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

Introducing Jin’s “Around the Block”

Matt’s friend Jin is riding a bicycle around Korea. Thankfully, she’s also invited DiscoveringKorea.com to come along for the ride. You can follow her journey here!

12 Feb 2010, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Nature, Seoul, Transportation, 2 Comments

Gwangnaru Pedestrian Bridge

The Gwangnaru Pedestrian Bridge originated as a citizen’s suggestion and has become a pedestrian-friendly, park-like pathway connecting the city’s northern and southern halves.

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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05 Aug 2009, Posted by Matt in Seoul, Transportation, Video, 3 Comments

Seoul Metro’s New Golden Line 9

One of the best things about Seoul is its efficient and inexpensive public transit system. It’s a mind-boggling number, but the metro rail system facilitated over two billion passenger rides in 2008. Seoul’s network is the world’s third most heavily used, behind only Tokyo and Moscow.

Today, the massive system consists of 15 lines, with two more to open in the next year. On June 24, 2009, the inaugural journey of Metro Line 9 began at 7:00 am from Gaewha Station (계화역) in western Seoul for its 25.5-kilometer journey to Sinnonhyeon Station (신논현역), in southern Seoul.

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17 Jun 2009, Posted by Matt in News, Transportation, 6 Comments

Incheon Airport named World Best (again)

Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) has received yet more industry plaudits. This time around, the 2009 Skytrax survey of some 8.6 million passengers named Incheon the best airport in the world, edging out perennial favorites Hong Kong International and Singapore Changi International. Free internet, showers, and one-to-six hour guided sightseeing tours while you wait for your connection will do that. I’m a huge fan.

Read more:

Why can’t all airports be like Incheon?
USA Today, June 16 2009

Incheon International Airport is named the World’s Best Airport 2009
Skytrax, June 9, 2009

04 Jun 2009, Posted by Matt in Nature, Seoul, Transportation, 2 Comments

Hangang River Cruise

On this week’s show, how about we take a cruise? But this isn’t just any cruise, but a boat ride through the center of one of the world’s largest cities. Surely anyone who has visited Seoul knows of the mighty Han River (한강). Originating on two mountains, one in South Korea and the other in the North, the Hangang, as it’s known in Korea, winds along peacefully for over 500 kilometers before passing through Seoul on its way into the West or Yellow Sea.

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26 Mar 2009, Posted by Matt in Seoul, Transportation, 13 Comments

Ask Matt: AREX Airport Express

Today we’ll kick-off a new segment called, “Ask Matt“, where I’ll answer a listener/reader travel question. 

For our first post, Brian Kim in Los Angeles (USA) e-mailed me the following question:

Hi Matt, I’m headed to Seoul in a few months and I’m looking at some options to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul. I know there are buses that can shuttle you to anywhere in Seoul, but how efficient is the AREX Airport Express?

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20 Feb 2009, Posted by Matt in Jeju, Transportation, 7 Comments

Jeju Island Special Feature (Intro)

Yes, that’s Korea! We spent a very comfortable night at the luxury resort, Shineville, thanks to my special friend Uikwon’s family.

Last weekend I had the chance to visit Jeju Island (제주도) for the first time in about three years. And though I’d been to the lovely isle once before, I was in the company of my mother, her two friends and about 47 other Korean ajumma (married ladies). Needless to say, I was somewhat distracted by my (lovely) company.

This time around, I was traveling with my buddy Uikwon on an itinerary that was made in great part thanks to suggestions by Sejin, a Jeju-native who channels her generosity into encouraging visitors to get off the typical tourist junket. So, with a carefully crafted itinerary in hand, we were ready to go.

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03 Feb 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Festivals & Holidays, Food & Drink, Gangwon, Historic Korea, Transportation, 3 Comments

Mt. Taebaeksan Snow Festival

Colorful pinwheels add color to what was an otherwise very white snow festival.

The Taebaek Mountain Range stretches 500 kilometers along Korea’s east coast. This backbone of the Korean Peninsula features its namesake, Mount Taebaek, at the southern edge of Gangwon Province.

Rising 1,567 meters above sea level, Taebaeksan, which means “great white mountain,” is famous for its heavy snowfall. A portrait of Dangun Wanggeom (단군왕검), Korea’s legendary founder, is enshrined here.  And during the Silla Dynasty, kings performed annual sacrifices on Taebaeksan. In fact, Korean shamanists consider Taebaek Mountain to be one of the nation’s three holiest peaks.

But as I mentioned previously, this “great white mountain” is famous for snow, which is why thousands of people come here annually for the Taebaek Snow Festival (태백산눈축제).

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