5.0/1
Seoul(Jung-gu) , Myeongdong

Etude House is a cosmetics brand that sells makeup, hair, and fragrance products. The Etude House Myeongdong Chungmuro Branch, located in the heart of a major shopping district, carries a wide selection of cosmetics that customers may test before purchasing. Moreover, the brightly lit store interior, designed with a princess bedroom decor, adds fun to the experience. Also, customers can test samples before purchasing the products. It is visited largely by foreign customers from Japan, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries. Its most popular items include makeup and eyelash lengthening products, as well as creams made with pearls.


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

The Korean Children's Center, located in Neung-dong in the Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, has a many subsidiary facilities as well as its excellent snow sledding field. The center has something for the entire family, such as the outdoor game area, pond smelt fishing, the human body exhibition, traditional folk games, and of course, snow sledding.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Seoul City Hall・Gwanghwamun

Founded in 1395 by the first king of the Joseon Dynasty, Gwanghwamun is the main gate of Gyeongbukgung Palace. Roughly meaning “may the light of enlightenment blanket the world,” the name symbolizes the resounding dedication that the people of the Joseon Dynasty had in creating a new dynasty. Constructed solely out of granite, its center is an entrance that resembles a rainbow, called Hongyemun. Above that is a gate tower. Gwanghwamun holds a painful memory in Korean history. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, in order to dampen the spirits of the Korean citizens, the Japanese governing general destroyed the gate and built his own government building. The present appearance of the gate is that of 1968 when it was rebuilt using concrete, and it’s location is about 10m behind the original spot. Though Gwanghwamun is the most beautiful of the five palace gates, it was not designated by the Korean government as a national treasure because it is made purely of concrete. The government is now in the process of removing the Japanese building and restoring the palace. Gwanghwamun has its name written on a sign on the gate, and it was personally written by then-president Park Jeong-Hui. On either side of the gate you can see the word “Haetae” facing south. Haetae is a mythical unicorn-lion that is said to protect palaces from fire. According to Pungsujirisang, there was a fire around Gwanaksan Mountain, so in order to protect the palace from fire from the mountain, these fire-eating Haetaes were put beside the gate.  


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art is located at the center of Insa-dong, Seoul. Insa-dong is famous as a traditional cultural street. Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art is a cultural ground for artists and is also a tourist attraction. It is divided into three gallery halls, an outdoor gallery hall, an outdoor stage where many events take place, a screen, and finally a traditional teahouse. People love this place because it is where artists can meet and exhibit their art pieces, and where tradition and modern culture intermingle. The first gallery of Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art is composed of two floors. It is the largest gallery hall in Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art. The pleasant and spacious gallery hall is quite striking; it excellently accomplishes all kinds of exhibitions. The second gallery hall can be divided into three floors, a greenhouse, and a terrace. First of all, this gallery hall is made entirely of glass. Natural sunlight warms up the room. It is a place where the artificial steel frames and the naturalness of the indoor trees create an exquisite harmony. The plane artistry and cubic artistry are exhibited to their fullest effect here. The third art gallery hall is in the form of a Korean house, which looks great together with the outside garden. It is a place that incorporates the beauty of a traditional Korean house. If you are interested in traditional Korean houses, you should visit this gallery. It is especially famous for its crafts, paintings, and Korean-style art. Apart from all these there is an art and craft shop. At the art and craft shop you can buy and view the art pieces and props of many talented artists, including wood printing and paintings. It is beloved by many due to the fact that here you can experience the lives of currently active artists. At Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art there are two places where you can enjoy refreshments. One place is the ‘teahouse.' At the teahouse you can feel the aroma of the four seasons breathing with you. The delicacies of the shop are the diverse herbal teas and the natural fruit ice cream. If you treat yourself to the natural fruit ice cream along with the aroma of the herbal tea, surely all your fatigue will melt away. If you want to try a different traditional tea place, you should visit 'Dawon.' The sublime sound of the hanging-bell at the roof’s edge and the beauty of a traditional Korean-style house will make you feel like you are in a Korean temple. At ‘Dawon’ there are 15 different kinds of traditional Korean tea. And since one can enjoy the sculptures of the garden while drinking, it is widely visited both by Koreans and foreigners alike.


5.0/1
Seoul(Gangnam-gu) , Gangnam・Samseongdong(COEX)

Cheongkwanjang Spa G is a spa facility recently launched by Cheongkwanjang, a high quality hongsam (red ginseng) brand of the Korea Ginseng Corporation. The specialized spa programs at Cheongkwanjang Spa G use six-year-old ginseng roots that have gone through rigorous testing and quality management. Spa G consists of five individual hongsam therapy rooms. Guests can receive water massage to stimulate blood circulation at the Hongsam Spa Room, detoxify and provide nourishment to the body through heat and steam treatments and application of red ginseng concentrate at Hunjeungyok, get stress relieving foot massages at Foot Spa Zone, and restore scalp health using red ginseng products at Head Spa Zone. All spa programs require reservations, and spa programs vary from 1 to 6 hours depending on the choice of treatments. The spa is open from 9 am to 11 pm.


Busan(Gijang-gun)

Lotte Mall Dongbusan branch is a shopping complex featuring a premium outlet, a shopping mall, a Lotte Mart, and Lotte Cinema combined. Lotte Mall Greece Santorini theme, which has differentiated itself being not simply a vast area of a building, but offering an exotic shopping experience in a lighthouse with a gazebo, fountain square, Hera Rose Garden, and roof top garden. In addition, there is a variety of leisure and international fashion brands, sports stores, cosmetics shops, as well as new designer shops and entertainment services for children, such as play time and Lego shop. Also, local specialty stores with a good prices fulfill the needs of shoppers across various age groups. The mall houses a total of 550 brand stores. Enjoy a pleasant and relaxing break at the local restaurants of F&B outlets. There is also a large studio, as well as pottery and crafts stores in an alleyway of specialty shops.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Jogyesa Temple is the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea, and is famous for being located in the city. From the busy streets of Jongno, follow the road towards Anguk Subway Station, and you will see Jogyesa Temple. The first thing you will notice at the temple are the lovely trees. These locust trees and baeksong trees in front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building, are about 500 years old. One locust tree is about 26-meter high, and in the summer, provides a large amount of shade to enhance the mood of the temple. The baeksong tree is designated as a Natural Monument. The Daeungjeon building is a stately building built in 1938. The Dancheong is particularly beautiful with all the different colors painted on it, and inside the building is the statue of Seokgamoni. In front of the Daeungjeon building, you can also see a seven-storey stone pagoda containing Jinsinsari. Jogyesa Temple does not give off the solemn and traditional air of the other temples located deep in the mountains, or offer the seasonal scenery of the mountains and the sea. But because it is located in the middle of the city, the transportation is convenient, and is well connected to the surrounding areas. It is good for tourists on a tight schedule. Along the street around Jogyesa Temple are many Buddhist specialty shops, selling such things as prayer beads, Buddhist writings, incense, as well as souvenirs such as dolls and key chains. If you are interested in Buddhism, these stores may be worth looking around.


Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

Gyeongnidan-gil road is about 1-km long, sprawling out into Sowol-gil road that starts from Namsan Mountain to the Armed Forces Financial Management Group. The Armed Forces Financial Management Group was used to be called the Armed forces Centeral Gyeongnidan, where the name of the road was orignated from.With N Seoul Tower on its northern side and bustling Itaewon area on its southern side, Gyeongnidan-gil road has now become a prime destination for all food lovers due to the vast selection of quality international cuisine and coffee available.


Seoul(Seodaemun-gu) , Sinchon・Ewha Womans University

The area around Ewha Womans University, Korea’s famous women’s university, is commonly called Ewha Womans University Fashion Street. This district features a number of stalls lining the streets selling fashion items, such as clothing, shoes and accessories, for young women. It offers a distinctive shopping experience, with all the fun of a “shop-crawl” from stall to stall and store to store along the narrow alleyways. This street is a popular fashion destination for young women. Walking down from Ewha Womans University subway station to the main entrance of Ewha Womans University, and turning into an alley on the left, there are a number of street stalls . Furthermore, the alley on the right side of the main entrance to the university contains many designer shops as well. Recently, a few major shopping malls have taken the place of large and small stores set in alleys, offering consumers still more choice.  Another specialty of the fashion street that cannot be missed is the alterations services, where tailors have taken alterations to a new level of design expertise.  The fashion street is also famous for its concentration of hair salons, meaning people can find a whole new look from head to foot.  


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Seoul City Hall・Gwanghwamun

Founded in 1926, Seoul City Hall is a Renaissance-style stone building. Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall is a historic site where the March 1, 1919 (Samil) Independence Movement and the pro-democracy movement in June 1987 were held. It is also a well-known place where tens of thousands of Korean soccer fans came to cheer at during the 2002 World Cup Games. This oval grass square in front of Seoul City Hall, re-established in 2004, is used as a place to hold various events and cultural festivals like “Hi! Seoul Festival,” and is enjoyed by many Seoulites as a place to rest. One of the attractions of Seoul Plaza is the Floor Water Fountain, which looks like a normal sidewalk but shoots water up very high from the floor when you walk across it. The 48 floor lights along the grass square and Fala- a round type outer wall clock- are other attractive features of the Square. The Fala, in particular, is designed to ring the Boshingak Belfry sound at high noon everyday. The Floor Water Fountain presents a grand sight with 35 underwater lights.