Daegwallyeong Snow Festival The Daegwallyeong Snow Festival will run from Jan. 21-30 at the area of Songcheon Stream in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The annual festival began in 1993 and has become among the most famous winter festivals in South Korea. The event features beautiful snowy hills and enjoyable activities for both children and adults. Admission fees are yet to be announced, but various in-person programs are ready to excite winter-loving visitors. More information can be found at

The Korea Tourism Organization predicted next year’s domestic travel trends with the acronym, HABIT-US, on Tuesday, the results showing a shift in travel preferences and patterns brought out by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results were based on travel-related big data analysis over the past three years, including travel expenses and use of social media, as well as in-depth interviews with industry experts. The acronym was derived from “habitus,” which refers to a person’

A rusty railroad abandoned in Seoul brings back old memories and warm nostalgia.  Hang-dong Railroad, located in Guro-gu, Seoul, is a 4.5-kilometer track drenched with a vintage atmosphere, with traces of train stations and destination signs left here and there.  Lined with deep greenery and green barley, the 62-year-old railway is now one of the most beloved places for Seoulites to go and reflect. Beside Hang-dong Railroad, there is the Pureun Arboretum, Seoul’s first arboret

Busan Fireworks Festival The Busan Fireworks Festival is scheduled to run from Dec. 24-31 in areas around Gwangalli Beach in Busan. The annual festival, which usually takes place in the fall, features high-tech laser light shows and a myriad of colorful fireworks. While most people flock to the beach for a closer view of the fireworks, some people choose to enjoy the festival from nearby mountain Hwangyeongsan, the island Dongbaekseom and Igidae Coastal Park for a scenic view of the beach. U

After a winter with closed ski slopes, social distancing guidelines and mask mandates, Gangwon Province, South Korea’s winter wonderland, has started to come back to life with the arrival of a chill in the air. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with concerns about the omicron variant rising each day, winter sports fans are flocking to popular ski resorts. The Vivaldi Park resort, about 60 kilometers east of Seoul in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, was among the many ski resorts that open

The Guro Industrial Complex, located in Guro-dong, southwestern Seoul, was once the heart of South Korea’s labor-intensive light industries back in the late 20th century.  The Guro Industrial Complex, established in 1965, was the first of its kind in South Korea. The district, which was relatively empty before, was soon filled up with manufacturing facilities and factory workers. The complex, which included textile manufacturing and other labor-intensive industries, continued to gro

List highlights importance of tourism in safeguarding rural locales

Incheon Romance Market Festival The Incheon Romance Market Festival is running through Dec. 26 at the north square at the Dongincheon Station and at the nearby market district. The fourth edition of the event provides various programs, including a free black and white photo studio and classic movies -- “Dr. No,” (1962) “The Magnificent Seven,” (1960) and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” (1957) -- at Incheon Milim Cinema. The tickets are priced at 5,000 won. The v

No need to worry about missing the next train or wandering through crowded streets -- livestreaming tours are here for novice travelers. An online live tour of Hong Kong’s West Kowloon neighborhood organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board was presented to press and tourism officials in a showcase Tuesday at CGV Cheongdam in southern Seoul. The hourlong walking tour, titled “Next Stop is West Kowloon Station,” consisted of five walking routes, starting from the beautiful shor

Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival The Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival will be held at Wonju Sports Complex in Gangwon Province, from Friday to Sunday. The event, rescheduled from October, has grown into a global festival with a parade competition that typically takes place in the streets. However, the festival has downsized the scale, with programs being presented only at a special stage at Wonju Sports Complex. The annual festival is returning after two years, featuring cultural arts performances,

INCHEON -- Autumn is a wonderful season to go anywhere in Korea. And it’s not too late to enjoy the autumn breeze. Though the recent rains might have made an unwelcome visit, pulling some of the colorful leaves from their branches earlier than usual, colorful fall foliage still welcomed hikers on Manisan last weekend. A mountain standing a moderate 472 meters high on Incheon’s island of Ganghwado, some 60 kilometers west of Seoul, Manisan is one of the most popular places in Kore

Seoul Lantern Festival The Seoul Lantern Festival is scheduled to kick off Nov. 26 and run through Dec. 12 at various sites in Jongno, central Seoul. The representative festival of Seoul features a number of large paper lanterns and illuminated sculptures along the Cheonggye Stream. The event will be an online-offline hybrid event, where people can enjoy an augmented reality exhibition and join the festival via social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. The offline venues offer visitors

Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Festival The Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Festival on Budaejjigae Street in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, runs through Nov. 30. The annual festival, which had been on hiatus since 2019, offers visitors a chance to try the iconic dish budaejjigae, also known as army stew or Korean spicy sausage stew. Two-for-one deals are available at the 21 participating restaurants on Budaejjigae Street to those who make reservations online. Each visitor gets a stamp, and repeat visitors can

With Korea relaxing COVID-19 restrictions in line with its “living with COVID-19” scheme, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are to resume a discount coupon program for travel accommodations to encourage the local tourism industry hit by the virus crisis. The Culture Ministry launched the coupon program twice last year, but had to suspend it to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus infections. Before the suspension, 520,000 coupon

The change of season has brought about bright reds, oranges, yellows and browns to the city, while some remaining greens bid a final farewell to the summer.  Indeed, Seoulites do not have to leave the city to enjoy the colors of the season. To enjoy the deepening autumn atmosphere and the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet, look out for Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “96 Fall Foliage Roads,” released last week. The list includes areas with spectacular colors of map