PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam – The number of Korean travelers to Vietnam was some 965,000 in 2022, accounting for more than a quarter of Vietnam’s foreign tourists, according to the Vietnamese General Statistics Office. With the full resumption of international flights, their presence is expected to continue this year. In addition to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang, the three most popular destinations for first-time travelers to Vietnam, there is a hidden gem of an island that is relative

Taean World Tulip Flower Festival The World Tulip Flower Festival is scheduled to run from April 12 to May 7 at Korea Flower Park in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Some 200 types of flowers, including flamingo, lambada, red proud tulips and more, will be on full display, offering excellent photo opportunities. Recognized as one of the world’s top 5 tulip festivals worth travelling to by the World Tulip Society, the festival is set to allow visitors to enjoy the sight of colorful tuli

As cherry blossoms paint South Korea’s capital city pink and white, Seoulites are flocking to flower-filled Yunjung-ro in Yeouido or Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, southern Seoul. While Yunjung-ro’s 1.7-kilometer road lined with cherry trees is a spectacular sight that welcomes springtime visitors across the nation, some feel that it has become too crowded, noting that there seem to be more people than flowers. For those who wish to enjoy the pink clouds of cherry blossoms in a less-crowde

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Jinhae Gunhangje Festival The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival is being held in areas near Jinhae Jungwon Rotary Intersection in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, from March 25 to April 3. Celebrating the beautiful display of 360,000 cherry trees in downtown Jinhae, various programs, including cultural performances, a military parade and maritime firework show are set to entertain the visitors. The highly anticipated cherry blossoms festival makes a return after a three-year break as most of the C

Gapyeong Cherry Blossom Festival Welcoming spring, the Gapyeong Cherry Blossom Festival is set to start from April 8 to 16 at Eden Cherry Blossom Road in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The 1.2-kilometer cherry blossom tunnel features stage performances of classical and popular songs, a flea market of handmade things and local specialties throughout the festival. The festival makes a return after a four-year break as most of the remaining COVID-19 policies were lifted as of Monday. The event is o

HONG KONG -- South Korea’s homegrown galleries have brought contemporary Korean artists to Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia’s largest art fair, as it made a full return after four years this week at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. “We had a smooth start. I see as many people as before the pandemic. All of the paintings by Joung Young-ju were sold out to collectors from outside South Korea, including those from the US,” said Woo Chan-kyu, president of Hakgojae, on

Colourful flowers adorning Seoul’s old palaces are just around corner as spring has officially arrived in Seoul in the middle of March. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday announced that the spring blossoms in the royal palaces will peak from late March to early April, forecasting blossoms of cherry, apricot, plum and weeping cherry to kick off the season on Thursday. The palace authority chose three places for best flowers in Seoul’s Jos

Pinnacle Land Spring Flower Festival The Pinnacle Land Spring Flower Festival is scheduled to take place at Pinnacle Land, a botanical garden in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, starting March 24. The event runs through May 30. The botanical garden will present some 50,000 tulips and narcissus plants, allowing visitors to enjoy a fragrant spring atmosphere. The second edition of Pinnacle Land Spring Flower Festival also puts on a firework display at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. The event is open to p

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- Less than a 50-minute drive northwest from central Seoul, Goyang is an easy-to-reach destination for Seoulites. The city's reputation as a quiet residential area might have kept it off the top of day-trippers' lists, but in recent years, Goyang's increasingly successful spring flower expo has been encouraging people to see more of what the town has to offer. Looking to capitalize on this, the city has begun to offer guided bus tours to introduce its mo

Spring has arrived across Korea in the middle of March, with flowers blooming in the warmer provinces along the southern and eastern coasts. Apricot and cornelian cherry flowers bloom the fastest among spring flowers, indicating the end of winter. Here are photos of colorful spring views with those flowers, taken this week across South Korea.

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Although the weather still feels cold for early March, impatient flower lovers head to Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province to look for the first signs of spring. Some 50 kilometers southwest of Seoul, Hwaseong Botanical Garden welcomes visitors with more than 580 species of plants growing on the Korean Peninsula. Outside the garden, trees and flowers have yet to bloom and the dry, crinkled brown leaves are a reminder of the last snap of winter. But inside the walls of a la

The Jeju Fire Festival, this year's iteration of which kicked off Thursday, has decided to cancel the program's highlights involving actual fire due to safety concerns, according to the organizers on late Thursday. Several events scheduled for Friday and Saturday, including the festival's highlight, the Oreum Fire Lighting, were canceled as a series of wildfires have recently broken out in other areas in Korea amid the dry weather. Other performances, concerts and programs will go

Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to take place at various sites in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, including Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, the park of royal tombs, also known as Daereungwon, and more. The festival starts March 25 and will run through April 16. Visitors can enjoy a festival that combines cherry blossoms with art and culture. Hueree Maehwa and Canola Flower Festivals, Jeju Island The Hueree Maehwa Festival, which kicked off on

The peak season for cherry blossoms is forecast to reach Seoul in the third week of April after starting in the southernmost province of Jeju on April 1. According to the Korean Forest Service, Mulhyanggi Arboretum and Mount Suri, 20-40 kilometers south from Seoul, will see the peak on April. 11, while the Korea National Arboretum in northern Gyeonggi Province will reach the peak on April 18. The forest authority issued the cherry blossom forecast on March 3, indicating the dates when more than