The 2022 World Heritage Festival in Jeju Island, named “CONNECT- Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes,” which seeks to promote the importance of Jeju’s UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites through the story of the volcanic island’s birth, will return as an on-site program after a break last year. Jointly organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the festival will be held Oct. 1-16 at major World Natural Heritage locatio

With expanded global tourism infrastructure and distinctive travel themes, Seoul looks to become a landmark city like Paris and London, according to Kil Ki-yon, head of the Seoul Tourism Organization. The STO announced its “endemic tourism” initiative, a strategy to promote tourism in the latter half of the year, during a press conference on Monday in Seoul. The organization will work together with Seoul Metropolitan Government to achieve its goal of attracting an average of 28 mi

A study of Gyeongbokgung’s rear garden -- the site of Cheong Wa Dae -- will be conducted more than two months after the former presidential office was opened to the public. The Korea Association for Architectural History, which won the bid to conduct the research, has 120 days to report its findings, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Historical records show that the area functioned as part of the rear garden of Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace during the Jo

 The National Museum of Korea has opened the “Astana Tombs – A House of Eternity” exhibition in the Central Asia Gallery located on the third floor of the Permanent Exhibition Hall. The exhibition has on display figurines, pottery and documents discovered inside some 400 Astana tombs at a cemetery of the ruling class built near Turpan in Xinjiang, China, near the ancient city of Gaochang that dates back 1,300 years. The relics are recorded to have been discovered or tra

Shilla Seoul launches ‘Refreshing Moment with Molton Brown’ package The Shilla Seoul, located at the heart of Seoul, is launching a special collaboration package with Molton Brown, a bath and body fragrance brand, for the month of July. The package includes a Deluxe Room and complimentary entry to the Urban Island Moonlight, an outdoor pool with a jacuzzi at the hotel’s rooftop. A complimentary Molton Brown shower gel and body lotion set are provided. Package visitors are

A popular summertime dessert in Korea, bingsu, shaved ice traditionally topped with red beans and drizzled with milk, keeps getting fancier with endless varieties of toppings and presentations. At the forefront of bingsu’s eye-catching makeover are five-star hotels that spare no effort in coming up with ever more decadent shaved-ice variations each summer. At the height of indulgence, a bowl of bingsu for two can cost as much as 90,000 won ($69) at hotels, while more humble varieties ser

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas launches ‘Summer Cruise Royal High Tea’ Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Seoul’s Samseong-dong is offering an ocean landscape-inspired tea set at the Lobby Lounge and Bar on the ground floor, through Aug. 31. A raffle will also be hosted for customers to win a chance to board a luxury yacht, as well as other hotel vouchers. The Summer Cruise Royal High Tea promotion offers pearl-setting macarons and blue lemonade. Following four diff

This year’s Sinchon Water Gun Festival, which had been scheduled for two days starting July 30, was canceled by the Seodaemun-gu Office on Wednesday, according to Heyway, the main organizer of the event. Jointly sponsored by the city of Seoul, Seodaemun-gu Office and Sinchon Merchants’ Association, the Sinchon Water Gun Festival attracted over 1 million cumulative participants from 2013 to 2019. The festival has been halted for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The

The National Palace Museum of Korea and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation are presenting a special exhibition titled, “Treasures of Ours Treasured by Others: Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage,” starting Thursday. The museum is presenting a selection of 40 cultural artifacts that have been brought back from abroad, six of which are being shown to the public here for the first time. A considerable number of Korean cultural artifacts were plundered and taken out of

Nearly two months since the opening of Cheong Wa Dae to the public, the fate of the former presidential compound remains unclear, leading to concerns among experts and the public alike. One of the key pledges by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, “to return Cheong Wa Dae to the public,” was implemented on the day of the inauguration. But little preparation was made for the opening itself, and even less thought appears to have been given to the future of the grounds. The large influ

BUSAN -- Busan is one of the cities to head to if you are looking to feast on fresh seafood, but the city also has great know-how about preserving seafood to be enjoyed later. Myeongnan, or pollack roe, is a popular side dish that is often also called “bap doduk,” meaning rice thief. Bap doduk is a moniker used for side dishes that have you eating more rice than usual because the combination is so tasty. While there is a misconception that myeongnan originates from Japan’s me

A new walking trail that stretches along the west coast -- Seohaeranggil, or Seohaerang Trail -- has opened to the public, just in time for the start of the summer holiday season. At 1,800 kilometers, Seohaeranggil is currently the longest walking trail in the country. It begins at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula at Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and reaches up north all the way to Ganghwado, an island on the west coast about an hour away from Seoul. The trail forms the third section

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul launches ‘Summer Perfection’ package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul greets summer with a cobalt-blue color-inspired package, in collaboration with skincare brand Swiss Perfection. All package guests are offered a 15ml bottle of Cellular Soothing Facial Lotion presented in an elegant blue carry pouch, including a mirror. Guests choosing the Griffin Suite will receive an additional 30ml bottle of Cellular Essential Vitamin Cream. Two bottles of Wine Cruiser Bluebe

The upcoming 2022 World Punggi Ginseng Expo in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, aims to showcase a fresh aspect of the traditional Korean ginseng, the expo organizing committee said Wednesday. Under the theme, “Ginseng, embracing the world and opening the future,” the expo will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 23., at the Punggi Ginseng Culture Pop-up Park in Yeongju. Records of ginseng in Punggi date back to 1541 when Joo Se-boong, then governor of Punggi, after studying soil

Cheong Wa Dae will stay open to the public during the evening hours from July 20 to Aug. 1, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Cheong Wa Dae operations team announced Tuesday. Nighttime tours will be held twice a day, at 7:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., except on Tuesdays. The 90-minute tour will be led by a guide, who will explain about the Cheong Wa Dae’s buildings and compound. Cold drinks will be served, along with a live performance of fusion gugak at the former presidential res