Music Village 1939 is a music complex built on 38,000 square meters of land where the former Gapyeong station was located, connecting Seoul and the small town of Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province.  The complex, which is designed to host musical and other cultural performances, is also widely known for hosting the country’s biggest annual jazz festival, Jarasum International Jazz Festival. The complex comprises of several buildings that house concert halls, a cinema, guest residences,

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival This year, the 42nd Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival will be held online, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Every spring, the sea around Jindo opens up, exposing a 2.8-kilometer-long stretch of sand that connects two islands in the area. The gravitational phenomenon draws numerous visitors to the small island in South Jeolla Province. 　 The annual festival was canceled last year due to the virus pandemic. This year, it will be held online with the sea road op

WWOOF offers glimpse into local culture of Korea amid COVID-19 era

Though the arrival of vaccines has recently boosted hopes for international travel, the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute expects domestic tourism will continue to be strong in the post-pandemic era. Last year, the number of international tourists across the world decreased by 74 percent from the year before, dropping to a point similar to that of the 1990s, according to the World Tourism Organization. On Thursday, the KCTI shared a report written by its official, Choi Gyeong-eun, titled

Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival The 25th Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival is to open May 5. Every year, the city of Jeonju holds a hanji festival, celebrating the legacy of traditional handmade paper. In concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the festival will be held both offline and online for a month. The online part of the festival will feature lectures, contests, hands-on activities related to hanji, spanning over three weeks. In early June, the festival will wrap up wit

Hwadam Botanic Garden　 Hwadam Botanic Garden is to open its doors for the 2021 season Friday. The eco-friendly arboretum located at Konjiam Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, about an hour’s drive from central Seoul, is spread across 65,265 square meters, featuring 17 gardens with different themes. This year, the park will receive visitors who first make reservations online to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Hwadam Botanic Garden will remain open until late November.

Tired of the busy city life and in need of a moment’s refreshment? Seoul Dream Forest is the place to go.  The 665,190-square-meter park in Seoul’s Gangbuk-gu is the fourth-biggest park in the capital -- after World Cup Park, Olympic Park and Seoul Forest. It offers the possibility of a peaceful walk. The vast expanse of nature is well-managed, and the facilities are well-placed to add convenience and enjoyment to the walk.  A concert hall and an exhibition building offe

Discover the beauty of South Gyeongsang Province on foot 　

A survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute survey showed that Koreans are becoming more relaxed about domestic travel as the COVID-19 situation continues. KCTI conducted online survey about traveling amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May last year on 2,000 Koreans over 15 and did a follow up survey last November on the same subjects, to which 1,079 responded. The results showed that Koreans became more willing to travel in the six-month period. While only 22.8 percent responded in May t

Hadong Tea Festival The 24th Hadong Tea Festival will be held online from May 15 to 23. The organizers of the festival discussed canceling the annual event due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they decided to hold the festival to promote the 2022 Handong World Tea Expo. To prevent spread of the virus, this year‘s festival will mainly feature contactless online programs with limited offline activities held across Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province. To hel

Spring flowers at the royal palaces and tombs are expected to bloom starting Sunday and continue to bloom until the end of May, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tomb Center said Friday. The expected start date is two to seven days earlier than last year, with the yellow flowers of the blunt-lobed spice bushes at Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung expected to start blooming Sunday and stay in bloom for two weeks. From mid-March to May, the four palaces of the Jose

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival The Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held online from April 1 to 16. The festival celebrates the legendary scholar Wang In from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 668). An envoy to Japan, it is said that Wang introduced the Chinese writing system to the Japanese. Online lectures, quizzes and trot music shows will take place as part of the festival. For more information, check the website at wanginfesta.com. Okcheon Seedling Festival The Okcheon Seedling

Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival The Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival will be held from April 1 to 11. The annual spring festival went online last year due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. This year, the fesitval will be held both online and offline. The festival, usually held for three days, will be held over 11 days this year. Though the main festival area was the Jochiwon Station main street and along the Jocheon stream, it has been expanded across Sejong City this year to prevent overcrowdin

KTO big data analyses show latest tourism trends

Haeundae Light Festival The Haeundae Light Festival is being held across the Haeundae area in Busan. Light decorations have been installed at the iconic Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Market, creating a spectacular nighttime view. Outdoor events and hands-on experiences and activities, however, have all been canceled. The festival will continue until March 28.  Jeju Canola Flower Festival Welcoming spring, the Jeju Canola Flower Festival will open April 9. During the festival, canola