18 Aug 2010, Posted by Matt in News, 0 Comments

Traveled to Daegu? Survey + Prizes…

A Korea tourism-related announcement that may interest you:

The Daegu city government is looking for foreigners who have visited Daegu (not Daegu residents, but tourists). Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for several prizes, the top being a free night’s stay and dinner for two at the downtown Novotel (which is a very nice place). Surveys need to be completed by August 23, and because of a short deadline means fewer people do it, participants have a better than usual chance at winning something.

To fill out the survey, go to http://thetourismcompany.co.kr/ and then click on “Survey” in the upper right hand corner. Download the form (첨부파일), complete it, and return it to the address given on the survey.

26 Apr 2010, Posted by Matt in News, 0 Comments

Korea Travel Headlines (3/27~4/25)

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Korea travel-related headlines that appeared in Korean and foreign media over the past few weeks.

Islanders Aim For Normalcy In North Korea’s Shadow (NPR, 4/1/2010)
Baengnyeong Island is less than 10 miles from North Korea’s west coast and close to the site of where a navy ship sank on March 26.

Cosmojin Travel Goes for Niche VIP Tours (Korea Times, 4/1/2010)
“…the G-20 summit meeting in Seoul in November is also lifting the demand for high quality tailored travel services, giving an upswing in momentum to a local travel agency ― Cosmojin Travel Service.”

Airbus Postpones First A380 Delivery to Korean Air (Bloomberg Businessweek, 4/8/2010)
“Airbus SAS, the world’s largest commercial-aircraft maker, said it will delay its first delivery of an A380 jet to Korean Air Lines Co. because production of the superjumbo is behind schedule.”

Changdeokgung Palace Extended Hours as of May 1, 2010 (Tour2Korea.com, 4/15/2010)
Changdeokgung Palace has extended its hours as of May 1st, and visitors can purchase an integrated pass for the entire Seoul area (only 10,000 won), allowing them to visit the five palaces and Jongmyo Shrine anytime within a month.

South Korea’s Incheon is a vacation from other airports (Los Angeles Times, 4/18/2010)
“Passengers slumbered on comfy loungers. Others enjoyed free public computers and Internet access, no-charge showers and luggage carts. Some watched a performance of traditional music at a cultural center, or placed bets at a casino.”

Hi Seoul Festival 2010 Postponed Until Fall (VisitSeoul.net, 4/20/2010)
The popular Hi Seoul spring festival, scheduled for May 1~9, has been cancelled in response to the tragic sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel. The autumn festival is scheduled to occur in late September through mid-October.

Daegu Yangyeongsi Herb Medicine Festival (Korea.net, 4/20/2010)
The Daegu Herb Medicine Market has been operating for three hundred and fifty years. The festival – May 1~5 – displays medicinal herbs and various activities for participants.

Can Seoul become the world’s most attractive city? (Reuters, 4/21/2010)
“Appearances may not be everything, but they’re dominating discussions on the future of South Korea’s sprawling, 10-million-strong capital Seoul.”

Michelin to Publish Korea Travel Guide in 2011 (Chosun Ilbo, 4/21/2010)
The Korea Tourism Organization and France-based tire company Michelin signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Tuesday to start publication of the Michelin Green Guide for Korea in March 2011.

Chinese tourist train makes first North Korea tour: report (Agence France-Presse, 4/25/2010)
A Chinese tourist train entered North Korea for the first time. The four-day tour embarked from the Chinese province of Liaoning.

27 Mar 2010, Posted by Matt in News, 0 Comments

Korea Travel Headlines (3/20~26)

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Korea travel-related headlines that appeared in Korean and foreign media this week.

Busan Port to Become Major Hub Connecting Asia and Europe (Arirang News, 3/20/2010)
Global climate change could shorten the travel time between Korea’s major port and Rotterdam in the Netherlands to 14 days, a savings of 10 days from the current route through Egypt’s Suez Canal.

South Proposes Ecological Peace Belt in DMZ (Korea Times, 3/23/2010)
South Korea has proposed to turn the 248-kilometer stretch of land that separates the two Koreas into a special zone promoting peace and rare species of wildlife.

Mega-sized Crusers to Accommodate Koreans (Korea Times, 3/25/2010)
American and Italian cruise ships will embark from the southeastern port city of Busan on sailings to China and Japan.

Qatar Airways Introduces Incheon-Doha Service (Korea Times, 3/25/2010)
Passengers traveling from Seoul-Incheon no longer must transit through Osaka, Japan on their way to Doha.

Tourists irked by shopping, taxis (Korea Herald, 3/26/2010)
The Korea Tourism Organization’s recent survey found an increase in tourist complaints about Seoul’s shopping and taxi fare disputes.

20 Mar 2010, Posted by Matt in News, 0 Comments

Pardon our mess…

As you can see, there are some exciting major changes coming to DiscoveringKorea.com. This will make everything very janky for a while, but I hope to create a much more enjoyable experience for you once it’s up and running.

20 Mar 2010, Posted by Matt in News, 0 Comments

Korea Travel Headlines (3/5~20)

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Korea travel-related headlines that appeared in Korean and foreign media over the past couple of weeks.

Mt. Kumgang, Kaesong tourism deals threatened (JoongAng Daily, 3/5/2010)
North Korea threatens to cancel its two inter-Korean tour contracts with the South.

In Japan, No-Frills Airport Lures Bargain Players (New York Times, 3/10/2010)
Japan’s new Ibaraki Airport offers budget travelers two flights per day – one is to Seoul-Incheon.

“After You” Campaign Proposed for Tourism (Korea Times, 3/19/2010)
Seoul’s top tourism promoter suggests that Seoul launch a “Be Kind to Visitors” campaign to help visitors feel more welcome.

29 Jan 2010, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 0 Comments

I’m on Vacation!

Apologies for the paltry posting over the past few weeks. I’m at the end of a vacation home to visit with family and friends. I’ll be back in Seoul on February 1st and hope to have new posts about Gyeongju, The Dongchun Circus and Korea’s ski resorts up soon… as well as answers to all your questions!

Thanks for sticking around.

Best, Matt

01 Jan 2010, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Gyeongsang, Notes from Matt, 4 Comments

Happy New Year!

A snapshot of the first sunrise of 2010 from a few kilometers south of Gampo, on Korea’s eastern coast (near Gyeongju). I hope everyone has a healthy and happy New Year!

04 Dec 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 3 Comments

I’m not hibernating…

Yikes! I know it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve got quite a few in the works but I haven’t had enough time to wrap them up. Apologies and I should get them up shortly. Thanks for your patience!

Best, Matt

22 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Gyeongsang, Nature, Notes from Matt, 2 Comments

When You’ll See Autumn Color 2009

I’m getting very excited for the annual danpoong (단풍) or autumn leaves here in Korea. And, thanks to an anonymous commenter, now we have the 2009 “color predication” chart for South Korea (I’ll admit the term is a new one for me).

Anyhow, thanks to David Hasenick’s site and I hope this helps folks plan their autumn trips… I’ve got plans to visit Naejang Mountain, Seorak Mountain, Jusanji and Gyeongju… just hope they all pan out!

11 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, -1 Comments

Under Construction…

Looks a little funny, huh?

I’m in the process of migrating DiscoveringKorea.com to a more flexible blogging software… It will take a few days to re-work the design and fix technical kinks. Afterward, I expect to introduce some great new features.

In the meantime, thanks for your patience!

~Matt