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

‘Saturday Premium Performance’ takes place 50 times this year from January 7 through December 29. Seventeen different kinds of programs consisting of traditional music, dance, and singing performances will be performed throughout the year. Nine programs are suitable for people who have never experienced Korean traditional performing arts before. They consist of court music, solo performances, solo court music performances, traditional dance, folk dance, and play. These nine programs will be staged 38 times total.There will also be six masters’ programs comprised of performances of the maestros of Gugak (Korean traditional music), traditional dance, and play. Each program will be performed only once. Two intangible cultural asset programs also will be performed, consisting of Korean intangible cultural assets that have been added to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. They will be performed three times each.Whether you are new to Gugak or an avid lover of Gugak, the Saturday Premium Performance offers performances for everyone.


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

'Sushiko' is a Japanese restaurant featuring traditional Kyoto cuisine. The owner of Sushiko packed up his bags after having lived in Japan for a long time, and opened a restaurant with an elegantly refined interior, in Gangnam two years ago. All accessory articles and flower arrangements are designed with the Japanese style in mind, while the interior ambiance is enhanced by the dim lighting. The 1st floor of the 4-story building has a bar, where the chefs can be seen carving sashimi (Dachi), while the 2nd and 3rd floors house rooms able to accommodate anywhere up to 30 people. The restaurant fits the tastes of the younger generation as the basement floor harnesses a wine bar and fushion food. Sushiko serves a variety of cuisine including various sashimi, tuna sashimi, sushi, broiled eel, fried abalone, fried blowfish, and fried prawns.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Chungju-si)


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

Maaeyeoraejwasang consists of a Maebul (a Buddha carved in a cliff) at the very top of 12 Buddha images carved in natural rock caves located in a steep cliff of Golgulam Rock of Girimsa Valley. A painting of the Maaeyeoraejwasang titled "Golgulseokgul" by Gyeomjae Jeongseon, a famous painter of the era, revealed that there was once a wooden room located in front of the Maebul, but today only a hint of the room remains on the rock. The head of the Buddha (Yukgye) is perched solid and high on the body with a clear profile of the face – sharp eyes, small lips and a long and narrow nose. In contrast to the three-dimensional face, the body is broader and flatter. The neck and upper chest sections have eroded over time. The folds in the clothing are nearly parallel, and the arm area has a v-pattern wrinkle, giving it a more realistic and three-dimensional quality. Around the head of the Buddha is a lotus-shaped halo, while the body is surrounded by a rhythmic flame-like halo. The Maebul is believed to have been created during the late Unified Silla Kingdom, as it shows similar craftsmanship to Birojanabuljwasang (National Treasure No. 995), which was created in the year 876 and is located in Chukseosa Temple.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Chungju-si)

The world’s first liquor museum covers an area of 24908 sq. ft. with three floors and a unique entrance gate decorated with a large distiller. The basement floor contains Wine, Beer, Asian Liquor, and Aqua Vitae exhibition halls as well as the Drinking Culture Exhibition where various information on worldwide liquor and its health effects are available.


Gangwon-do(Chuncheon-si)

Chuncheon Station, located in the area formerly known as Gwanghaeju or Chunju during the Goryeo Dynasty, changed its name to its current title in 1413. The name Chuncheon means a cheon (stream) that starts to flow when the ice and snow from the winter melts in the chun (spring). Chuncheon is a Chinese-Korean word and the pure Korean name of the area is “Bom-Nae,” meaning "scent of spring."


Ulsan(Ulju-gun)

Petroglyphs refer to the paintings in which objects and symbols are carved, pecked, and colored on rocks, huge cliffs and cave walls. Some of these rocky paintings are from as early as the late Paleolithic Era, but mostly they are seen from the New Stone Age, Neolithic Era and Bronze Age in which times these paintings were abundant. The upper part of the rock shows various animals including deer pecked into the rock, and the lower part of the rock has writing and drawings of humans, and animals made by penciling. As for the upper part, it is thought to have been made throughout the New Stone Age and Bronze Age to express their consciousness for abundance. In comparision, the painting of a cavalcade, a sailing boat, a dragon, a horse, and a deer and about 300 writings on the lower part of the rock were considered to be done by people during unified Silla, showing their belief of the area as a holy ground.  


Jeollanam-do(Damyang-gun)

Damyang, located in Jeollanam-do, is not only famous for its bamboo trees, but is also for its tteokgalbi, or grilled short rib patties. Tteokgalbibonga, known for its signature tteokgalbi, has become quite famous in the area. With its exquisite resemblance to injeolmi (rice cakes coated with powdered soybeans) and the way it melts in your mouth, it’s no wonder Tteokgalbibonga attracts guests from as far as Japan. Tteokgalbi gets its name from its resemblance to rice cakes, or tteok. In addition to its texture, its savory marinade brings out the meaty flavor of tteokgalbi. Aside from their main dish, hanu (Korean beef) tteokgalbi, they also have dwaejigalbi, bulgogi, and galbi tang available, served with regular side dishes of a Korean set menu, even including a dessert. Tteokgalbibonga is often crowded with customers that you’ll likely have to wait in line if you visit for during the evening.


Gyeongsangnam-do(Changwon-si)

Masan Station connects Seoul, Busan (Bujeon), and Suncheon (Mokpo). From December 15, 2010, the KTX train began offering an express line from Masan to Seoul.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Chungju-si)

The Sangnok Hotel is a first class (four-star) hotel located in Suanbo, an area known for its hotsprings and natural landscape. The hotel has 101 guestrooms, a seminar room, lecture hall, conference room, banquet hall, and grand halls for big gatherings. The hotsprings of Suanbo boast an impressive 1000-year history and the water is known to be benefial for relieving fatigue and treating certain diseases.