp Greaves site and open the existing facilities as various 'exhibition, culture, experience' space and opened on December 12, 2013.

The 4-story, 3,232㎡ US Army officer's residence is remodeled into a space that can accommodate a variety of experience programs, including barracks, military uniforms, and line-ups.

It is also the site for DMZ documentary film festival, a youth event, a workshop, as well as a family visiting place for nearby soldiers.

In 2016, it was spotlighted as a drama "Descendants of the Sun" shooting location.

Camp Greaves was a camp site of fictional country called 'Uruk' which is the background of the drama.

The Gyeonggi Tourism Corporation has improved this filming location to attract foreign tourists as the descendants of the sun became explosively popular in Asia including China since 2016.


In June of the same year, Paju city signed an agreement with a military army under the jurisdiction and designated it as a security sightseeing spot, expanding the number of visitors limited to 250 per day to 3,000.

The inconvenience of having to give advance notice 2 or 3 days before visit have also disappeared

Paju City will also set up gondola crossing the Imjin River as a public transportation in order to revitalize security tourism starting this year.
This project, linking Camp Grieves with Gondola, is scheduled to be completed by early next year.
Paju city expects the gondola to contribute significantly to achieving the goal of attracting 10 million tourists.