President Moon Jae-in recently said in a meeting with South Korean reporters that he hopes the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics will contribute to easing regional tensions sparked by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.As Moon goes all out to promote the games, the government is now putting the finishing touches on preparations for the country’s first Winter Olympics.The Winter Games will kick off on Feb. 9, 2018 and run until Feb. 25, followed by the Paralympic G

As 2017 nears its end, the city of Seoul comes alive with a mesmerizing blend of holiday lights and music echoing through the streets. For those still undecided on where to go on Christmas day, following is a list of four places one won‘t regret visiting.　Shinsegae Department Store, Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-guEvery November, the now-87-year-old Shinsegae Department store building transforms into a winter wonderland, thrilling visitors. The magical musical light show captures the hearts of locals and

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia -- The quiet city of Yogyakarta on Java, Indonesia, is flanked on both sides by two ancient temples paying homage to two different faiths.To the west is Borobudur Temple, a massive stone structure that soars up into the sky surrounded on all sides by lush jungle greenery. Built in the ninth century, Borodubur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world -- but it was a well-kept secret after being mysteriously abandoned. It lay quietly preserved by a tomb of volcanic ash unt

“A Story All About Gyeongju: A Guide to the Culture and History of Silla Kingdom” by Suh Hwan; Myungsung Suhrim (303 pages, $15,000 won)

The traditional Korean calendars divided a year into 24 solar terms. Today, Dec. 7, matches to “Daeseol,” the 21st term in the calendar, which means “Big Snow” in Korean. Just like the name of the term, a strong winter storm has brought massive snowfall in Gangwon Province since Wednesday night. Ski jump slopes for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics are covered with snow (Yonhap)As of 7 a.m., 4.5 centimeters of snow has accumulated in PyeongChang, where the 2018 Winter Olympic Games will be he

Cozy staycation at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering a cozy staycation package for the winter holidays through Feb. 28 next year. The Winter Escape Package offers accommodation in a deluxe room with a view of the city, a buffet breakfast for two at Cafe 395, two gingerbreads and access to a fitness center and swimming pool. The package starts from 240,000 won and is only Korean citizens or foreigners with an alien registration card. There is an additional charge of 50,00

Lotte World Christmas MiracleLotte Word Christmas Festival will be held from Nov. 11 to Dec. 31 with “Christmas Miracle” theme. Visitors can see Christmas decorations hung everywhere at the festival site.The event is held at Lotte World in Songpa-gu, Seoul and is open to visitors of all ages.For admissions and other information, refer to the homepage (http://www.lotteworld.com). It offers information in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Mongolian.Littl

As the trees shed their foliage, the cold winter looms over mountains across the country.Seemingly disappointed in winter coming so early, the leaves did not fall so quickly.A snow-covered mountain peak welcomes the change of the seasons.The first snowfall of winter arrived in Gangwon Province on Nov. 3 and the first big snow storm dropped up to 16.2 centimeters of snow in the Daegwallyeong distirct, Pyeongchang-gun, on Sunday.A blueberry farm located in Yanggu-gun, a northern district of the pr

South Korea said Monday it plans to draw up measures to ensure the safety of its nationals on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, as the Southeast Asian nation has raised the volcano alert on the island to the highest level.The volcano at Mount Agung has been spewing plumes of smoke and ashes since last week, raising fears that a larger eruption is imminent, according to foreign media reports. Airports on Bali and neighboring island Lombok have been closed. This photo carried by AFP on Nov. 26, 2

HADONG, South Gyeongsang Province - Take the scenic route to South Gyeongsang Province by train. Drift down past Gyeonggi Province, Sejong City, and Namwon, where the most famous pansori love story of Chunhyang is set. Change at Suncheon and it’s a short trip to Hadong-gun and Namhae-gun -- where you will find unique people with stories to tell.When you are visiting a place just a stone’s throw away from the shore, make sure to try some of the seafood. One of the delicacies of the area is the Ch

Seoul is a city dotted with many mountains. Following is a series that explores some of the easy trails in Seoul’s neighborhood mountains. --Ed.Standing just 265 meters above sea level, the petite mountain of Namsan in Seoul is hardly considered a hiking spot. But that is exactly why it is a perfect place for a light stroll.Namsan Dulle-gil refers to the trail surrounding the mountain. Along with access to its noted features, it also offers great views of the city.The two most-frequently used en

Free-of-charge multilingual translation services for tourists will be available in Songpa-gu, Seoul, by voluntary street translators. Dubbed “We Can,” the service group will take off with a launching ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. at Songpa YMCA, Tuesday. Some 100 residents inhabiting the Jamsil Special Tourist Zone in Songpa-gu are in the volunteer group, including retired seniors over 50 years old and teenagers. Songpa-gu Office (Yonhap)The volunteer workers can speak English, Chinese, Japanese

Seoul Lantern Festival The annual Seoul Lantern Festival is held from Nov. 3 to Nov.19. Since its inception in 2009, it has hosted nearly 3 million visitors each year. Visitors can see lanterns along the 1.2-km Cheonggyecheon Stream from Cheonggye Plaza to Supyogyo Bridge.The lanterns are lit from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and the event is free of charge. Visit www.seoullantern.visitseoul.net for more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese or call the travel hotline at 1330 for information

The white peaks of Mount Hallasan on Jeju Island has attracted weekend hikers after receiving the first snowfall of the season early Saturday.The white peaks of Hallasan attracted weekend hikers after receiving the first snowfall of the season early Saturday.(Yonhap)While the rest of the Island got rain, the water droplets had developed into snow on mountain peaks over 1,500 meters-high, where the temperature dropped as low as minus 8.1 degrees Celsius.The mountain trail saw a huge crowd on Satu

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- With a shortage of accommodation cited as one of the biggest problems for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, authorities are hoping to address the issue by better connecting the host city to the Seoul metropolitan area.A high-speed train service connecting the gateway city of Incheon, through Seoul, all the way to Gangwon Province where the Winter Olympic Games will be held will begin operation in December.Passengers aboard the high-speed KTX will be able to travel