Jeju-do(Seogwipo-si) , Seogwipo

When it opened in 1988, Seogwipo Submarine was the first of its kind in Asia the third in the world. Seogwipo Submarine offers safe undersea tours in its recently acquired state of the art submarine from Finland. Munseom, where the submarine travels, is home to outstanding coral reefs, colorful schools of fish, and rich seaweed. The exquisite landscape makes it one of the most beautiful places to dive as well. Going deep into the 40 meter sea-bed, visitors can see countless fish, rare iridescent coral reefs, and a surreal-looking shipwreck with schools of fish surrounding it. Over 20 years of technical knowhow and safe operation (in fact, the longest submarine tour without a single accident on record) make Seogwipo Submarine a must-see attraction on Jeju Island. 


Busan(Suyeong-gu)

Saigon features Vietnamese cuisine, such as wollam ssam (Vietnamese spring roll) and ssal-guksu (pho rice noodle soup).


Seoul(Seongdong-gu)

Running through the central part of the Korean Peninsula, the Hangang River flows from Gangwon-do towards Chungcheongbuk-do, Gyeonggi-do, through Seoul and continues on to the Yellow Sea. The river has witnessed the history of the Korean people for over five thousand years, through good and bad times. The riverside parks offer a nice retreat for the citizens of Seoul. The Namhangang River (South Hangang River), which is the main source, originates from Taebaek-si in Gangwon-do. The water runs north through Goljicheon Stream in Samcheok-si and then passes through Gwangdong Dam before flowing into Songcheon Stream. Songcheon Stream starts from Hwangbyeongsan Mountain (1,407 meters) in Jeongseon-gun and flows into Joyanggang River. After joining Odaecheon Stream, it flows south into Donggang River, which in turn flows into Seogang River. Then after joining Dalcheon Stream in Chungju-si, Seomgang River and Cheongmicheon Stream, the river combines with the branch streams of Yanghwacheon, Bokhacheon, and Heukcheon before it finally joins Bukhangang River (North Hangang River) in Yangsu-ri.


Seoul(Jongno-gu)

The Hwangi Art Museum was opened to honor the works of the painter, Kim Hwan-Gi. Kim Hwan-Gi (1913-1974) was Korea's top artist of modernism. He began painting abstract paintings in 1930, and in 1950 began using nature as his motivation to portray the emotions of Korea. Kim Hwan-Gi was famous for his unforgettable pieces. He is the role model for many young aspiring artists in Korea. On the first floor of the museum there is an art shop with scarves, ties, and other various products with Kim's designs are available for purchase. Upon entering the exhibits all bags must be checked in at the front desk. As you enter, aside from the paintings and art pieces, the most eye-popping sight is the beautifully decorated windows. You cannot help but marvel at their beauty. For those that are tired and need rest, there is a rest area on the second floor. There is a nice outdoor view from this area. Outside you can go for a walk on the trail. As you walk up the narrowing trail you will see a pond, and at the end of the trail you will enter a wooded area where you can rest.


Busan(Jung-gu)

Spris is a multi-brand store that sells shoes, clothing, accessories and sportswear. Of the brands (Everlast, Pony, Polo Ralph Lauren, Spristar, iPanema and Skono) that Spris carries, Pony, the classic American-style sports brand, has been rapidly gaining popularity since its launching in Korea in 2010.


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

From Eungbongsan Mountain (94m) one can easily see the Hangang River, Seoul Forest, Jamsil Sports Complex and more in the eastern part of Seoul. With such a great view of the Hangang River, the mountain are packed with visitors including many photographers. There is a sunrise event on the first day of the year and forsythia festival around April as the mountain is well-known for its forsythia.


Seoul(Mapo-gu) , Yeouido・Yeongdeungpo・Mapo

Lotte City Hotel Mapo is a premium business hotel that opened on March 10, 2009. Conveniently located near Myeongdong, Seoul Station, Hongdae, and Yeouido, it has easy access to public transportation including the airport railroad to Incheon International Airport and Gimpo Airport. The hotel provides 5-star hotel facilities at reasonable prices. The 284 guestrooms include 100 twin rooms, 182 double rooms, and 2 ondol rooms, while the subsidiary facilities include a swimming pool, a gym, and a business center equipped with free internet service, a fax machine, a copy machine, a printer, and stationary. The double rooms feature a spacious workplace for business travelers, while twin rooms have a luxurious and comfortable interior. The family twin rooms are for family travelers, and ondol rooms provide a chance for visitors to experience the traditional Korean lifestyle. The buffet-style hotel restaurant ‘Naru’ features an elegant ambience and fresh dishes cooked at its open kitchen.


Gwangju(Dong-gu)

About a kilometer to the right from the main entrance of Hotel Mudeung Park (무등파크호텔), there is the famous Korean hanjeongsik (Korean table d'hote) restaurant called Myeongseonheon. To maintain the freshness of the food, the restaurant runs on specific business hours (12:00-14:00 for lunch, 17:00-22:00 for dinner) However, the timing may vary by seasons. The table setting is neat and the food is served in a hearty manner. Also, the food is served by course to allow each dish to be appreciated at the right temperature. The traditional hanjeongsik comes with 30 or so dishes that include gulbi-gui (grilled corvina), hongeo-hoe (raw skewed skate), galchi-jorim (braised cutlessfishl), bossam-kimchi (wrapped kimchi with steamed pork), and jeotgal (salted seafood), and each dish is prepared with great care.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Euljiro・Chungmuro・Namsan

                 


Seoul(Jongno-gu)

Located in Bukchon, surrounded by Bugaksan Mountain between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, Rakkojae Seoul is one of the first hanok accommodations opened in the area, and it is a popular tourist spot for the unique beauty of its hanok buildings and delicious restaurants as well as ancient palaces and Insa-dong street. Entering the alleyway along the wall of Jaedong Elementary School, an extraordinary-looking hanok structure with the name plaque ‘Rakkojae’, meaning “a place where one can enjoy the traditions of times past and rest one’s soul”, is found. Rakkojae Seoul is a boutique hanok hotel that was built by renovating an old noble family’s house with a history of 130 years by Human Cultural Asset-Master Carpenter Chung Young-jin. With the quiet and still atmosphere, the hanok hotel has a ‘ㅁ’-shaped hanok structure with various charms including black roof tiles, a red clay wall, a tall gate, a yard with a pond, sotdae (pole), an iron pot and jars, a pavilion, and a garden planted with bamboo and pine trees along the walls. Rakkojae aims to promote the true beauty of the traditional Korean house and provide the best quality services. At the hotel, eating is a matter of the highest priority. Based on Korean style food, guests can choose between standard and high quality Korean table d’hote, which requires an advance reservation. The music performance of gayageum (Korean zither with twelve strings), pansori (epic chant), geomungo (Korean zither with six strings), or daegeum (large bamboo transverse flute) takes place on the floor of the pavilion. It also offers various hands-on programs including a tea ceremony, making Kimchi, and a royal court traditional Korean clothes experience. The room temperature of the Jjimjilbang (Korean dry sauna), the most popular experience among guests, reaches up to 60°C through a furnace. In addition, each room is equipped with a bathtub made of Hinoki cypress. There is an interesting background story about how the owner started running the hanok hotel. Mr. Ahn, who worked for an engineering company in the U.S.A. and came back to Korea after about ten years, originally ran the Korean restaurant. As he was charmed by the hanok structure of the restaurant and wanted to introduce it to his foreign friends, he led trips to ancient hanok buildings from 1994. Then, he heard about the plan to demolish the building of Jindan Academic Society in 2000, and Ahn bought it to establish Rakkojae. With the motivation of promoting the true beauty of Korea to the world, the boutique hanok hotel ‘Rakkojae’ was designed with sophisticated decorations and objects such as old furniture, paintings, elegant ceramics and tea sets.