Amazing Korea

Amazing

Korea Korea t r a v e l

m a g a z i n e

TRADITIONAL BEAUTY

MODERN LIFE

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Korean Food Hanbok Experience

Street Style Shopping Complexes

Namsan Tower Bukchon Hanok Village

Amazing

Korea

PA R K

H A

CONTENTS Gyeongbokgung Palace

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Hanbok experience in Korea

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Korean food

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GENERAL INFORMATION

TRADITIONAL BEAUTY What makes Korea special?

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Spring’s cherry blossom

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Autumn heart

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Bukchon Hanok Village

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Namsan Tower

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MODERN LIFE

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Street style

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Shopping Paradise

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PART 1: GENERAL INFORMATION

WHAT MAKES

KOREA

SPECIAL? Korea is actually an amazing and attractive place in Asia with its beautiful nature, unique culture and various other awesome extraordinary things Korean people has made.

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle, as half of them live in apartments concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents.

South Korea is one of the four high-tech industrialized developed countries often referred to as the Four Asian Economic Dragons. The South Korean economy soared at an annual average of 10% for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River. A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful. Today, it is the world’s seventh largest advanced economy and fifth largest exporter with the G20’s largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia.

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South Korea is a technologically advanced developed country driven by a highly educated and skilled workforce, having the world’s eighth highest median household income, the highest in Asia. Globally, it ranks highly in personal safety, job security, ease of doing business and healthcare quality, with the world’s third highest health adjusted life expectancy and fourth most efficient healthcare system.

Home of Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia, South Korea was named the world’s

most innovative country for 4 consecutive years since 2014 in the Bloomberg Innovation Index, ranking first in business R&D intensity, manufacturing value-added, patents filed per GDP, second in higher education efficiency and fourth in high-tech density and researcher concentration. In 2005, it became the world’s first country to fully transition to high-speed Internet and today it has the world’s fastest Internet speed and highest smartphone ownership, ranking first in ICT Development, e-Government and 4G LTE coverage.

Korea is famous for beautiful and romantic natural sceneries. With 4-season-climate, it’ll always give tourists amazing experience when coming here for cherry blossom in spring, yellow leaves in autumn or pretty snowflakes in winter.

In addition, traditional beauty in Korea also has made strong impression on foreign visitors. Many

historical places such as Namsan Tower, Gwanghwamun or Gyeongbokgung Palace have attracted various tourists to visit and experience awesome and interesting things. Besides, the attraction of Korea is shown with modernity of city life. You can try to arrive at Lotte World, GwangAn Bridge or skyscrapers in centre of Seoul.

High personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style.

Korean cuisine has been affected by its geography, climate, proximity to neighbors China and Japan. By the 18th century, chili peppers were already being widely used in the preparation of Korean cuisine. Rice is the backbone of almost every

Korean meal. When you eat at a Korean restaurant, your various side dishes will come to you before your meal in small bowls, and can be anything from vegetables to meat to seafood prepared in any number of ways.

Currently, South Korea maintains a unique fashion style that has become an acknowledged influence in worldwide trends.

In addition, the Korean Wave is beginning to affect the fashion world. Korean celebrities are starting to have a real influence in fashion.

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SPRING’S

CHERRY BLOSSOM If you are eager to discover a different side of Seoul apart from its cityscape of tall buildings and cutting edge technology, visit Seoul this spring to be greeted by blossoming spring flowers.

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Starting as early as March, the cold winds and freezing temperatures of winter begin to subside as spring draws near. In Korea, a wide array of events celebrating the season are held throughout the country, where many activities take to the outdoors thanks to the milder weather. The return of the warmer weather not only brings countless beautiful wild flowers into bloom, but also gives families a chance to spend precious time with their loved ones through

all the various activities that can be taken advantage of outdoors.

From the beginning of March when the air is still cool, spring announces its arrival in Korea with a blanket of white and yellow blossoms spread like a quilt all over the nation.

The warmer season sees a host of festivals take place in Korea where visitors can stroll among the blossoming spring flowers and see the country at its finest.

In Seoul, tourists can visit Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, a representative festival in

the city, taking place every April.

Yeouiseo-ro, the street behind the National Assembly Building, is lined with cherry blossom trees and is the most famous cherry blossom street in Seoul. Visitors can take a stroll along the Hangang River through a tunnel of these majestic trees.

Other spring blossoms blooming beneath the trees include azaleas and forsythias. There are also cultural street performances, a flower decoration exhibit, and a photo exhibit taking place throughout the festival period.

Period: April 1-9 Venue: Area of Yeouiseo-ro (behind the National Assembly Building), Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

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AUTUMN HEART

The weather starts to get cooler in autumn and this is the perfect time to walk around and enjoy the beauty of Korea.

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Once the rains have passed, however, the country is bathed in the most stunning shades of orange and red as the autumn leaves start to bloom. With mild temperatures, low rainfall and a wealth of unadulterated natural beauty, autumn is a close rival to spring with regards to being the best period to visit South Korea.

Autumn is also called fall for the simple reason that this is the season where the leaves of trees start to fall off. By winter time, the trees would have lost its leaves.

During fall, Koreans love to go on hiking and Seoraksan is one of the best destinations of the season. This place, which can be reached by 3 hour bus ride from Seoul, is filled with locals and tourist. It offers various hiking trail with different levels of difficulty.

Chuseok is known as the Korean Thanksgiving and falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Originally, the festival was for the people to give thanks to their ancestors for a plentiful harvest. Nowadays it is celebrated by exchanging gifts as the women of each family prepare a variety of special dishes, most of which include the newly harvested rice, for which Koreans are so thankful. Songpyeon, a cake made from ground rice and stuffed with red beans, chestnuts and sesame seeds, is a traditional dish eaten during this festival.

The weather is not to hot and not to cold and for some reasons the surroundings warms the heart. Maybe its the mix of yellow and read leaves which brings that romantic feeling.

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PART 2: TRADITIONAL BEAUTY

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first royal palace built by the Joseon Dynasty, three years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded.

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace was located at the heart of newly appointed capital of Seoul (then known as Hanyang) and represented the sovereignty of the Joseon Dynasty. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces, Gyeongbokgung served as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty.

Some 500 buildings were restored on a site of over 40 hectares.The architectural principles of ancient Korea were incorporated into the tradition and appearance of the Joseon royal court.

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Today, the Gyeongbokgung Palace is open to the public and houses the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Palace Museum of Korea, and traditional Korean gardens.

From October, Gyeongbokgung starts its night season, from 7PM to 10PM. This event is only available by

reservation made on the Inter Park Website.

hair accessories and purses are available at these shops.

The palace waive admission fees for visitors wearing hanbok. The fee is waived for hanbok wearers even on holidays and on special event days.

You can dress from head to toe in traditional Korean clothing as even

More and more foreign tourists are renting out hanbok and touring palaces.

Wearing hanbok and touring Seoul’s palaces can make for a unique experience and a lasting memory.

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Hanbok Experience in Korea Although hanbok have become the ritual dress of choice worn only on traditional holidays, Koreans’ love for hanbok is tremendous.

Hanbok is the traditional attire of the Korean people. Worn daily up until just 100 years ago, these days it is only worn on festive occasions or special anniversaries. It is a formal dress and most Koreans keep a hanbok for special times in their life.

While the traditional hanbok was beautiful in its own right, the design has changed slowly but surely over the generations.

The core of hanbok is its graceful shape and vibrant colors, which have had a major impact on the modern fashion industry.

It is hard to think of hanbok as everyday wear but it is slowly being revolutionized through the changing of fabrics, colors and features, reflecting the public’s desires. Many aspiring hanbok designers have altered hanbok for everyday wear with traditional elements at the basis of the

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garment but having a distinct modern feel.

For modern Koreans, hanbok are the formal clothing worn during Korean holidays or on special occasions. Children wear hanbok on their first birthday and adults wear it for their wedding ceremony and their 60th birthday.

Hanbok is also worn for funerals, and is still used as casual wear in villages or districts where the traditional ways of life are being maintained, such as Cheonghak-dong on Jirisan Mountain.

Although hanbok have become the ritual dress of choice worn only on traditional holidays, Koreans’ love for hanbok is tremendous. The popularity of Korean historical dramas is causing many foreigners to take a keener interest in traditional Korean attire as well.

The popularity of Korean historical dramas is causing many foreigners to take a keener interest in traditional Korean attire as well.

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KOREAN FOOD Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, vegetables, and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes that accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice.

Kimchi is almost always served at every meal. Commonly used ingredients include sesame oil, doenjang (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, gochujang (fermented red chili paste) and napa cabbage.

Ingredients and dishes vary by province.

Many regional dishes have become national, and dishes that were once regional have proliferated in different variations across the country. Korean royal court cuisine once brought all of the unique regional specialties together for the royal family. Foods are regulated by Korean cultural etiquette.

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Korean cuisine has evolved through a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends through centuries of social and political change.

The prominent feature of a Korean table setting is that all dishes are served at the same time and table arrangements can vary depending on the main dish served. All meals are normally eaten with a set of chopsticks and a spoon. The presentation of a Korean meal is almost as important as the taste.

A typical table setting consists of: a personal bowl of rice, placed in either stainless steel or ceramic based bowl, usually with a cover to keep the rice warm; a small, personal bowl of hot soup; a personal set of chopsticks for eating the side dishes; a spoon for rice and soup; various small bowls of shared bite-sized side dishes (banchan); a main dish (meat/stew/soup/seafood).

Korea is a street food lover’s paradise. Street food vendors and pojangmachas street side restaurants, line almost every busy street in Korea, especially around the nightlife districts.

Greasy, deep-fried street food may look tasty to begin with when sober, but after chugging down several rounds of soju and beer? The stuff is like a gift from the gods. Pojangmachas offer covered seating and tables inside tiny tents and have larger menu options that small street stalls. They are great options for those looking for a quick snack roadside. Hang around the vendor while you eat. It’s the Korean way to do it!

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Thanks to Hallyu, the world finally sees South Korean street style, one of the best in the world, and get inspired by it.

It’s rebellious, unique, expressive, and artsy.

PART 3: MODERN LIFE

STREET STYLE South Korea has what we call the ulzzang fashion, which means “best looking.” It sets criteria on how to look good and get a thumbs-up among your peers, especially online, and it turns out wearing matching outfits with your BFF is one of them! The easiest way to sport the group look is to wear the same outfit, but it’s also not unusual for the women to wear something boxy or androgynous like a graphic T-shirt paired with harem pants to match their men.

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It’s a given when you’re in Korea, you’ll see women sporting the ulzzang look by wearing big, oversized jackets, vests, and sweaters with skinny jeans. But how do you make it stand out? By picking bright colors, and trust them to never be afraid of mixing the shades in the color wheel.

Nobody takes #twinning more seriously than the Koreans.

Not only do they love couple looks, but they also enjoy similar looks they share with their BFFs! They can wear the same outfit or work around a theme, like colors (and Koreans are crazy about colors).

Koreans love denim, and they have gazillion ways to wear it: bell bottoms, rompers, overalls, skinny jeans, tattered jeans, and matching suits, just to name a few. Name it – they probably have a denim version of it.

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SHOPPING PARADISE Selected by CNN as one of the world’s best shopping cities, Seoul attracts tourists all year round with many shopping areas and markets throughout the city such as the fashions of Myeongdong, the luxury of Cheongdamdong or the indie and vintage of Hongdae.

Myeong-dong is Seoul’s prime shopping and entertainment area in downtown, which contains some of the city’s top stores and fashion boutiques. The area has been subject to much investment and many of the financial institutions such as banks and investment companies are located in the area.

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Hongdae area is also home to reasonably priced independent clothing stalls, discount and vintage shops, especially along the main thoroughfare of Eoulmadang-ro, that caters to those wanting individuality with creativity.

The Hongdae Playground, also known as Hongik Children’s Park, located between Wausan-ro and Wausan-ro 21gil opposite Hongik University is home to street vendors who

sell their wares in the evenings. On weekends, from March to November at 13:00 to 18:00, flea markets are held on Hongdea Playground that is in front of the main gate of Hongik University.

The flea markets are called “Free Market” on Saturdays and “Hope Market” on Sundays. They are fledgling craft markets of things made by students and street artists, with its artsy atmosphere.

Itaewon is another notable shopping area in the city lined with boutiques and stores especially targeted at the large foreign population in Seoul. The area contains some of city’s more interesting tailors, leather and shoes stores, and antiques such as brassware and jewelry and specialist shops dealing in Korean art and calligraphy.

Apgujeong, Cheondamdong and Gangnam areas are also well known shopping destinations. While Myeongdong caters to a more youth orientated crowd, Gangnam areas often attract a more well-to-do population of wealthy young Koreans, who shop at one of many luxury boutiques and department stores, as well as dining at some of the finest cafes and restaurants in the city.

Times Square is one of Seoul’s largest shopping malls featuring the CGV Starium, the world’s largest permanent 35 mm cinema screen.

Times Square mall contains a department store, a multiplex theater, a shopping mall and many restaurants.

Its architectural features include plazas, terraces, water fountains and numerous gardens.

COEX Mall is the largest underground shopping center in Asia. It is located in the basement of the Korea World Trade Center, located in Samseong-dong in the Gangnam-gu area of Seoul. The colossal shopping center stretches from Samseong station (subway line 2) in the south all the way to Bongeunsa temple in the north, and is considered to be the best shopping and entertainment complex in the area.

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PART 4: TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE Now Bukchon Hanok Village is used as a traditional culture center and hanok restaurant, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty.

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Bukchon Hanok Village is a Korean traditional village in Seoul with a long history located between Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo Royal Shrine. The traditional village is composed of lots of alleys, hanok[1] and is preserved to show a 600-year-old urban environment.

The area of Bukchon, which consists of neighborhoods: Wonseo-dong, Jae-dong, Gye-dong, Gahoe-dong and Insa-dong, was traditionally the residential quarter of high-ranking government officials and nobility during the Joseon Dynasty. It is located north of Cheonggye Stream and Jongno, hence named Bukchon, which means north village. Traditionally, this place was inhabited by nobles, serving in the palace and their families. Later on, due to wars and disasters, the place was occupied by commoners.

A poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that exploring the narrow streets of Bukchon was their fourth favorite activity in Seoul.

According to data by the Bukchon Traditional Culture Center 30,000 people visited the area in 2007. However, after the Village was featured in television programmes, such as 1 Night 2 Days and Personal Taste, the number rose to 318,000 in 2010. In 2012 the figure is expected to double to more than 600,000.

Today, many of these hanoks operate as cultural centers, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses, providing visitors with an opportunity to experience, learn and immerse themselves in traditional Korean culture.

Address: 37, Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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NAMSAN TOWER The N Seoul Tower, officially the YTN Seoul Tower and commonly known as the Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower, is a communication and observation tower located on Namsan Mountain in central Seoul, South Korea. At 236m, it marks the second highest point in Seoul.

Built in 1971, the N Seoul Tower is Korea’s first general radio wave tower, providing TV and radio broadcasting in Seoul. Currently, the tower broadcasts signals for Korean media outlets, such as KBS, MBC and SBS. When N Seoul Tower’s original owner merged with CJ Corporation, it was renamed the N Seoul Tower (official name CJ Seoul Tower). It has also been known as the Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower.

It is also Korea’s first general radio wave tower that holds transmissions antennas of KBS, MBC, SBS TV, FM, PBC, TBS, CBS, and BBS FM. Seoul Tower chosen to worldwide travel expert evaluation and reader preferences is registered the world’s 500 attractions in research.

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Many visitors ride the Namsan cable car up the Mt. Namsan to walk to the tower. The tower is renowned as a national landmark, and for its cityscape. The 236.7 m (777 ft) tower sits on the Namsan mountain (243m or 797 ft). It attracts thousands of tourists and locals every year, especially during nighttime when the tower lights up. Photographers enjoy the panoramic view the tower offers. Each year, approximately 8.4 million visit the N Seoul Tower, which is surrounded by many other attractions South Korea offers, including Namsan Park and Namsangol Hanok Village.

The N Seoul Tower is divided into three main parts, including the N Lobby, N Plaza, and the N Tower.

The N Plaza consists of two floors, while the N Tower

includes four floors.

The N Tower also holds many other attractions, including the digital observatory and the Wishing Pond. The Wishing Pond can be found on the second floor of the tower, where people throw coins into the pond wishing for eternal love. The coins are collected and donated to help develop schools in China and Southeast Asia, especially in underdeveloped areas.

On the third floor, the newly designed observatory, renovated in 2011, can be found. The observatory not only offers the 360° view of the city, but also exhibits 600 years of Korean history through 36 LCD screens. The fifth floor houses a French restaurant known as N Grill.

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