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.


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

Little&Much is a dessert cafe that offers flavorful desserts operated by a married patiserrie couple. Variety of cakes are available along with coffees and teas to go with.


Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju-si)

             


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.


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

Woomyunsan Budnamujip is located in the woods. The Seoul Arts Center and the landscape create a real sense of Korean tradition. You can also enjoy the flavor of tradition and the unchanged spirit of the artisan from the dishes prepared with devotion.*Best Korean Restaurant as designated by The Seoul Metropolitan Government.


Jeju-do(Jeju-si) , TheWestern Part of the Jeju Island

Located in Bongseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Saebyeol Oreum (also called Hyoseongak) is a parasitic volcano located almost 520 meters above sea level. It is a famous oreum, which means 'mountain in the Jeju dialect, and hosts the Jeju Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival every year, marking the first full moon day of the lunar calendar. During the festival, the pampas grass covering the oreum is lit and the entire oreum becomes engulfed in flames. The mountain is renowned for it’s elegant curves, connecting ridges as well as being one of the best spots to overlook the nearby landscape.While thickets blanket the North Slope, the rest of the mountain is a meadow. Burial mounds can be seen on the northwest, southwest and the southern outskirts of the mountain. The name is related to Saebyeol Oreum the lonely morning star rising first in the night sky. Visitors can climb to the top of the mountain within 30 minutes.Visitors are not permitted to climb Saebyeol Oreum at times due to fire danger (Feb 1 to May 15 and Nov 1 to Dec 15), so they should check the availability of hiking at the Aewol-eup Office prior to their visit.※ Aewol-eup Office: +82-64-799-6001* Information on Hiking Restrictions during the Mountain Fire Warning Period 


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(Jung-gu) , Euljiro・Chungmuro・Namsan

                 


Jeju-do(Seogwipo-si) , Seogwipo

Joanne Bear Museum located in Jungmun Resort Complex in Seogwipo-si, on Jeju-do Island is a gallery exhibition hall for Joanne Oh, a world-famous teddy bear artist. The museum, which boasts the motto “nature and environmentalism", showcases teddy bears that are made of all-natural materials. The eco-friendly pieces mimic the natural beauty of Jeju Island and give visitors a feeling of comfort and refreshment.Joanne Bear Museum features a variety of teddy bears, polar bears, and 'joon bears' that were created based on the character of Bae Yong-joon, a famous Hallyu star. Due to the ‘joon bear’s world-wide acclaim, the museum is frequently visited by many Japanese tourists.At the museum, visitors can watch Joanne Oh’s teddy bear making process in person. The museum offers other conveniences as well: a café on the second floor and a backyard garden. Visitors are even permitted to go to the rooftop to enjoy the view. A variety of cultural events are also offered to double your fun. Those who wish to have a ‘joon bear’ of their own may purchase a mini joon at the museum’s souvenir shop.Joanne Oh, as a teddy bear artist, has given much thought on her role in saving polar bears from endangerment. As a result, she has designed a family of polar bear teddies and launched a campaign called STPB (Save the Polar Bear). She continues to seek to expand her efforts to preserve nature and help the environment. 


Chungcheongbuk-do(Danyang-gun)

Located in Danyang, Danuri Aquarium houses a lot of fish with a wide array of fish species from Korea and overseas countries, consisting of 13,000 fish of 83 species and 2,000 fish of 62 species, respectively. Visitors can enjoy a wide selection of fish including Siniperca, a traditional fish from Namhangang River, sweetfish and Korean bitterling, as well as various fish species from other countries all in one spot. Also, the aquarium offers a special sightseeing point, in the form of a fish tank decorated with the theme of Eight Scenic Views of Danyang.* Fish tanks: 82 exhibition tanks, 36 habituating tanks, approx. 854 tons* Display state: 145 species from domestic and overseas countries, 15,000 fish (83 from Korea (approx. 13,000 fish) / 62 from overseas countries (approx. 2,000 fish)