Jeollabuk-do(Iksan-si)

Iksan Godori Standing Stone Buddha is Treasure No. 46. The two Buddha statues (each measuring 424cm) stand face-to-face at a distance of 200 meters apart and tell the story of an eternal, but unrequited love. According to legend, the two Buddhas (one male, one female) are lovers that can only meet for one night in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. After the sunset on that special day the lovers are allowed to meet, but must return to their respective positions before the rooster crows at dawn. The two statues are very representative of the Goryeo Era, which produced many stone statues with minimal expression of the physical body. True to the era, each Buddha has almost no curves and is depicted with plain clothing and barely distinguishable arms. On their heads, the Buddhas wear a crown topped with another square hat. With their square faces, small eyes, pug noses, and small lips, the Buddas are reminiscent of guardian deities typically placed at the entrance of villages.


Busan(Dong-gu)

Urban regeneration centered along Sanbokdo-ro road, this road was designated to be the province of renaissance. An archive center where stories of local residents in Sanbokdo-ro road can be found, and a new planned exhibition is held every two months. Personal collection, as well as the history of locals living in this district are well preserved, and such variety of cultural contents is served as a warehouse of resources for the future. * Opening Date: March 6, 2013


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Pohang-si)

Located 26km south of Pohang, Guryongpo Port serves as the docking port for squid fishing boats in the East Coast. Around the breakwater, rudder fish, seaperch, and rockfish are caught all throughout the year. Yellowtails are abundant from September through October followed by the season for Japanese seerfish.


Gyeongsangnam-do(Geoje-si)

Surrounded by Mt. Noja (565m) and Mt. Gara (580m), Hakdong Mongdol Beach provides a cozy atmosphere. Hakdong was named so because its shape was said to be like a crane (in Korean "Hak") flying up to the sky. Compared to other beaches, it has small pebbles, "Mongdol" in Korean, spans a distance of about 1.2 km, is 50m wide and covers a 30,000 ㎢ area starting from Yongbawi Rock. The feeling one gets when walking on these pebbles is soothing and the sound of the waves are refreshing. You can also soothe your feet when you walk on the rocks and activate acupressure points on the soles of your feet. The wild camellia forest, which blooms along the seashore in February and March, creates a beautiful landscape. You can also see the Parlsaek (8 color) birds that come here. These colorful birds can be seen from June to September.Hakdong Mongdol Beach has a lot of summer visitors and is the perfect place for vacationing families. The water is clear and clean, and setting up tents on the beach is possible.Near the beach, there are not only great restaurants specializing in sliced raw fish, but also restrooms and homestays which are well-equipped. There is also a beach festival every summer. An excursion ship starts at Hakdong and cruises towards Haegeumgang and Oedo Paridise Island. It would be romantic to take this ship through the crimson Haegeumgang at sunset. 


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Ulleung-gun)

Dokdo Museum was built in 1995 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Korea. It exhibits the collection of Lee Jong-hak, the first director of the museum, as well as donations by groups associated with Dokdo.The exhibit provides a historical overview of Dokdo, from the Three Kingdoms Era to the present. It also focuses on disproving Japan’s claim to Dokdo and its use of the name “Sea of Japan” to describe Korea’s East Sea. Gallery 1 features materials and maps showing Dokdo as being part of Korean territory before the Sino-Japanese War; Gallery 2 displays Japanese maps showing Dokdo as being a Korean territory, and Gallery 3 displays materials on activities of Ulleungdo Island residents to defend Dokdo during the Korean War. In the outdoor Dokdo Museum, which is currently under construction, natural stones and plants indigenous of Ulleungdo Island can be enjoyed. 


Seoul()

Founded in 2007, the Seoul Arts and Culture Tour Project is a cultural experience program operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. Tours are held Thursday to Saturday on the second and fourth weeks of the month from April to October.   Participants meet at the square in front of Seoul City Hall around 10:30 am to ride the bus provided by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and begin their tour of Seoul. The program has a variety of excursions, which are divided up by theme: art, theater, literature, architecture, and design. During the weekdays, the tour is popular among housewives who may have a little extra time while their children are at school; during the weekends, it becomes the perfect opportunity for families, couples, and international to tour Seoul. Through this free program, participants will be able to visit some of the sites in Seoul and discover what makes each place one of Seoul’s crown jewels. Interested parties are asked to make reservations by calling the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture or by visiting the website.  


Gyeongsangnam-do(Gimhae-si)

The Gaya Culture Festival is a historical and cultural festival of Gimhae-si, whose long history and tradition is based on the Geumgwan Gaya, a leading power among the six Gaya groups. The festival is well known at home and abroad.King Kim Suro founded Gaya in A.D. 42 and married Heo Hwang-ok, a princess from the Indian country of Ayuta, in A.D. 48. This was the first known international marriage in the history of the Korean Peninsula. Gaya was quite advanced in the production of earthenware and iron implements, and traded with neighboring countries like China, Nakrang, and Japan. It thrived as a center of international exchange in Northeast Asia, and its culture was also remarkably developed.Gimhae, the birthplace of the Gaya culture, has a long history and unique culture. Through the Gaya Culture Festival, the region is continuing to preserve, build on, and develop the Gaya culture and heritage. The Gaya Culture Festival asserts Gaya’s rightful place alongside the Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla kingdoms.


Seoul(Nowon-gu)

Situated in Gongneung-dong, Jeil Bean Restaurant has specialized in bean dishes for over 25 years. Using high-quality beans produced in Hongcheon (Gangwon-do), fresh beans are ground at the restaurant using millstones. There are a number of delicious dishes on the menu at Jeil Bean, from bean stew to dishes using tofu. Particularly popular is the cold bean noodles with rich broth that is a beloved summer dish among Koreans.


Gangwon-do(Yanggu-gun)

Park Soo Keun (1914-1965) was an artist who devoted his life to drawing the lives of ordinary people with a warm gaze. The Park Soo Keum Museum, which has a floor space of 700 square meters, is built upon the artist’s birthplace in his hometown in Yanggu-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. The museum was founded with the intent to develop into a major cultural space for the region and to honor Park Soo Keun’s life and art. The collection of Park Soo Keun’s artworks exhibited at the museum include: three oil paintings including ‘Two Men Sitting’, a number of prints such as ‘The Tree and Two Ladies’ and ‘Tapdori’, the watercolor painting ‘Watercolors’, and dozens of other drawings.


Jeollanam-do(Mokpo-si)

Located on the coast of Yonghae-dong in Mokpo, Gatbawi is a natural sandstone and tafoni formation near the mouth of the Yeongsangang River, where freshwater runs into the sea. Gatbawi is named after its shape, which is said to look like a man wearing a traditional Korean hat called a “gat” (“bawi” meaning “rock”). The rock is actually made of two individual formations: one measuring 8m high and one 6m high. Valued not only for its aesthetics, Gatbawi Rock is of high geological value as a “natural sculpture” that was formed as a result of years of weathering. The rock formation was officially recognized as Natural Monument No. 500 on April 27, 2009.