05 May 2010, Posted by Matt in Chungcheong, Gyeonggi, Historic Korea, Jin's Around the Block, 3 Comments

Jin’s Around the Block, Day 2 (Suwon to Onyang Hot Springs)

Despite more rain, Jin and her friend continue their voyage south from Suwon to Cheonan and the Onyang Hot Springs.

26 Apr 2010, Posted by Matt in Gyeonggi, Jin's Around the Block, Seoul, Transportation, 4 Comments

Jin’s Around the Block, Day 1 (Seoul to Suwon)

Day 1 of Jin’s “Around the Block” bicycle tour of Korea begins with bike building, brunch eating and an especially windy journey from Seoul to Suwon.

19 Mar 2010, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Gyeonggi, Nature, Seoul, 0 Comments

Climbing Mt. Dobongsan

Let’s celebrate the waning weeks of winter with a snowy hiking trip up Mt. Dobongsan, the “Daoist Peak” located on Seoul’s northern border.

11 Feb 2010, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Gyeonggi, Historic Korea, Jeolla, Seoul, 7 Comments

Celebrating Seollal in Seoul

(Photo from the Seoul Tourism Organization).

Seollal (설날), or the lunar New Year, is the traditional Korean calendar’s most important holiday, along with the autumn harvest festival, Chuseok. Although its origins are unclear, many say the rituals go back to the 6th century. It was during ancient Korea’s Three Kingdoms period when the lunar calendar was first adopted. Today, several Asian countries, including China, Mongolia and Vietnam, all celebrate the lunar New Year holiday.

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08 Feb 2010, Posted by Matt in Gyeonggi, Historic Korea, Transportation, 1 Comments

Touring the DMZ, Part 2: The Tours

I had lived here the better part of three years before I went on one of the very popular DMZ tours. Although I was non-plussed by the price and not terribly excited to go, I was glad I did. The tragic division of the Korean Peninsula has created a unique glimpse into one of the most chilling reminders of the Cold War. Far more than a hokey tourist trap, the DMZ is an exciting and frightening place.

In Part 1, we took a look at some of the most popular DMZ sights located in Gyeonggi Province. For Part 2, let’s see some of the organized tours that will take you there.

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04 Feb 2010, Posted by Matt in Gyeonggi, Historic Korea, 5 Comments

Touring the DMZ, Part 1: The Sights

Just one hour from Seoul is a peculiar land of misnomers – kilometers of barbed wire line Freedom Road and block access to the sea, and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is the world’s most heavily armed border.

An estimated one million troops stand at the ready along both sides of the 4-kilometer buffer that has divided the Korean Peninsula since a 1953 armistice paused a bloody, fratricidal war. In the 50-some years since, the DMZ has seen occasional flare-ups, an axe murder incident and the discovery of invasion tunnels capable of funneling 10,000 North Korean troops an hour toward Seoul. Yet, in spite of the ever-present danger, or perhaps because of it, the DMZ endures as one of South Korea’s most popular tourist destinations.

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21 Oct 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Gyeonggi, Historic Korea, Nature, Seoul, 6 Comments

Fall Color at Mt. Gwanaksan

Although I’m completely unqualified to do so, here’s a quick Korean language lesson.

The word “san” (산) in Korean more or less means mountain. That’s why every mountain in Korea has the “-san” suffix, e.g. Seoraksan, Bukhansan, Jirisan, etc. Trouble is, living here I’ve become familiar calling Korea’s peaks by their Korean names (fancy that!), so calling Jirisan “Mount Jiri” just doesn’t feel right. When translating to English, however, it’s unclear that it’s a mountain without the obligatory “Mt.” title. So what’s my awkward compromise? Mount (Mountain Name)-mountain… something tells me my opinion on this will change shortly.

Anyhow, given that autumn color has started here in Seoul, I wanted to put up some photos from a quick trip last year to, ahem, Mt. Gwanaksan (관악산), located in Southern Seoul.

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01 Oct 2009, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Food & Drink, Gyeonggi, Seoul, 3 Comments

Happy Chuseok 2009!

The onset of autumn each year in Seoul often means an uncharacteristic calm and quiet in the city. No, it’s not that over 10 million residents decide to slow down to watch the leaves change. It’s because late September or early October marks Chuseok (추석), Korea’s annual thanksgiving holiday that’s among the most important dates on the Korean calendar.

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20 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Best of DK.com, Food & Drink, Gyeonggi, Nature, 6 Comments

Yangsuri: Where Two Rivers Meet

Located in Gyeonggi Province, Seoulites know Yangsuri as a convenient and romantic getaway — the perfect place for a day-trip or weekend escape.

01 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Chungcheong, Festivals & Holidays, Food & Drink, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Historic Korea, Jeolla, Nature, 2 Comments

Autumn 2009 Festivals Calendar

Summer may be peak festival season in Korea, but I much prefer traveling during the autumn months, when the temps fall, the leaves turn and the crowds are a little less crazy. What follows are some of Korea’s best autumn festivals.