Seoul(Seongbuk-gu)

The Choi Sunu House is the old residence of Hyegok Choi Sunu (1916-1984), who lived in this house from 1976 until the day he passed away. The house is designated as Korea’s Registered Cultural Property No. 268. Choi Sunu was a leading art historian who served as the director of the National Museum of Korea. He devoted his life to rediscovering the beauty of Korean art and made many academic accomplishments in the areas of Korean ceramics, traditional woodcraft, and the history of painting.The Choi Sunu House is an open-rectangular planned hanok (Korean traditional house) composed of an L-shaped outbuilding and an upside down L-shaped main building that face each other. It shows the typical urban traditional style house that was prevalent in the Seoul area in the 1930s. The house has been open to the public as the Hyegok Choi Sunu Memorial Hall since 2004. The memorial hall displays Choi Sunu’s relics as a permanent exhibition and holds special exhibitions in the fall as well as cultural programs every spring and fall.


Daejeon(Yuseong-gu)

Daejeon World Cup Stadium is one of the stadiums where games were held during the 2002 World Cup Korea/Japan. The stadium can accommodate up to 42,000 fans. Korea advanced to the quarterfinals on this field and it is still frequented by many when World Cup or Olympic games are broadcasted.


Seoul(Dongdaemun-gu) , Dongdaemun

Dapsimni Antique Art Street is where the travelers can stumble upon good old paintings, antique furniture and pottery, as well as, a variety of household items. These antique shops used to scatter all around the area of Cheonggyecheon Stream 8(pal)-ga, Itaewon, and Ahyeon-dong, wand has now gathered up around dapsimni areas since the mid-1980s. There are about 140 shops lined up along the streets.It is quite fun to browse through antiquities including wooden candlesticks, grandfather clocks, old picture frames, which are usually hard to find in usual stores. This is also the reason to that explains why it not only attracts Koreans but also international visitors to this street. Shops in Insa-dong, also known for the sale of antiqes, typically and mainly sell good quality and expensive antiques, while dapsimni is known for a wide assortment of small items with reasonable prices, starting from a few one thousand won.


Seoul(Yongsan-gu)

Villa Sortino is an authentic Italian restaurant opened by Chef Santino Sortino and is well known in the expat community for its traditional, rustic Italian cuisine. The interior walls are stacked with wine, offering an exotic and comforting ambience. With tables arranged with privacy in mind, it is also a nice place for quiet family gatherings or business meetings.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

The tomb of General Kim Yusin (595-673) is Historic Site No. 21. It is located in a scenic area thick with pine trees, on the eastern hill of Songhwasan Mountain.Known as the Hero of the Silla Kingdom, General Kim Yusin was the great grandson of King Guhae, the last king of the Geumgwan Gaya Dynasty, and the son of Seo Hyeon, a great general of the Silla Kingdom. Yusin joined the Hwarang (aristocratic youth military corps) at 15 and began dreaming of ways to unify the peninsula’s three kingdoms.Kim Yusin gained his political foothold by establishing a strong relationship with nobleman Kim Chunchu and made a name for himself through his valor on the battlefield.When Kim Chunchu eventually succeeded to the throne as the 29th king of the Silla Kingdom (changing his name to King Muyeol), Kim Yusin rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the extraordinarily high-ranking position of Sangdaedeung in the year 660 (7th year of King Muyeol’s reign). Kim Yusin then went on to defeat the Baekje Kingdom in cooperation with the Tang Dynasty, also later conquering the Goguryeo Kingdom in the year 668.The Tang Dynasty turned against Silla after the collapse of Goguryeo, but was defeated by Kim Yusin’s army in cooperation with the armies of Goguryeo and Baekje. With the fall of the Tang, Kim Yusin finally realized his dream of unifying the three kingdoms and was appointed the highest government post in Silla in honor of his heroic achievement.The tomb of General Kim Yusin is a large tomb measuring roughly 30m in diameter. The relief carvings of 12 Oriental zodiac gods (half man, half animal) stand guard around the tomb, brandishing weapons. The elaborately decorated tomb is second in grandeur only to those of royalty, further underscoring Yusin’s major contribution in unifying the three kingdoms.The path to this tomb is also a sight not to be missed. The street leading up to the tomb is called Heungmu-ro, and has been selected as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Streets in Korea. The street is full of cherry blossoms in spring and is famous for being a great place to take a walk or go for a drive.


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

This is the place you come back to because of the memorable taste. The marbling of the meat is so even that it looks like a piece of art. This is the right place to visit if you would like to treat your family or important guests. *Best Korean Restaurant as designated by The Seoul Metropolitan Government    


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Opened in 1991, Jihwaja hopes to introduce ‘Royal Cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty’ (Intangible Cultural Property No. 38) to the public. Using fresh seasonal ingredients all year-round, it is recognized as the best royal cuisine restaurant in Korea. Here you can experience the unique food culture and the secret recipes of the family of Hwang Hye-seong using all your five senses.


Incheon(Ganghwa-gun) , Ganghwado Island

Goryeogung Palace Site on Ganghwado Island is the site of the royal palace where the people of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) resisted the Mongolian invasion for 39 years. In June 1232, King Gojong moved his capital to Ganghwa on account of its natural and strategic advantages. The construction of the government office and the royal palace in Ganghwa was completed in 1234. Ganghwado Island holds historical significance as the place where metal type was developed and where the Palman Daejanggyeong (the Tripitaka Koreana printing woodblocks) were made during the Goryeo dynasty. Upon the conclusion of the peace treaty with Mongolian forces in May 1270, the capital was moved back to Gaeseong (present-day Gaeseong in North Korea), and the royal palace in Ganghwa was subsequently destroyed.In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), Haenggung (the king’s temporary palace) was constructed on the same site as the Goreyo palace. During the Byeongjahoran (Chinese invasion of Korea) in 1637, the palace was conquered by the force of Ching dynasty of China. Afterward, Ganghwa Yusubu (Ganghwa governor’s office) buildings were built on the palace site. Nowadays, the only structures that remain are the Dongheon main office (built in 1638) and Ibangcheong administration office (built in 1654). The palace and its subsidiary buildings were restored in 1977.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Hyoja Bakery is a cozy and small bakery famous for supplying nutritious and healthy baked goods for Cheongwadae (the Blue House), Seoul Government Complex and 10 kindergarten schools. The bakery has been in the same spot for nearly 3 decades, located in Seochon, Jongno-gu. The 24/7 store is 3 stories tall, where the 2nd and 3rd floors are used for producing delicious breads, and the 1st floor is the sales venue. From donuts, to croquettes and bagels, they make a wide variety of delicious breads. Among the many great treats, the most famous is the homemade corn bread filled with sweet corn, minced onion, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Although Hyoja does not have point saving cards like many chain stores do, it does offer a lot of free samples, and additional free breads for purchases over 10,000 won. Customers make repeat visits for this kind of service only found at small bakeries like Hyoja.


Chungcheongnam-do(Buyeo-gun)

Nakhwaam is a rock cliff towering over Baengmagang River in the northern end of Busosan Mountain. According to the legend, this is where the royal court women of Baekje jumped off to kill themselves when the kingdom of Baekje was defeated during the invasion of Sabiseong Fortress (now Busosanseong Fortress in Buyeo) by the Shilla-Tang Alliance. The name of this rock, Nakhwaam, literally means "the cliff of falling flowers" and symbolizes the fidelity and loyalty of Baekje women.