K-pop sensation NewJeans officially embarked on their role as 2024 honorary tourism ambassadors at a ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in central Seoul on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by Culture Minister Yu In-cho who appointed the five members at the event -- Danielle, Minji, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein -- as the ambassadors for Korea tourism and Visit Korea Year 2023-24 campaign. Group member Hyein could not attend the ceremony for health reasons. Taking up the ambassadorial role, the

Culture July 11, 2024

Korail Tourism Development, a subsidiary of the Korea Railroad Corp., has unveiled five train trips to North Gyeongsang Province’s popular "forest bathing" spots for travelers. The recommended destinations are for those who wish to take a break from urban life and take a brief refuge in a lush forest, according to the company. Tourists headed to Pohang, a coastal city located in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province, can enjoy a two-day trip featuring forest therapy at Naeye

Travel July 9, 2024

Singers HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung, formerly a member of the group Highlight, are tying the knot after a six-month public relationship. The singers’ agencies confirmed HyunA and Yong’s upcoming marriage Monday afternoon, announcing the wedding will take place on Oct. 11. The announcement follows earlier local media reports that the two are expected to marry in October in Seoul. “The couple was a huge consolation to each other in their difficult moments. And their wedding ceremony

Culture July 8, 2024

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and other local governments have opened free water attractions for youngsters to beat the summer heat without traveling far from home. Jungnang-gu, a district in eastern Seoul, opened the Jungnang Water Park, Sinnae Park water playground and a water attraction at Bongsudae Park in early July. Set to operate through Aug. 18, the water play areas are open to children under the age of 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. For safety reasons, they are closed

Travel July 8, 2024

ANSEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- If you are making a list of places to visit with your family and friends after the monsoon season, the filming sites of Netflix’s “The Sound of Magic” certainly needs to be on the list. “The Sound of Magic,” a 2022 fantasy musical drama, centers around Ah-yi, a schoolgirl who wishes to become an adult as soon as possible so that she may take care of her family. The series focuses heavily on the character’s emotional change after m

Culture July 6, 2024

Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, is scheduled to offer a unique Japanese culinary experience to its guests at the hotel’s premium vinyl music and dining bar, The Timber House, starting from July 13. The upcoming event invites master Japanese chef Nobuhiro Yoshida to showcase “Tokyo Night in Seoul,” a special kaiseki menu, a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner that features small and artistically arranged dishes. Collaborating with The Timber House&rsqu

Culture July 5, 2024

The Jeju Tourism Organization is offering a “2024 Haenyeo Village Stay in Gimnyeong,” a three-day trip to the island to experience life as Jeju haenyeo, starting from July 19. Haenyeo, which roughly translates to “women of the sea,” are free-diving seafood gatherers who can hold their breaths for long periods as they harvest from the sea floor. According to the organization, travelers can not only get a chance to wear haenyeo’s equipment for a short period of time,

Travel July 5, 2024

Park Hyatt Seoul unveils Armani Beauty-themed dining menu The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, is offering a menu created in collaboration with Armani Beauty. Guests can take a stunning gastronomic journey at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone which is offering a unique dinner course that is inspired by the Armani Prive Les Eaux collection. Starting with Blini, Cornerstone offers sea bass crudo, spaghetti cacao e pepe, lamb ribs and a citrus carpaccio. The prom

Travel July 5, 2024

GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- An increasingly common evening sight at Seoul's Han River parks is groups of runners wearing glowing wrist bands. While some people choose to exercise alone, many Korean runners run together by joining “donghohoe,” a Korean term similar to club, whose members share similar interests and goals. Most of these running crews are area-based, gathering runners from nearby districts and running a fixed course. However, Seoul Ddimbak, a running crew formed

Culture July 1, 2024

With South Korea’s daytime temperature rising to 33 Celsius or higher, the country's sandy beaches and open ocean are scheduled to greet summer vacationers with various festivals and water-themed activities. Gyeongpo Beach, the biggest beach along the east coast that attracts an average of 6.5 million tourists each summer, already kicked off its summer season with the Gangneung Beach Beer Festival on Saturday. Located in eastern Gangneung, Gangwon Province, the beach was visited by al

Travel June 30, 2024

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul unveils summer delicacies Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, an urban oasis nestled on the slope of Seoul’s Namsan in central Seoul, presents the “Granum Cherry House” promotion with a menu overflowing with cherries to celebrate summer at Granum. The food promotion includes cherries with corn, cherries and burrata cheese, lamb ribs and cherry salsa, cherries with chicken tortillas and much more. Guests can enjoy a main dish – bone-in stripl

Culture June 28, 2024

Jose Cuervo pop-up store If you are with friends and family at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southwest Seoul, this weekend, stop by the shopping complex’s latest pop-up store, featuring tequila brand Jose Cuervo. Located on the first floor of Lotte World Tower, the Jose Cuervo pop-up store offers a gastronomic experience for visitors to take a sneak peek into Mexican culture and its famous tequila. The pop-up store invites visitors on a tour of the world’s oldest tequila distiller

Culture June 28, 2024

YANGJU, Gyeonggi Province -- One popular way to create an interesting plotline in Korean drama series is by depicting the changes and growth of a lead character since their countryside move to Seoul. Ranging from “When the Camellia Blooms” (2019), a hit drama set in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, to “Welcome to Samdal-ri,” (2023) which heavily features Jeju Island, Korean dramas offer a great window of opportunity for provincial governments to promote their cities and

Travel June 22, 2024

Caribbean Bay water park at Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park, announced it will fully open in June, running all its iconic water attractions three weeks earlier than expected. According to the resort division of Samsung C&T which runs Everland and Caribbean Bay, the decision was made after recognizing the recent early heat and a sharp rise in attendance. While the water park’s Adventure Pool -- a beloved attraction where the guests can enjoy the outpour of 2.4 metric to

Travel June 21, 2024

Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, looks to attract prominent cocktail lovers with a one-time guest bartender invitation event at the hotel’s premium vinyl music bar, The Timber House, on June 26. The upcoming event invites renowned bartender Choi Won-woo -- a 2019 bartender competition World Class Korea champion -- to showcase three of his special cocktails. While “miracle morning” presents pure American aloe scent with spiciness, “after sweating&rdquo

Travel June 21, 2024