23 May 2010, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Best of DK.com, Seoul, Shopping, 3 Comments

Seoul’s Folk Flea Market

This market sells everything under the sun, from Joseon-era pottery and a knight’s helmet to a real tiger pelt. It’s a great place to get one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family.

01 Dec 2009, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Gangwon, Gyeongsang, Historic Korea, Jeju, Jeolla, Seoul, 1 Comments

Winter 2009-10 Festivals Calendar

Think that winter is when you stay bundled at home? Think again! Korea’s distinct four seasons guarantees a packed winter festival season, a boon for travelers who enjoy ice fishing, sunrise watching and fireworks to ring in the New Year. As always, be sure to check out the Korea Tourism Organization’s great interactive festival website (Go here).

Boseong Tea Fields Festival of Lights (Boseong, South Jeolla Province)
December 11-January 31
Boseong is justly famous for its beautiful rows of green tea fields, and its most famous plantation has turned its dormant season into a light show. For seven weeks, from 17:30 until 24:00 every day, Boseong’s orderly rows of tea will host an elaborate light show. See computer-generated photos of this year’s show on the website.
(more info: call +82-61-1330 or visit here [Not a terribly helpful site].)

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10 Oct 2009, Posted by Matt in Historic Korea, Nature, Seoul, Video, 3 Comments

The Cheonggyecheon Stream

Here’s a new video blog about the Cheonggyecheon (청계천), perhaps Seoul’s best-known urban renewal project. To read the original post with photos, go here.

19 Jun 2009, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Seoul, Video, 12 Comments

Queer Seoul

On Saturday, an estimated 1,500 people marched along the Cheonggyecheon (청계천) stream in downtown Seoul. The main event of the 10th annual Korea Queer Culture Festival (KQCF) marked South Korea’s largest-ever celebration of homosexuality. The procession was led by a troupe of pungmul folk musicians and three trucks outfitted with rainbow flags, dance platforms and speakers playing Korean pop. Locals wearing “God made Queer” buttons marched with foreign English teachers and teen boys donning mouse ears and pleated skirts.

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02 May 2009, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Seoul, 0 Comments

Hi Seoul Festival 2009

When Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup football/soccer tournament with Japan, people around the world saw hundreds of thousands of Korean fans clad in red swarm onto Seoul’s streets. To relive that festive spirit, the city launched the Hi Seoul Festival in 2003.

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12 Feb 2009, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Gangwon, Gyeongsang, Historic Korea, Nature, Seoul, Shopping, 4 Comments

Romantic Holidays and Destinations

A snapshot of a sidewalk “White Day” sale near Ewha Woman’s University (sic) from last year.

No, Valentine’s Day isn’t an indigenous creation, but Koreans have embraced the holiday fully.  And beyond being just a day for shops to sell anything pink or red, it’s also a special time to tell someone in your life, saranghae (사랑해), or “I love you.”

Actually, there are many quasi-official days for love in Korea. Youth and marketers have conspired to designate the 14th of almost every month a special day, with very specific rules to follow.

For example, although today is observed as Valentine’s Day in Korea, traditionally it’s when women give chocolate and gifts to their significant others. On March 14th, which is called “White Day,” the roles are reversed, and get this, some say that men are supposed to give gifts that are three times the value of what she gave you the previous month!

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