Seoul(Jung-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Myeong-dong, Namdaemun and Bukchang-dong are widely known among international visitors as hot spots for shopping and food. Myeong-dong is a popular destination for shopping, culture, arts and fashion. Major shopping malls such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Myeong-dong Migliore and Samik Fashion Town are located here. Shoppers can find a variety of products here from high-end items to relatively inexpensive clothes. There’s also no shortage of street food, traditional restaurants, coffee shops and fancy cafes. Namdaemun Market is the biggest traditional market in Korea. Visitors can purchase souvenirs and local produce at an affordable price in the shopping complex crowded with stores and street stalls. The market sells a variety of clothes, kitchenware, toys, accessories, food, flowers and imported goods. Bukchang-dong and Sogong-dong have high-end accommodations including Lotte Hotel Seoul and Westin Chosun Seoul, duty-free shops, and restaurants serving traditional dishes. [Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong Special Tourist Zone] Areas included: Myeong-dong, Hoehyeon, Sogong-dong, Bukchang-dong, Mugyo-dong and Da-dong, Seoul Area size: 872,809㎡ Tourist attractions: Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong, Department Stores (Lotte Department and Shinsegae Department Store, etc.), Traditional Market, Duty-free Shop, Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, etc.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

The Namsan Cable car runs from the base of Namsan Mountain (located in central Seoul) up to the Namsan Tower, one of the most representative tourist attractions in Seoul, loved by tourists and residents alike. The new cable cars, which have been in operation since Dec. 6, 2008, have an increased capacity of 48 people per car (up from 38). Unlike the older cars, the new cable cars have glass on all four sides, giving riders a wider view of the mountainside. Approximately 50,000 people ride the Namsan Cable Car each month. Visitors who are looking for a more tranquil tour are advised to go in the morning. For both a daytime and nighttime view of Seoul and the tower, take the cable car up the mountain in the late afternoon and coming back down in the early evening (to beat the nighttime rush). To get to the cable cars without having to walk too much, take the Namsan Oreumi, (Namsan outdoor elevator). The Namsan Oreumi is the first inclined outdoor elevator in Korea. It runs a distance of 140m (from the entrance of Namsan 3rd Tunnel to the parking lot of the Namsan Cable Car) and takes visitors to the Namsan Cable Car station in about two minutes, as opposed to the usual 20-min. walk. Maximum capacity is 20 people and operating hours are the same as the Namsan Cable Car (09:00 to 23:30). The other way to get to the Namsan Cable Car station is by going out of exit 3 of Myeongdong Station, subway line 4 (see ‘directions’ section for details).


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Woljeongsa Temple is located in the forest of the valley east of Mt. Odaesan, and it is composed of 60 temples and 8 monasteries made into one large temple. Woljeongsa Temple was established by Monk Ja Jang (590~658). At Woljeongsa Temple there is the Seongbo Museum where you can view the Buddhist culture of the Goryeo Dynasty (918∼1392), the nine-story octagonal pagoda, also called as the Sari-Pagoda (relic pagoda), and the Stone Seated Buddha figure. Also there is the Jeokmyeolbogung where Buddha's bones are said to be preserved, and the large sermon hall Jeokgwangjeon Pavilion. Usually in a Jeokgwangjeon Pavilion the Vairocana figure is enshrined, but it is interesting that the Sakyamuni figure is enshrined at Jeokgwangjeon Pavilion at Woljeong temple. Woljeongsa Temple of today was restored after the Korean war in 1950 when the Chilbulbojeon, Yeongsanjeon, Gwaneungjeon, Jinyeonggak and 17 other buildings were burned. Many cultural assets and historic data were lost at this time. The Silla Dongjong, which was excavated from the Seonrimwon site in Yangyang-gun, was also lost. The Budo site (relic site) and sagoji (historic document storage) is nearby Woljeongsa Temple. The Budo site is a 15-minute walk from the Woljeongsa Temple to its location at the Sangwonsa Temple, just before crossing the Banya Bridge. Here there are 22 pagodas that hold the remains of the monks who had lived here. Sagoji is an hour’s walk from Woljeongsa Temple towards Sangwonsa near Yeonggamsa Temple.


Seoul(Gwangjin-gu) , The Eastern Part of the Seoul

The Walkerhill outdoor ice-skating rink has a "Magical Snowland" theme where visitors can feel like they have suddenly stepped into a fairy tale village. The holiday atmosphere is made more festive by the Christmas tree, the more than 2,000 Christmas lights, and the romantic music. While skating, visitors can enjoy the beautiful view of the Hangang river.


Incheon(Nam-gu)

Originally founded as O Ik-hwan Women’s Hospital in 1993, Seoul Women’s Hospital is presently the only hospital specializing in obstetrics and gynecology in Incheon and it is the first women’s hospital to have acquired the medical institution certification. The hospital serves an average of about 5,000 child births annually, 250,000 outpatients, and numerous cases of surgical operations. The hospital has maintained the top ranking delivery rate in Incheon for consecutive years, and is ranked third nationwide. It has 97 beds in total, where 90 of them are for general patients and 7 are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It was approved as a baby-friendly hospital by UNICEF in 2005 and 2009. The hospital provides first aid for high risk infants and premature babies in need of special care or treatment at its neonatal intensive care unit, which is equipped with specialized equipment including 11 incubators, artificial ventilators, and echocardiographs to offer immediate and accurate checkup and treatment. Lastly, the hospital deals with over 800 cases of in vitro fertilization (IVF) a year and over 1,000 cases of artificial insemination (AID) annually. The success rate of pregnancy via IVF was 50% in year 2012. The hospital was designated as a “medical institution specialized in embryo creation” in 2005 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and was registered as a government supported IVF and AID authorized institution in 2006 for couples with sterility issues.


Daegu(Dong-gu)

Palgongsan Natural Park (Gatbawi District) is centered around Palgongsan Mountain, one of the larger mountains in the Taebaek mountain range. Palgongsan Mountain is located 20km northeast from downtown Daegu, where Nakdonggang River and Geumhogang River meet. The mountain has three peaks in a row: Birobong Peak in the center and Dongbong (aka ‘Mitabong,’ 1,155m) and Seobong (aka ‘Samseongbong,’ 1,150m) on either side.In terms of administrational district, the park (30.593㎢ in size) is within Dong-gu, Daegu and has four towns along its border including Yeongcheon-si, Gyeongsan-si, and Chilgok-gun. A number of Buddhist temples including Donghwasa, a headquarters of the 9th Buddhist Parish, are located in the area.The park has numerous rocks and valleys and is carpeted with azaleas in the spring. In the autumn many visitors flock to the park to admire the falls leaves on the trees lining the 16.3km-long road through the park. With vibrant green leaves and a delicate snowscape in the winter, Palgongsan Mt is an attractive destination for visitors throughout the year.[About Gatbawi]‘Gatbawi’ is a statue of Buddha that sits against a rocky cliff of Gwanbong Peak that rises 850m above the sea level. The name ‘Gatbawi’ comes from the fact that the Buddha has a flat rock (‘bawi’) on its head that looks like a Korean traditional hat (called a ‘gat’). The statue, designated Treasure No. 431, is one of the most sophisticated Buddha statues of the 9th Century. Legend has it that the statue grants honest prayers, so every year at sunrise on New Year’s Day people flock to the Buddha statue to make a wish for the new year and see the rising sun.


Incheon(Ganghwa-gun) , Ganghwado Island

Ganghwa Peace Observatory was constructed in the northern area of the Civilian Passage Restriction Line in Cheolsan-ri, Yangsa-myeon. Entry to this area was once strictly prohibited for the general public. Since it opened in 2008, the observatory has been providing accessibility to visitors for them to see the area's natural ecosystem. Ganghwa Peace Observatory also shows images related to the Korean War (1950-1953).[Operating hours]November - February: 09:00-17:00March - May, September & October: 09:00-18:00June - August: 09:00-19:00※ Times are subject to change.


Seoul(Seocho-gu) , Gangnam・Samseongdong(COEX)

The K Art Hall (Formerly, Seoul Center of Education and Culture) is located in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu district. The natural surroundings are beautiful, and the air is very clean. The center has one basement floor, and eleven floors above ground. Its main facilities include the main theater, which can provide for an audience of 1,000, the Culture Center, Art Exhibit, Education Promotion Center, and the Sports Center. Outside the building are the Grass Square, Sculpture Park and Drive-in Theater. The main theater can hold a variety of performances such as plays, dances, movies, operas, musicals, and others. There are frequently performances for children as well. At times, the theater is used as an international stage, as in the case of the Russian Leningrad Ballet company’s performance in 1991. The Culture Center has guest quarters and convention halls, and so is often used for conferences. The Sports Center has an indoor gymnasium, a swimming pool, health and aerobics rooms, a bowling alley, and a golf practice range. The facilities here are used primarily as a resting area. One unusual facility is the outdoor Drive-in Theater. Called “Karma 21,” the theater can accommodate a total of 250,000 cars. Each car is charged 15,000 won a ticket. Usually the latest releases are shown here. The theater is located in “Yangjae People’s Grove” Park, which boasts a very clean environment. It is the perfect spot to relax while enjoying a movie in the fresh air.


Seoul(Songpa-gu) , Jamsil(Lotte World)

BoomBim Hanbok Experience is a hanbok rental shop with a huge range of different hanbok available for patrons. BoomBim is conveniently located next to the major Seoul tourist attractions such as Lotte World, Lotte Tower, Seokchon Lake, and Olympic Park. With indoor attractions and outdoor attractions nearby, no matter what the weather, visitors will be able to comfortable tour Seoul's attractions while dressed up in hanbok. Rent a hanbok and make memories in Seoul!  


Gyeonggi-do(Gapyeong-gun) , Namyangju

Namiseom Zip Wire is an eco-friendly leisure facility established by Gapyeong County Office in partnership with Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and Namiseom Inc. It is one of the biggest zipline facilities in Asia. Riders start from an 80 meter-high tower and zoom down along a wire cable to Jaraseom (640m away) and Namiseom / Nami Island (940m away).