During the Gihae Persecution of 1839, three French Catholic priests were sentenced to death for spreading Catholicism in Korea. Saint Laurent Joseph Marius Imbert (Bishop), Saint Pierre Philibert Maubant (Priest), and Saint Jacques Honore Chastan (Priest) were beheaded on September 21, 1839 at Saenamteo (currently Saenamteo Catholic Holy Place of the Martyrs) and their bodies were buried at Samseongsan Mountain and later transferred to the grotto of Myeondong Cathedral.

Between Dobongsan and Suraksan mountains (northern Seoul), a special botanical garden has opened its doors to the public: Seoul Iris Garden (aka Seoul Botanical Garden). The garden (measuring 52,417㎡) boasts a wide array of irises, one of the world’s top flowers, and consists of 12 different themed zones including ‘Iris Garden,’ ‘Medicinal Plant Garden,’ and ‘Wetland Park.’At the Iris Garden, 130 species of irises (300,000 individual plants) are on display on a plot of land measuring 15,000㎡. Species include yellow iris, iris setosa, iris pallasii, and iris domestica, each boasting its own brilliant colors and delicate shape.The Medicinal Plant Garden is home to 70 different species (130,000 plants) of medicinal plants, allowing visitors to view the largest selection of medicinal herbs in the country.Wetland Park presents 70,000 wetland plants and houses an observatory deck from which visitors may view and learn about the diverse aquatic plants.Cheoni Observatory within the garden provides visitors with a place take in the beautiful scenery. The nearby forest lounge is a rest area for visitors as well as a center of operations for the park’s ecological education programs.Irises are in bloom from May to June of every year, but are even a sight to behold during the rest of the warmer months, given the delicate shape of their leaves.

Located in Naejangsan National Park, the thick-wooded Geumseon Valley provides both a refuge from the summer sun, and a wonderful view of the autumn foliage. The valley’s foliage is more colorful and lasts longer than those in other mountains. Indeed, the valley takes it names from the stunning crimson leaves, which are often compared to elegant silk embroidery.Visitors can reach Geumseon Valley on one of the park’s most popular hiking trails, which starts from Iljumun Gate and passes by Naejangsa Temple, Yonggul Cave, and Geumseon Falls, before returning to Iljumun Gate. The hike takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Gonpo Cruise Boat takes you around the picturesque area of Taejongdae and Achi Island. Achi Island is well known for its abundance of Camellia trees and is sometimes referred to as Camellia Island. The Korea National Maritime University was established here in 1974. This 40-minute cruise guarantees magnificent views for all.

 

Dongnimmun stands at a spot originally known as Yeongeun, where envoys were once treated. When a Chinese envoy visited, the King would go out through this door to greet him. It's in 1897, to announce that our independence to Japan, Russia which had influence and threatened China, Korea for a long time.The expense for the construction was collected as a fund by Korean citizens. The traces of the past still remain on Dongnimmun. The two pillars in front of Dongnimmun are the remains of Yeongeunmun.The Arc de Triomphe in France can be recalled in comparison to Dongnimmun. Dongnimmun was built up with a granite wall, and there is a passageway with a x_height of 14.28 meters. On the top it is written ‘Dongnimmun’ in Korean with the national flag drawn on each side. On the inner-left side there are stone stairs leading to the attic. The national flower Mugunghwa are planted around Dongnimmun. Now it is surrounded by roads and it is eye-catching to view when passing by.

Gapyeong Sledding Hills are open throughout the year. It normally operates from the beginning of December to early March. Unlike other sledding Hills using artificial snow, Gapyeong has artificial grass under its snow as well as the characteristic of having the sun behind the hill so that the snow does not melt. Thus, operating hours are prolonged by 1 month until the end of winter on natural snow.Gapyeong Sledding Hills features two slopes for adults and two for children. With the set up of the ‘horizontal baby-walker (moving walker)', going up the hill is easy just by standing on the sled. Next to the children’s slope, there is a separate snow house and a place for snowball fights.In addition, visitors can experience the unique fun of summer sleighing with the operation of the Water Sledding Hills in summer from the middle of July to October.Gapyeong Sledding Hills also operate the ‘Ice Sledding Hills’ during winter, and it is available with no extra fee.When coming from Seoul, take the bus to Hyeon-ri from the Seoul Sangbong Bus Terminal and get off at Deokhyon-ri Gapyeong Sledding Hills.

The Taehwagang River cuts across the heart of Ulsan City and flows into Ulsan Bay, which is connected to the East Sea. The river basin, which stretches 36 kilometers from east to west and 28 kilometers from north to south, is mostly comprised of mountainous terrain, but there is fertile land on both sides of the river and at the southern end of the river. The Taehwagang River is presently an important source of drinking water for the citizens of Ulsan. Taehwagang Simnidaebat is an extensive bamboo field covering the areas between Taehwa Bridge and Samho Bridge along the Taehwagang River. The bamboo field, which is about 4 kilometers long and 20-40 kilometers wide, was created by the villagers in hopes of preventing the frequent flooding that occurred during the Japanese colonial period. Today it is a rich bamboo forest. In spring, the flowering plant garden in Taehwagang Grand Park offers splendid scenery created by over 60 million spring flower blossoms from 7 different species that include poppies, cornflowers, and golden coreopsis. It is the largest single riverside flowering plant garden in the country.

Exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum encompass all aspects of marine and ocean life. These include the culture, history, famous figures in the industry, maritime vessels, ocean creatures, ocean life experience, maritime industry, marine territory and development and ocean science. It is by far, one of the top maritime museums in Korea. The museum holds over 14,000 pieces of historic items and relics that have witnessed the history and are relevant to the future of the ocean life. These are on display in the eight different permanet  exhibition halls, the special exhibition hall and the children's exhibition hall. The museum also has a library, an aquarium, a grand auditorium, an outdoor performance stage, and a 4D theatre offering a multi-cultural experience to the visitors.

The bronze statue of the Soyanggang Maid, which was dedicated by the City of Chuncheon in 2005 to promote the beloved Korean song of "Soyanggang Cheonyeo" (Soyanggang Maid) and the Soyanggang River, is a large statue standing 7 meters tall. The modern statue strikes a balance with the Soyanggang River and its surrounding scenery. The statue is located at the intersection of Soyanghoban in the direction of Gongjicheon.