[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Pocheon Silver Grass Festival The 25th edition of the Pocheon Silver Grass Festival started on Oct. 9 and runs through Oct. 31 at Sanjung Lake and Myeongsungsan in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The silver grass-filled fields at Myeongsungsan is considered one of the five best silver grass colonies in South Korea. Visitors can take photos that can be printed out on-site, write a letter to be mailed to the recipient after a year or write a message to hang at the fields of silver grass. A flea market

Oct. 14, 2022

Spot Hangeul signboards in downtown Seoul

With its 600 years of history as Korea’s capital, the center of Seoul embraces the essence of Korean culture. Especially near Gyeongbokgung, the main palace of the Joseon dynasty (1391-1910), neighborhoods have been making efforts to show their identity as the historic center of Korea. One of the efforts has been increasing the number of signboards in Hangeul. As most major brands in South Korea write their names in English, visitors to Seoul's boulevards might find more Romanized sig

Oct. 9, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Sancheong Herbal Medicinal Festival The 20th Sancheong Medicinal Herb Festival, which started on Sept. 30, will run through Oct. 10 at the areas near Sancheong IC Entrance and Donguibogam Village in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province. The festival, which began in 2001, includes exhibitions and events where one can learn about and experience Korea's medicinal herbs, for which the county of Sancheong is well-known. Sancheong is considered the home of Jirisan, a mountain where over 1,000 med

Oct. 7, 2022

Mungyeong promises a memorable time travel to the past

MUNGYEONG, North Gyeongsang Province -- The vast, sweeping road lined with ginkgo trees lend a magical quality to the walk through Mungyeongsaejae Pass, the historical road connecting the capital Hanyang (today’s Seoul) with the southeast corner of the peninsula. Once Joseon Dynasty's most popular trail, it was the road taken by Confucian scholars from the southeastern part of the country on their way to the capital to take state exams. These days, visitors come to enjoy the beautiful

Oct. 6, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Incheon Soraepogu Port Festival The three-day Incheon Soraepogu Port Festival will kick off Oct. 1 at Soraepogu Port and Soraepogu Traditional Market in Incheon. To promote its rich cultural history as an old fishing village, the event features a traditional market selling fresh fish caught off Sorae and an exhibition of traditional fishing tools. A special stamp tour, fireworks and music performances by local artists are scheduled to entertain visitors of all ages. Admission is free. Updated in

Oct. 1, 2022

When is peak fall foliage date across South Korea?

As leaves start to change color, the Korea Forest Service released a map this week showing when fall foliage will peak across major mountains and arboretums in South Korea. If you are planning a trip to spot autumn leaves, late October will generally offer the most beautiful views of mountains, according to the forest authority, with the average peak date at Oct. 26. The average peak date is calculated when the leaves of more than fifty percent of three tree types -- Korean maple, ginkgo and Mon

Sept. 29, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Andong Maskdance Festival If you want to know more about Hahoe masks worn by the cast in Netflix’s crime thriller “Money Heist: Korea -- Joint Economic Area,” the upcoming Andong Mask Dance Festival may interest you. The Andong Mask Dance Festival is set to be held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 in areas of downtown Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. The five-day festival features cultural performances, including Korea’s mask dance drama and mask dance performances from foreig

Sept. 23, 2022

Where nature beckons: Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Experiencing a foreign country can turn out to be one that is quite different from one’s expectations. But that is the beauty of travel. As Lewis Carroll, the author of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," said, "In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take." Those who wish to leave the familiar to explore the unfamiliar away from the urban crowd, Sri Lanka merits consideration. Sri Lanka, which means “resplendent island,&

Sept. 17, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Siheung Gaetgol Festival The Siheung Gaetgol Festival is scheduled to be held from Sept. 23 to 25 at Siheung Gaetgol Eco Park in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. The three-day event offers ecological experiences at the park, which is considered to be the world’s largest ecology art playground. Various programs, including photo exhibitions, a drawing area, salt playground, trekking around the Gaetgol trail and more, are offered to visitors so they can enjoy both nature and art to their fullest

Sept. 16, 2022

[Photo] Paik Nam-june's masterpiece is back

Paik Nam-june’s masterpiece “The More the Better” restarted operations on Thursday, unveiling its prototype after completing its three-year restoration. The largest piece by Paik, the video tower consists of 1,003 monitors and had a test run for six months early this year. "The More the Better" was first unveiled to the public on Sept. 15, 1988. (MMCA)

Sept. 15, 2022

Vietnam, Japan surge in popularity as tourist destination for S. Koreans

As COVID-19 travel restrictions start to ease further across Asia, more S. Korean travelers are eyeing Vietnam and Japan. South Koreans topped foreign tourist arrivals in Vietnam in August, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Some 486,000 foreigners traveled to the Southeast Asian country, of which 173,000 were from South Korea, followed by the US and Cambodia. With nearly 1 in 3 visitors to Vietnam last month being South Koreans, the figure marks the country’s growing d

Sept. 11, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yeosu Jinnam Turtle Ship Festival The Yeosu Jinnam Turtle Ship Festival will run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Jongpo Marine Park in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. Commemorating the achievement of Adm. Yi Sun-sin and his famous naval battles during the Imjin War, the annual three-day festival offers a chance to enjoy various exhibitions, parades and performances. With an attempt to promote local art and customs, the festival provides hands-on programs as well as traditional games. Opening as an on

Sept. 9, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Gyeryong World Military Culture Expo The Gyeryong World Military Culture Expo is scheduled to be held at Gyeryong Emergency Runway in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Oct. 7 to 23. Though the festival was initially held to celebrate Korea’s national military service members in 2007, the event has expanded to celebrate the military culture of countries across the globe. The expo seeks to promote peace and technical aspects of the military for future leaders. Visitors can enjoy vari

Sept. 2, 2022

[Herald Interview] New Andaz Seoul Gangnam General Manager Robert Hamer emphasizes 'back to basics' in hospitality

Regardless of which Hyatt hotel around the world he is at, Andaz Seoul Gangnam General Manager Robert Hamer does not change his weekly routine of conducting a hygiene inspection of all the kitchens -- which was completed just before his interview with The Korea Herald. The new general manager, who took the post last month, is passionate about providing a homelike comfort and luxurious atmosphere at Andaz Seoul Gangnam, without missing the “inspirational” aspect. "Working at th

Sept. 1, 2022

Seowon exhibition to take place in Andong

A special media exhibition on “seowon” -- Korean Neo-Confucian private academies established in the mid to late Joseon era for the aristocratic upper class -- will be held at Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, from Saturday to Tuesday, Andong City announced Friday. A newly released documentary on seowon will be released at the exhibition titled “Heading to Seowon,” jointly organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration and Andong City, and hosted

Aug. 26, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Pohang International Fire and Light Festival The Pohang International Fire and Light Festival is scheduled to be held at Hyeongsangang Sports Park from Sept. 23 to 25 in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. The three-day event offers a spectacular fireworks competition with a DJ party, busking, a parade and more. Teams from four countries -- South Korea, Sweden, Italy and the Philippines -- are taking part in the competition that takes place at 8 p.m., Sept. 24. More information can be found a

Aug. 26, 2022

DMZ Peace Trail to reopen in September

Eleven hiking trails along the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, will open to the public next month. DMZ Peace Trail routes in 10 regions -- Ganghwado, Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Yeoncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong -- will be fully open from Sept. 13 to December, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Goseong has two trails. Online reservations start Tuesday. Each trail has different dates and time slots available, with a maximum of 20 people

Aug. 22, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Goesan Red Pepper Festival The Goesan Red Pepper Festival will be held at Expo Square in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, from Sept. 1 to 4. The four-day event attempts to promote the excellence of Goesan-grown red peppers. The festival welcomes visitors with various programs, including magic performance, busking by local artists, the non-verbal hit show “Pepper Nanta,” tug-of-war competitions and more. Though most of the programs are offered for free, the hands-on “Find

Aug. 19, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

 Muju Firefly Festival The Muju Firefly Festival is scheduled to take place across the areas of Muju Deungnamu Stadium, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27-Sept. 4. The Muju’s pristine environment provides a natural habitat for fireflies. Night-time programs include firefly explorations, stargazing experiences, traditional performances and concerts. Most of the programs are free, but the firefly exploration costs 15,000 won per person, with 1,200 spaces opened per day; the stargazing ex

Aug. 13, 2022

Giant whale installation to appear in Jeju fest

A festival “Colorful Sanji,” jointly hosted by the Jeju Island and the Jeju Tourism Organization, is scheduled to kick off Saturday at Jeju Island’s Tamna Culture Plaza. The festival runs through Sept. 12, and the highlight is a media art exhibition which features a 30-meter giant whale installation made of three thousand model sardines. The whale display will be decorated with colorful lighting, videos and music, throughout the festival period, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Aug. 12, 2022