Articles by Lee Si-jin
Lee Si-jin
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com-
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
Travel Feb. 16, 2024
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[Well-curated] LP cafe, Pinkfong Baby Shark pop-up store and action painting studio
A cup of coffee and music If you find yourself walking the Namsan trail to enjoy the last few weeks of winter, you may come across a small, serene cafe full of music and the aroma of coffee. With the motto "All you need is music and more coffee," Illuso Coffee has a selection of LP albums, turntables and music-related props. The cafe is located in a narrow building, so the space is not large, but if you climb the narrow stairs, there is seating space available up to the third floor. T
Culture Feb. 16, 2024
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[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
Travel Feb. 16, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 15, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 14, 2024
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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,
Travel Feb. 12, 2024
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Paju attractions open during Lunar New Year holiday
Paju, a city some 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, looks to attract visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday when many stores, restaurants and travel spots are closed. Tourist sites located near the banks of the Imjin River in Paju, including the Imjingak Peace Gondola, DMZ LIVE Experience Hall and Dokgae Bridge, will be open without any schedule changes. The gondolas will be free for those aged 80 or older. From Feb. 10 to 11, visitors can experience Korean traditional games for free. The Na
Culture Feb. 10, 2024
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[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
Travel Feb. 9, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 6, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 3, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 2, 2024
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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
Travel Feb. 2, 2024
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[Well-curated] Tribute to Fu Bao, travel back to '70s Seoul and quiet haven in city
Enjoy Everland’s Bao Haus For precious few chances left to make a special memory with Fu Bao, the first panda to be born in Korea, pay a visit to Bao Haus. Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -- opened Bao Haus, a Fu Bao-themed exhibition, on Jan. 20, ahead of the scheduled departure of Korea's favorite panda in April. Fu Bao is due to return to her ancestral home China. The indoor exhibition is located at the center of Everland, presenting
Culture Feb. 2, 2024
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[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
Travel Feb. 2, 2024
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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
Travel Jan. 31, 2024
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