Seoul(Jongno-gu)

After Korea gained independence from Japan in 1945, the former president Lee Seungman and his wife lived in their house called Ihwajang. Even though he moved out of the house after he was elected the first president of Korea, he used to return and visit for walks in the garden. After he relinquished his appointment as president, he stayed here for a while before coming to America as an exile.Ihwajang house consisted of the bonchae, or the main building, which was where Lee Seungman and his wife’s living quarters were, jogakdang(president’s office area) and other buildings. Jogakdang, the president’s office area, is a small and narrow building but it is an important historical place where he had a conference to form the first Korean ministry. Ihwajang house shows the change of Korean traditional house under Japanese control. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Gyeongju National Park is a bevy of cultural preserves dating back to the Silla Kingdom. Unlike the other parks located in the area, this park is segmented into individual districts. However, admission fee covers entry to the entire park because the districts are segmented for the government administration. Because Gyeongju itself is a historic city with many important historic sites and relics, Gyeongju is divided into 7 districts, and the park is divided accordingly. The Namsan area of Gyeongju is called the Namsan District. This is where many stone Buddhist statues, stone pagodas and about 100 temples sites are found. Here you can find Poseokjeong Pavillion, which was part of the living quarters the king had prepared outside of the palace for feasts. The Namsan District contains many relics spread about the area. You might feel like you took a ride on a time machine to a Buddhist temple of the past. Another district is the Tohamsan Mountain District. Here you will find the most famous tourist sites of Gyeongju, Bulguksa Temple. Bulguksa Temple was built in 535, during the reign of King Beopheung (514~540) of the Silla Kingdom and is located at the edge of Tohamsan Mountain. In front of Daeungjeon, there is Dabo Pagoda (10.4m high) to the east and the 3-story Seokga Pagoda (8.2m) to the west. These two pagodas are known as the most artistically constructed Korean stone pagodas, domestically and internationally. On the east side of Tohamsan Mountain is Seokguram, which is called the principal Korean Buddhist statuary. Within the Daebon District, a district of Gyeongju National Park, is King Munmu’s Sujungreung. Nearby the King Munmu’s Sujungreung Tomb there is the Gameunsaji 3-Story Stone Pagoda, which was built to honor King Munmu. In downtown Gyeongju there is a palace built on a half-moon shaped hill called Banwolseong and there is also the oldest stone relic in the east, called Cheomseongdae Observatory (9.2m high). Cheomseongdae Observatory was built and used as an astronomical observatory during the reign of Queen Seon-Deok (reigned 632~647). Between Cheomseongdae and Wolseong is the Gyerim Forest, where Kim Al-Ji (65~?), the progenitor of the Kim family, was born. The name Gyerim was also once used as the country name of Silla. Half a kilometer west of Cheomseongdae is Hwangnamdong where Jeonmachong is located. Anapji Pond, which was built to serve noble guests and where feasts were held, is also located in downtown Gyeongju. Gyeongju National Museum is located in Inwang-dong, Gyeongju, where the relics from 1,000 years of the Silla Kingdom are preserved.


Gangwon-do(Pyeongchang-gun)

Alpensia Ski Resort has six slopes for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy. Runs as long as 1.4km provide a dynamic experience for both beginners and experienced skiers and snowboarders. There is also an area exclusively for advanaced snowboarders to practice their skills. Alpensia is not just for winter revellers: the year-round resort transforms the lower, Apron Area, of the mountain into a 100,000㎡ wild flower garden during summer months.


Busan(Suyeong-gu)

Located between Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach, the Millak Waterfront Park is the first park in Korea to combine the oceanfront with public rest and leisure facilities. The park (about 33,000㎡) can accommodate up to 40,000 people and boasts convenience facilities such as gardens, shaded rest areas, and benches. The 3,040㎡ platform from which visitors can overlook the beach also serves as a place where people can dip their feet in the ocean when the tide is high.


Gyeonggi-do(Yongin-si) , Yongin

Paik Nam-june explained: ‘Marcel Duchamp achieved everything in every field except for video art. He created a large entrance and an extremely small exit. The small exit is video art. When we take the exit, we are out of the scope of influence of Marcel Duchamp.’ The NJP Art Center is a creative space, wherein it is possible to practice the ‘mediation of endless potential unfolded outside the exit of Duchamp’. As a space of ‘introspective anarchy of infinite light and life’, the NJP Art Center aims to become a venue for the ‘escape from enlightenment’, going beyond enlightenment. Paik Nam-june, who was well versed in aesthetics and music, rather than the figurative arts, discovered a new ‘exit’ by combining electronic music and happenings. He didn’t regard video and television, with their great disseminative power, or communication networks, as a means for communicating messages, but as an explosion of time, instead creating a space for mandala-based televisuals, and for participation by the public where ‘consilience’ among heterogeneous fields can take place.Inheriting the spiritual legacies of Paik Nam-june, the NJP Art Center will expand the possibilities of creating new media for information and communication in the information age, and create a new space for cultural participation from aesthetic, ethical, and political perspectives. The center aims at expanding effective, creative consumption by encouraging reflections on the aspects of human existence that are still involuntary and lack freedom. The center aspires to become a space for cultural mediation that expands the space of freedom’s activities throughout the globe.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

There are ancient palaces well-matched with modern buildings in Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone. Not only cultural assets from Joseon Dynasty, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, but a number of museums are also located in this zone. Those who visit this zone can encounter diverse streets like Insa-dong Culture Street, Gwancheol-dong Street of Youth, Jewelry Shopping Street, Seun Electronics Market, Lighting Store, Gwangjang Market and Stationary Store Street. Besides these areas, there is still more to see in this zone. Today, the zone is a must-visit place for foreign tourists. Visitors can experience Korean culture and traditions at Sancheong-dong, Bukchon and Insa-dong. Bukchon offers Hanok (Korean traditional house) stays and cultural experiences, and visitors can feel the aesthetic essence of Korean culture. Restaurants around Insa-dong and Samcheong-dong serve fusion cuisine as well as traditional dishes. Along the streets are galleries of various sizes where one can spend some quiet time. Gwanghwamun Gate, where newspaper companies, government and public agencies and bookstores are located, is a great place to learn about the lifestyle and culture of people in Seoul. The trail along Cheonggyecheon Stream is well-managed. In the area around Jongno there are more than 14,000 shops and stores dedicated to fashion, including clothing and footwear, jewelry, electronics, stationary goods and accessories. There are many unique things to see. Many of them are old and have stood witness to the ups and downs of the area for decades. Various festivals take place in the area around Jongno and Cheongyecheon Stream, and it is worthwhile to take a look at the narrow alleys that hold on to the atmosphere of an old neighborhood. It is also near Cheongwadae, the presidential residence. For a Cheongwadae tour, it is required to submit an application in advance. * Current State Jongno & Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone 1) Districts Covered: Gwanghwamun Building~ Sungin-dong Intersection (Areas around Seorin, Gwancheol, Gwansu, Jangsa and Yeji-dong, parts of Sinmunno 1(il)-ga, Jongno 1 (il) to 6 (yuk)-ga, Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul) 2) Area: 540,602㎡ * Tourist Attractions palaces, art galleries, museums, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine (UNESCO World Heritage)


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Located in Dongsung-dong, Daehakro (College Street), The Lock Museum displays an impressive array of locks. The owner of the museum, Mr. Choi Hong-gyu worked as a hardware shop employee most of his life and ran his own store, Choi Family Hardware in Gangnam. He invested all of his fortune to make The Lock Museum. Opened in November 2003, The Lock Museum boasts locks, keys, and key holders from around the world. The museum aims to collect, preserve, and study Korean locks and to promote their benefits and design worldwide.The Lock Museum is an important spot in which visitors are exposed to new perspectives on locks. It offers visitors the opportunity to understand the cultural and aesthetic meaning of them. Centered on visitors, the museum will continue to be a facilitator of cultural communication between visitors and locks. 


Daegu(Jung-gu)

Kim Gwangseok-gil Street is a mural street near Bangcheon Market where the now deceased Kim Gwangseok used to live. The 350m long wall has statues and murals depict his life and music. Every autumn, the area of Bangcheon Market and Dongseongno hosts a “Kim Gwangseok’s Singing Contest.”


Daegu(Jung-gu)

The house of entrepreneur and activist Seo Sang-don is located in the heart of Daegu. Seo ran a business manufacturing paper, linen, and cotton products, and briefly managed text crops for the government. In 1907, in an effort to repay national debt and to gain independence from Japan, Seo launched the National Debt Repayment Movement as well as a nationwide campaign calling for people to quit smoking.In celebration of Seo's leadership, the City of Daegu restored Seo's old house and opened it to the public. The City also built the National Debt Repayment Park and erected a statue of Seo in his honor.


Jeju-do(Seogwipo-si) , Seogwipo

Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포), named 'The pond of God', consists of 3 sections. Around the falls, a variety of plant life thrives, such as the rare ‘solipnan’ reeds. To the east, there is a cave where cold water pours from the ceiling to create a waterfall.The water from the first waterfall divides into the second and third waterfalls, which then flow into the sea. In Cheonjeyeon Valley, visitors can see “Seonimgyo Bridge” (arch bridge with 7 nymphs carved on the side) and the octagonal “Cheonjeru tower”. Seonimgyo Bridge is also called “Chilseonyeogyo”(meaning "seven nymphs bridge") and it connects Cheonjeyeon with the Jungmum Tourist Complex.On the surface of Cheonjeru Tower, there is a painting that tells Cheonjeyeon’s legend of the nymph and mountain god. In May of every even-numbered year, the Chilseonyeo Festival is held here.