Travel/Culture List

The Odusan Unification Observatory opened to the public in 1992. It is one of the national tourist spot where foreigners choose to visit and experience the stark reality of the divided Peninsula. From this observation platform, Songaksan Mountain in the city of Gyeseongi and 63 Building in Seoul are visible.This observatory has five floors above ground and one underground. Various photos and computerized screens showing the reality of North Korea are displayed on the first and second floor. Products from North Korea can also be purchased here.

'Central Park' is a seaside park built within Songdo International City, a green paradise found among the crowded skyscrapers in the city. Visitors can enjoy a water taxi ride on the man-made waterway, take a stroll at the walking promenades or various themed meadows around.

Wolmido Island (월미도), located roughly 1km off the coast of Incheon, has since become part of the mainland with the creation of a new highway. The name Wolmido Island comes from the shape of the island as it resembles the tail of a half moon. Thanks to its location near Seoul and the convenient transportation, many people visit here during weekends. The Culture Street starts with Doodle Pillar, and continues onward to Meeting Square, Arts Square, Performance Square, Good Harvest Square and several other notable highlights. Throughout these areas, spontaneous performances are performed, and street artists can draw for you on the spot. Moreover, many cafes and seafood restaurants are lined along the coast so you can enjoy coffee or fresh seafood while viewing the sea. A must-see attraction on Wolmido Island is "Play Hill." It’s not as large as other theme parks in Korea, but the Apollo Disco and the Viking rides are truly thrilling. If you're not into rides, the Apollo Disco ride is still fun just watching. You can also get on a cruise to look around the island.  

The street from the Cheongdam Station intersection to Galleria Department Store is lined with luxury brand stores and designated as the special fashion zone “Cheongdam-dong Fashion Geori (Street). Often frequented by celebrities, the area became a popular tourist destination for Hallyu fans.

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, exhibits traditional and modern works of art by Korean and international artists. The museum itself is just as fascinating as the works of art on display, since its three buildings were designed by the internationally renowned architects, Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel, and Rem Koolhaas. MUSEUM 1 houses traditional Korean works of art, such as calligraphy, paintings, ceramic arts, and metal craftwork, while MUSEUM 2 displays modern and contemporary art by both Korean and foreign artists. On Saturday and Sunday guided tours in English are conducted at 3pm. If you plan to visit during the weekdays and wish to receive an English guided tour, you will need to call at least 2-3 days in advance to make a reservation. Audio guides in English, Japanese, and Chinese are available, which provide detailed information on the works of art. These can be rented at the museum for a small fee. This is one of the places that the "first ladies of the Seoul G20" visited during the G20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010. This attraction represents the beauty of Korea.

Yongdusan Park, one of the most popular mountains in Busan Yongdusan in downtown Busan, is one of the 3 well-known mountains in Busan. Its old name is Songhyunsan, which means a mountain has a view of the sea through the dense fine tree forest. Later the name has changed into Yongdusan. It came from its shape, which is similar to dragon head and people thought it has a spirit to defeat enemies coming over the sea. On the mountain were shrine built by Japanese people during Japanese colonial role, but now are Cheokhwabi monument (the stone monument to the exclusion of foreigners from the country), Chunghontap (memorial tower for Korean war victims), 4.19 Revolution monument (the student's anti-government revolt), the statue of General Lee Sunsin(the great commander in Joseon Dynasty period(1392-1910)) and Busan tower. During Korea war, displaced people built houses on it even on the top, but 2 times of big fires took all them away making it bald mountain. Since then, fierce efforts to plant trees have created such beautiful park. The name of the park was once Unam park in the time of the Liberal Party’s ruling but it went back to Yungdosan park after April revolution (1960). It is a place with beautiful scenery. Especially the night landscape from Busan tower is magnificent. Attractions of Yongdusan Park *Busan Tower(73.11.21) – 129m high (2 lifts), 1,510㎡ (Exhibition hall and Souvenir shop) * Palgakjeong (Octagonal Pavillion) (73.11.21) – 3 stories, 915㎡ (1F:Aquarium, 2,3F:resting place) *Exhibition pavilion(73.11.21) – 2 stories, 1,900㎡ *Statue of the Great general Lee Sunsin(56.3.20) – 12m high * Cheongdongyongtap (Bronze Dragon tower) (89.9.7) – 4m high, Donganhuijehyungsang(a bust of an activist for national independence, An Huije (pen name, Dongan) – stone bust *Flower clock (73.10.8))- 5m in diameter *Welfare Center for the Elderly - 413㎡ *Literary monuments – 9 monuments made of native rock *Busan citizens’ bell pavilion - 60.84㎡ of floor area, 11.62 m high * Buddhist temple      

Established by Korea International Trade Association and COEX, COEX Artium is a spacious muscial performance hall with over 800 seats. High quality and diverse musical or theatrical performances are held year-round to satisfy both Korean and international visitors. Foreign language services (English, Japanese, and Chinese) are also available. It has the Trade Promotion Exhibition Hall. Near COEX Artium are many performance halls such as COEX Art Hall (184 seats), Auditorium (1058 seats), Convention Hall (7,000 seats), ang Grand Conference Room (450 seats), making the COEX area a main place for cultural and musical performances in Seoul. Visitors may want to visit the COEX website (www.coex.co.kr) to find out information on various performances.

Seonunsa Temple was built during the Baekje Dynasty (18 BC-678 AD). It was originally a very large temple, but much was lost during the Jeongyujaeran (the 2nd Japanese Invasion in 1597). Seonunsa Temple includes the treasured relics of Daeungbojeon, Manseru, Yeongsanjeon, and Myeongbujeon Pavilions, together with four additional Buddhist grottos that include Dosoram.Soenunsa Temple is famous for its camellia flowers. On the low hill behind the Daeungbojeon Pavilion, there are numerous camellia trees. In the spring, the brilliant camellias shower Seonunsa Temple in vibrant colors. These flowers, which frequently appear in literature as well, are designated as Natural Monuments. Seonunsa temple is also known for its beautiful surroundings throughout the year. In the spring, cherry blossoms, and in the summer sangsa flowers decorate the road to the Dosoram area, and fall leaves and winter sceneries are beautiful as well.The Budo Field, a gathering place for monks' relic is another must-see spot at Seonunsa Temple. There are Budo fields at other larger temples, but those in Seonunsa Temple are located in a lush grove with several small Budo towers that blend beautifully with the surrounding trees. You can also see Jinheung Cave and the huge Maaebul (rock-carved Buddha) when you visit the Dosoram area.

The Trickeye Museum is an art gallery with paintings created using 'trompe l'oeil' techniques that give each 2D art piece the illusion of being in 3D. Instead of merely viewing paintings (as in a typical art gallery) visitors can interact with the paintings, posing themselves just right so that they look as if they are part of the original work. To ensure that even its busiest patrons have time to enjoy the fun, the museum stays open each day until 9PM, making it a popular date and hang-out place.* Opening date: December 15, 2010* Tour course: Trickeye Museum – Ice Museum - Carnival Street* Trickeye Museum's TV appearances1) EBS ‘Bonihani’ (Children’s educational program)Children visited the Trickeye Museum to discover the science behind trick art paintings and to demonstrate the principles.2) KBS ‘Scandal of Masterpieces’Discussion on the new approach/interpretation of the painting ‘Scream’ by Edvard Munch. 

Providing products and services for all your skin care needs, the Lee Ji-eun Red Club is located in the bustling area of Myeong-dong, and has several other stores throughout Seoul. The chain of shops offers various programs including skin care, body care, and wedding courses.Perhaps the shop’s most alluring characteristic is that it provides customers with a wide variety of programs to choose from with basic skin care needs firmly in mind. Programs range from moisturizing treatments, acne treatments, and skin elasticity treatments to whitening treatment and keratin treatments. More importantly, cosmetics used during the skin care treatments are all available exclusively at the Lee Ji-eun Red Club. Products are all natural and purely organic to minimize skin irritation.The shop offers 2-person couple rooms and 4-person rooms to choose from. For a more convenient skin care experience, be sure make a reservation at least a day before your visit (+82-2-774-2955 Korean, English, Japanese).