The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday announced March as this year’s Travel Month to promote local tourism with large-scale discounts on public transportation, accommodation and domestic tourism products. Travel Month is a promotion, first launched in June 2023, to meet rising public demand for travel after the lifting of social distancing measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. From Feb. 20 to March 31, a 30 to 50 percent disco

Lotte World Adventure, one of the most popular theme parks in South Korea, said it's presenting romantic Valentine's Day-themed events for first-time visitors as well as returning lovers. The theme park, located in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, announced Monday that the entrance gate to Magic Island, featuring the sky blue roof -- will turn into an interactive photo zone with moving backdrops on Valentine's Day, Wednesday. When visitors stand in the photo zone and strike a pose,

Paju, a city some 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, looks to attract visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday when many stores, restaurants and travel spots are closed. Tourist sites located near the banks of the Imjin River in Paju, including the Imjingak Peace Gondola, DMZ LIVE Experience Hall and Dokgae Bridge, will be open without any schedule changes. The gondolas will be free for those aged 80 or older. From Feb. 10 to 11, visitors can experience Korean traditional games for free. The Na

The Plaza offers esports-themed promotion Hanwha Resorts’ The Plaza, located in Jung-gu, central Seoul, will soon launch a League of Legends-themed promotion for guests looking to experience Korean esports. LoL is one of the most popular competitive multiplayer video games around the world, and Hanwha sponsors Hanwha Life Esports, a Korean LoL team. The package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room, two tickets for an HLE live match and merchandise created as part of a collaboration b

Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -- is offering special events ranging from fireworks to hands-on traditional and cultural activities during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. Celebrating the Year of the Blue Dragon, Everland offers good luck message cards to all visitors at Everland’s Butterfly Garden and Carnival Square. The cards feature animation characters wishing health, happiness, love, bravery, wealth and more, allowing the visitors

Korea is not known for preserving its modern history, but there are still places where you can get a taste of 20th-century Korea. The Korea Tourism Organization this month recommended several travel destinations outside of Seoul that might evoke nostalgia among older travelers and entertain younger people with a time travel-like experience. Dongkwang Cinema in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province Located in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, Dongducheon has long been famous as a US military bas

This year may be the best time to tour around Iksan, an UNESCO World Heritage city, as the city presents an affordable bus tour service starting from February. Celebrating the Visit Iksan 2024 campaign, the city -- some 190 kilometers south of Seoul in North Jeolla Province -- offers three different bus tours for 2,000 won. The circular type bus tour operates on weekends and holidays, from 9:50 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Departing from Iksan Station, the bus visits the city’s popular tourist destin

The first foreigners-only casino in almost two decades is set to open on Saturday in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. Mohegan Inspire Resort, the integrated entertainment resort that will house the casino, confirmed its opening on Friday. The resort, Incheon's latest landmark, got its license from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Jan. 23 to open a new foreigners-only casino in South Korea for the first time in 19 years. Mohegan Inspire Resort’s casino is considered the country&rsqu

Enjoy Everland’s Bao Haus For precious few chances left to make a special memory with Fu Bao, the first panda to be born in Korea, pay a visit to Bao Haus. Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -- opened Bao Haus, a Fu Bao-themed exhibition, on Jan. 20, ahead of the scheduled departure of Korea's favorite panda in April. Fu Bao is due to return to her ancestral home China. The indoor exhibition is located at the center of Everland, presenting

Haevichi Hotel and Resorts unveils Lunar New Year gifts Haevichi Hotel and Resorts is offering new, limited-edition gift sets for the upcoming Lunar New Year's holiday. The sets include pine mushrooms, abalone in soy sauce, perilla oil bibim sauce and a hanwoo sukiyaki meal kit, handpicked by the chefs at Haevichi restaurants. Hanwoo refers to premium Korean beef. The Lunar New Year's gift sets are available on Haevichi’s official website. Gift sets can be ordered in person or by

Making Korea a tourism powerhouse and a sought-after travel destination among young overseas travelers will be the focus of Korea Tourism Organization this year. In a press conference with Korea Tourism Organization officials and 31 directors of the KTO’s overseas offices in central Seoul on Tuesday, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon highlighted the importance of creating eye-catching tourism products and hosting exciting local festivals that allow travelers to truly experien

For some Koreans, spending time at a cafe might be a way to take an emotional refuge or relieve stress from a hectic life. But for many others, a cup of coffee or dessert at a cafe is merely a means to secure a place to work or study. Hoping to showcase the true French dessert culture, including quality time with friends with tea and traditional French nibbles, renowned chef Kim Na-rae presents the “French Gouter” program at the Park Hyatt Seoul in Gangnam, southern Seoul. Gouter, re

Chinese tourists will be able to enjoy more Alipay Plus-related travel and payment options starting in early February, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. Lee Hak-ju, executive vice president of the KTO's international tourism division, signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 24 with his Alipay Plus counterpart Chung Hyung-kwon -- general manager of South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- at KTO Seoul Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Under the deal, two companies will promote smart

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Pyeongchang, a popular summer getaway for families and friends who wish to escape the unrelenting heat, beckons even more holidaymakers in winter. Winter is also the season when Samyang Roundhill, among many farms and ski slopes here, becomes a go-to destination with its iconic wind turbines and seemingly unending snow-covered open grassland. While a number of programs -- including taking care of calves, border collies herding sheep and feeding sheep and ostriche

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province -- Chuncheon is one of South Korea’s most sought-after tourist destinations, where travelers can enjoy extensive mountain ridges, breathtaking views of the Soyang River, stylish cafes and the bold neon signs of restaurants. What may surprise some visitors to the area is the signage of an unfamiliar street name which reads “Ethiopia-gil,” meaning "Ethiopia Road" in Korean, in Geunhwa-dong, central Chuncheon. Streets in South Korea are typica