Travel/Culture List

Busan Democracy Park was created to commemorate and continue the spirit of Busan residents who significantly devoted their lives to develop Korean modern history through the 4.19 Revolution, Buma (Busan and Masan) Democratic Movement and June Democratic Movement. The Middle-scale Theater is used to hold international conference, academic event, various lectures, recitals for singing, play, theater, and dance and Small-scale Theater is used for small-sized conference, lecture and movie theaters. Plays and music concerts usually take places at the Outdoor performance hall and a wedding ceremony is held in the hall over the weekends and holidays. A botanical garden that houses about 400 species of trees and Ilju Path has themed-resting areas along the trail. Nearby attractions are the main library, Democracy Hall, memorial sculptures and other auxiliary facilities.

The Museum of Oriental Embroidery, opened January 11, 2011, exclusively displays the beautiful works crafted by women of the past. Over 500 pieces of Oriental embroidery from Korea, China and Japan are on display, and another 100 Western embroidery works are also displayed in a special exhibition hall. In this cultural space, one can discover the aesthetic world of Oriental embroidery.

Mangwon Riverside Terrace near Mapo-gu is a wide grassy area perfect for taking walks or grabbing a nap. In the summer, visitors can take advantage of the area’s swimming pool or wide variety of summer water sports such as windsurfing, waterskiing and/or motor boating. In the winter, Sled Park gives visitors of all ages a chance to enjoy slipping and sliding around in the snow. The Mangwon Riverside Terrace area also has several cultural and historic sites located nearby, including Mangwonjeong (pavilion) and Jeoldusan Sacred Place (historic site of Catholic martyrs). Finding Mangwon Riverside Terrace is easy; it’s a straight shot from both the Worldcup Stadium and Incheon International Airport.

Sanbangsan Mountain is the result of violent volcanic activity some 700,000 to 800,000 years ago and is in fact a huge body of lava. The cliffs on the southern side of the lava dome are marked with a rich variety of curious formations such as weathering pits and talus scree slopes, some of which are as high as 200m. As its name ‘sanbang’ – literally meaning ‘a cave inside a mountain’ – suggests, this mountain contains a cave, which is located about 150m above sea level and has a spectacular view out over the ocean. Due to its close location to the sea and its high elevation, the peak is often ringed with clouds. The upper slopes of the mountain have their own distinct climatic conditions and are protected for their value for botanical research.The Sanbangsa Temple and also the Bomunsa Temple, which holds the relics of Buddha, are also located on the mountain. Walk along the stone-steps between the two temples and you will find the Sanbanggulsa Grotto. A signal beacon called ‘Yeondae’ in Korean stands at the roadside in front of the mountain, which, in the past, used to fire and smoke to relay urgent messages. Regarding function, it is similar to the more well-known ‘Bongsudae’ signal beacons; but ‘Yeondae’ beacons were built around hilly or coastal areas while ‘Bongsudae’ beacons were built on mountain tops. During the daytime, smoke was used to send warning signals, while fire was used at night.*x_height above sea level: 395.2m/ x_height above ground-level: 345m/ Circumference: 3,780m / Area: 988,332㎡/ Diameter 1,314m

Mt. Seonunsan is a popular destination throughout all four seasons. Visitors here can enjoy camellias, cherry blossoms, cool valleys, thick woods, colorful foliage, and the sight of snow on rock cliffs. The fall season offers a mesmerizing view of crimson leaves and the 1,500-year old Seonunsa Temple.

Camp Greaves is the returned place as of August 2007 after US Army Force withdrawal in 1997. It was a camp base for the 506th US Second Infantry Division for about 50 years after the ceasefire agreement of Korean War. An accommodation for officers, living hall, physical activity hall and several other army facilities remained intact, and are considered to be the 'Modern Cultural Heritage' cultural assets. The camp turned into a peace and security experience facility, and it is located just about 2km away from the DMZ. It is also the first youth hostel to be located within a restricted area for civilians in Paju city. An entire building of the US Army officer’s accommodation was remodeled into youth hostel and it can accommodate up to 240 guests. The hostel is comprised of an office room and a small auditorium on the first floor and rooms on the second through third floors, and a large auditorium on the fourth floor. To fulfill every need of the visitors, the camp offers diverse programs such as Security OX Quiz, making mini jangseung (totem pole), sotdae (wooden pole), camp playing activity, 'Challenge DMZ Golden Bell', and other exciting programs.

Having 1,000 wards, 12 specialized departments and centers, the International St. Mary’s Hospital is a comprehensive medical system and facility for domestic and international patients. Their healthcare system enables personalized service for various medical diseases and cases, and also provides convenient facilities, including a shopping mall, restaurant, theater, golfing range and more for the mental health of their patients and family while staying at the hospital.

Seokbinggo means a freezer made of rocks. It is an ancient refrigerator only in Korea. It is located in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Era (BC57-AD935). The appearance of this wonderful vestige is humble and simple. But you will not be disappointed at the entrance of the freezer. You can feel the cold from inside the structure. Half of Seokbinggo is underground while the other half is above ground, signifying the scientific propensity of Korea. The floor, walls, and ceiling are made of granite and have an airway. The walls are covered with limestone to keep off moisture and water. The floor is slanted to allow melted ice to funnel out. Frozen ice was popular for the upper class. From historical annals, it is assumed that Seokbinggo was made at least 1,500 years ago. Seokbbingo has been designated as National Treasure No. 66.

The Museum of Traditional Music (Gugak) features the Korean first gugak museum, holding about 6,000 pieces of gugak-related materials and relics which have both historical and cultural values. It is comprised of seven themed permanent exhibition halls that present 250 pieces of audio and video clips regarding gugak. In the 3D room, visitors can enjoy 3D animation at all times. Also, various interesting, special and planned exhibitions are held.

This open film set is located in Jorye-dong, Suncheon. It consists of three villages each representing a different era from the 1950s to the 1970s. It has approximately 200 houses and is the largest film set in Korea. The realistic sets bring about memories of people’s youth, while younger visitors can learn about Korea’s history. It therefore attracts a large number of families.The streets of Suncheon in the 1950s have been perfectly recreated. There are the major theater, Jeil Brewery, and the fire station. In the 60s and 70s film sets, visitors can view scenes from Seoul’s history, such as daldongne (residential towns for poor families in uphill areas of Seoul) and shopping streets from the city’s outskirts.Inside the film set, visitors can enter into the spirit of the place by eating buchimgae (pan-fried foods) and dotorimuk (acorn gelatin) at a traditional open Korean tavern, and it’s fun to look for the houses that were featured in some of Korea’s most popular dramas. In the spring, the Woldeung orchard with its outdoor film has beautiful apricot and peach blossoms in the spring.