Busan releases new food guidebook

Busan on Friday announced that it updated the annual food-themed guidebook "2024 Taste of Busan." The food guide map, created by 10 food-related experts, including a city official in the hygiene department, a university professor, a columnist, a food influencer and more, recommends Busan's 144 must-visit restaurants. "2024 Taste of Busan" not only offers the restaurant's location, menu and prices, but also presents some of their recipes and renowned Busan-based chef

Feb. 16, 2024

Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival to charge admission for first time

The Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival, one of South Korea’s most favored spring flower events, will not be offered for free this year, opting instead to charge admission for the first time since its launch in 1997, the Gwangyang City Government, which organizes the event, said Thursday. According to the city in South Jeolla Province, admission for the upcoming festival now in its 23rd edition, will be 5,000 won for adults and 4,000 won for teenagers under 19 years old. The decision was made

Feb. 16, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

WE Hotel offers special discounts for wellness programs WE Hotel, a premium health resort located in Seogwipo, southern Jeju Island, began offering wellness programs with special discounts at its wellness center in February. A therapy session is offered at 100,000 won ($75) with a 67 percent discount. The hotel’s hydro program -- a signature wellness program using the natural volcanic bedrock water -- costs 100,000 won with a 44 percent discount as well. Meanwhile, WE hotel’s beauty

Feb. 16, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

‘Royal taste’ at Korea House Through February, Korea House in central Seoul is offering a “royal desserts” special. The traditional snacks associated with the Joseon era (1392-1910) include rice cakes and jeonggwa -- dessert prepared by boiling dried fruits like apples or edible plants like ginseng in honey. Citron stuffed with jujubes or pomegranates, also braised with honey, is also part of the assortment of royal desserts that are served with mandarin orange tea. A

Feb. 16, 2024

Visit Korea Year campaign

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday announced plans to attract both local and overseas tourists for the Visit Korea Year 2023-24 campaign, hoping to turn Korea into an Asian tourism powerhouse. The tourism campaign will not only be an opportunity to enjoy Korean culture, including food, K-pop, cosmetics and esports, but it will also be a chance to experience the lesser-known sides of the country in provincial areas and towns. One of the campaign's most notable programs

Feb. 15, 2024

Big discounts offered for Travel Month in March

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday announced March as this year’s Travel Month to promote local tourism with large-scale discounts on public transportation, accommodation and domestic tourism products. Travel Month is a promotion, first launched in June 2023, to meet rising public demand for travel after the lifting of social distancing measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. From Feb. 20 to March 31, a 30 to 50 percent disco

Feb. 14, 2024

Lotte World Adventure opens Valentine’s Day-themed events

Lotte World Adventure, one of the most popular theme parks in South Korea, said it's presenting romantic Valentine's Day-themed events for first-time visitors as well as returning lovers. The theme park, located in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, announced Monday that the entrance gate to Magic Island, featuring the sky blue roof -- will turn into an interactive photo zone with moving backdrops on Valentine's Day, Wednesday. When visitors stand in the photo zone and strike a pose,

Feb. 12, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

The Plaza offers esports-themed promotion Hanwha Resorts’ The Plaza, located in Jung-gu, central Seoul, will soon launch a League of Legends-themed promotion for guests looking to experience Korean esports. LoL is one of the most popular competitive multiplayer video games around the world, and Hanwha sponsors Hanwha Life Esports, a Korean LoL team. The package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room, two tickets for an HLE live match and merchandise created as part of a collaboration b

Feb. 9, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Ansan Star Village Marking its 10th anniversary this year, a light festival that runs year-round in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, is perfect for those seeking a break from the noise of city life. An 8,000 won entrance fee is all it takes to make a tranquil escape to Ansan Star Village. The park, which includes a garden and animal installations, opens from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., with the lights turned on every day at 5 p.m. from November through February. Admission is priced at 5,000 won for grade sc

Feb. 9, 2024

Everland beckons Lunar New Year holidaymakers

Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -- is offering special events ranging from fireworks to hands-on traditional and cultural activities during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. Celebrating the Year of the Blue Dragon, Everland offers good luck message cards to all visitors at Everland’s Butterfly Garden and Carnival Square. The cards feature animation characters wishing health, happiness, love, bravery, wealth and more, allowing the visitors

Feb. 6, 2024

Travel back in time at retro destinations

Korea is not known for preserving its modern history, but there are still places where you can get a taste of 20th-century Korea. The Korea Tourism Organization this month recommended several travel destinations outside of Seoul that might evoke nostalgia among older travelers and entertain younger people with a time travel-like experience. Dongkwang Cinema in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province Located in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, Dongducheon has long been famous as a US military bas

Feb. 3, 2024

Iksan offers cheap bus tours

This year may be the best time to tour around Iksan, an UNESCO World Heritage city, as the city presents an affordable bus tour service starting from February. Celebrating the Visit Iksan 2024 campaign, the city -- some 190 kilometers south of Seoul in North Jeolla Province -- offers three different bus tours for 2,000 won. The circular type bus tour operates on weekends and holidays, from 9:50 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Departing from Iksan Station, the bus visits the city’s popular tourist destin

Feb. 2, 2024

First foreigners-only casino in 19 years to open on Saturday

The first foreigners-only casino in almost two decades is set to open on Saturday in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. Mohegan Inspire Resort, the integrated entertainment resort that will house the casino, confirmed its opening on Friday. The resort, Incheon's latest landmark, got its license from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Jan. 23 to open a new foreigners-only casino in South Korea for the first time in 19 years. Mohegan Inspire Resort’s casino is considered the country&rsqu

Feb. 2, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Haevichi Hotel and Resorts unveils Lunar New Year gifts Haevichi Hotel and Resorts is offering new, limited-edition gift sets for the upcoming Lunar New Year's holiday. The sets include pine mushrooms, abalone in soy sauce, perilla oil bibim sauce and a hanwoo sukiyaki meal kit, handpicked by the chefs at Haevichi restaurants. Hanwoo refers to premium Korean beef. The Lunar New Year's gift sets are available on Haevichi’s official website. Gift sets can be ordered in person or by

Feb. 2, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Strawberries, tomatoes at Yulbom At Yulbom, a botanical garden in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors can pick strawberries. Visitors have 30 minutes to pick up to 1 kilogram of strawberries at the daily market price, which is charged on top of the 5,000-won entrance fee. Making strawberry jelly or jam costs 15,000 won for a 600-milliliter bottle and a 500-gram jar of jam. Tomato picking is priced at 15,000 won for 1.2 kilograms, and making tomato gochujang, a Korean fermented chili paste,

Feb. 2, 2024

Culture Ministry, KTO to focus on experiential programs for young foreign travelers

Making Korea a tourism powerhouse and a sought-after travel destination among young overseas travelers will be the focus of Korea Tourism Organization this year. In a press conference with Korea Tourism Organization officials and 31 directors of the KTO’s overseas offices in central Seoul on Tuesday, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon highlighted the importance of creating eye-catching tourism products and hosting exciting local festivals that allow travelers to truly experien

Jan. 31, 2024

KTO signs MOU for smartphone payment services

Chinese tourists will be able to enjoy more Alipay Plus-related travel and payment options starting in early February, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. Lee Hak-ju, executive vice president of the KTO's international tourism division, signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 24 with his Alipay Plus counterpart Chung Hyung-kwon -- general manager of South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- at KTO Seoul Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Under the deal, two companies will promote smart

Jan. 27, 2024

Embrace Pyeongchang’s winter beauty at Samyang Roundhill

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Pyeongchang, a popular summer getaway for families and friends who wish to escape the unrelenting heat, beckons even more holidaymakers in winter. Winter is also the season when Samyang Roundhill, among many farms and ski slopes here, becomes a go-to destination with its iconic wind turbines and seemingly unending snow-covered open grassland. While a number of programs -- including taking care of calves, border collies herding sheep and feeding sheep and ostriche

Jan. 27, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Rides & farm at E-World At E-World in Daegu, a one-day pass at a cost of 49,000 won, the most expensive of the ticket options, gives visitors access to everything they might want in a theme park, from attractions and a cinema to a farm and a park. Attractions include classics like go-karts, roller coasters, monorail tours and merry-go-rounds. Arcade games and a cinema, as well as periodic parades to entertain younger guests, are also available. There is even a farm and a park for alpacas

Jan. 26, 2024

Sejong Light Festival to be extended until mid-February

Light installations, lamps and lanterns for the Sejong Light Festival will stay in place through Feb. 18, giving people more time to enjoy the luminous nightscape of Sejong City. Though the 2023 Sejong Light Festival was initially scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2023, Sejong had extended the annual light festival until Jan. 14. Recognizing the growing popularity of the festival, the city chose to extend the festival once again. “With the extended schedule, more Sejong residents and visit

Jan. 23, 2024