The Hantan River area near the inter-Korean border has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, officials said Tuesday. The UN body made the decision to add the 1,165-square-kilometer area to the list during a meeting in Paris, according to the Gyeonggi provincial government. The designation raised the number of South Korean geoparks on the list to four, including the southern island of Jeju...

The Korea Tourism Organization released a promotional video titled “Explore Korea,” made in collaboration with Netflix, using a compilation of clips of Korea shown in films and dramas on the global online streaming platform. The approximately 90-second clip was released Monday through the KTO’s YouTube channel. The clip, a compilation of scenes from Netflix original programming, shows the histor...

Goyang Street Arts Festival Goyang Street Arts Festival allows festivalgoers a chance to see performances ranging from underwater dance, midair performances to fireworks show all in one place. The festival, organized by the Goyang Cultural Foundation, will be held at Lake Park in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, an hour’s drive west of Seoul, from Sept. 24-27. For more information in Korean, visit ww...

The Seogwipo Daily Olle Market is the biggest market in Seogwipo. Founded in 1960, it has 200 stores and 140 stalls. Though the market has a 60-year history, the facilities are relatively modern as it was renovated in 2001. This once-neglected traditional market is now frequented by young tourists at night as rows of food stalls sell unique snacks. Croquettes made with pork from Jeju black pig, ...

Taebaek Sunflower Festival The Taebaek Sunflower Festival takes place July 14-Aug. 16 in Guwau Village, celebrating the area’s wide array of colorful wildflowers and endless fields of sunflowers. The village in Gangwon Province has the largest sunflower field in Korea. The festival area is filled with 300 species of wild flowers, along with a walking path nearby the sunflower field. Hands-on pr...

In the third section of the exhibition titled “meeting,” travel director Ko Jae-yeol features a “suitcase library.” By filling suitcases with books, CDs and DVDs, people present their personal tastes. As times have changed from an era of solo lunches or solo drinking to an era of voluntary self-isolation, the exhibit hopes to give meaning to travel as a way to share personal tastes, creating netw...

Sitting on the northeastern side of Changgyeonggung is a Joseon-era complex where people carried out ancestral rites and nurtured the country’s leaders. “It may be difficult to believe, but there were students who actually lived and studied here around 600 years ago,” said Son Chin-woo, the 33rd director of Sungkyunkwan -- the highest educational institution of the Joseon era. Sungkyunkwan and ...

It was the first time for a five-star luxury hotel in Seoul to sell its rooms via a TV shopping channel. It also offered a 35 percent discount coupon for its restaurants and bars, along with a late check-out service. Lotte Home Shopping recorded a sold out last month, when it aired the sales of lifestyle hotel brand L7’s discounted packages. The package deal allowed customers to make a reservati...

Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story Organized by the Ganghwa County Office and Incheon Tourism Organization, Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story offers eight different programs to visitors, introducing the cultural heritage of Ganghwa. The festival, held Sept. 11-12 at the Yongheunggung Palace Park in Ganghwa, Incheon, west of Seoul, involves traditional art performances, a media facade and a parad...

Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival The Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, celebrates the clean and refreshing water of the Tamjin River and Jangheung Lake. The water festival takes place in areas along the river and in the Cypress Forest Woodland, allowing festivalgoers to take part in refreshing water activities from day to night. For more information ...

Embattled travel industry slams Seoul’s tourist spots

Centum Beer Festival The Centum Beer Festival, sponsored and managed by the Centum Beer Festival Committee, is held at KNN Centum Plaza in Busan every summer. The festival offers unlimited beer and snacks for all visitors. Though the event takes place every May, this year, it has been postponed to August in concerns over the COVID-19 spread. It will be held Aug. 20-30. Performances will take p...

Horses are taking a rest at Jeju Horse Pastureland in Yonggang-dong, Jeju City, on Tuesday morning. Vast grassland and mountains in the backdrop make the horse pastureland one of Jeju Island’s must-visit sites. Visitors can see 130 Jeju horses, designated as National Treasure No. 347, in the grassland from April to November. The pastureland is state-owned and managed by the Cultural Heritage A...

Next to Incheon’s historic Chinatown stands the Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village, where characters from classic tales of Korea and the West are brought to life. Stirring the innocence of childhood, the village is decorated to depict scenes of popular tales ranging from “Alice in Wonderland” and “Wizard of Oz” to “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Heungbu and Nolbu” -- a traditional Korean folk tale of...

Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival commemorates the Great Battle of Hansan in 1592, one of the most important naval battles in Korean history. Visitors will be able to see models of the geobukseon (turtle ship) designed by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the ships used by the Japanese navy at the time. In addition to learning all about the battle, visitors will be able to e...