Into Korea Tour

The year of 2008 is named a year of Kwangju travel in Korea.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:37:25 +0900

The year of 2008 is officially named the year of visiting Kwangju and Chollanamdo province. The rich cultural heritage is still remaining in Kwangju, the city, which is called the center of Korean art.

The artifacts of the ancient Paekche were found here in Kwangju as well as many art and historical places of Joson Dynasty. This year Kwangju will held international celebrations of new arts, which will exhibit the works of artists from around the world, as well as Kimchi Festival.

The slogan of the Kwangju and Chollanamdo province campaign is "Taste and Smell". Various excursion tours will be presented to tourists in order to introduce region on different year seasons. For example, “The gourmand tour”, which will give the visitors an opportunity to visit three towns to taste three different meals: Kwangju- the royal cuisine, which consists of traditionally prepared beef, wild duck, oat and kimchi food; Mokpo- sliced row fish, Kurye - vegetarian food.

The guests of this region can visit the following excursions: “Festival tour”, “ Family Picnic”, “ Green tea plantations and bamboo forest”, “ Memories of Autumn leave fall”, “ Birds Migration”, “ Village tour”, “ Beach bungalow”, “ Moses Road”, “ Island tour”, “ Historical and cultural tour”, “ Buddist temple”.

Jeju island a beatiful place to visit.

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:56:27 +0900

Jeju-do is one of the most beautiful islands in the East Asia.
It is an exotic Island with the soft climate. It is located near the Far East region of the Russia.

As a volcanic island it consists of 368 secondary craters. The mountain Halla (the height of 1950 meter) is located in the center of the Juju and is a dead volcano with a big crater on the top.
The mountain differs with the dense vegetation on the hills, which longs through all coast.

In the end of the year of 2002 the National Park, with its territory of the Halla mountain, and the most beautiful places of the south coast, has got the status of the Biosphere Resources of UNESCO.
The trip to Jeju will be interesting to everyone: families, just-married couples, exotic place fans, active sport lovers and even to those who visited Korea on business for a few days.

Pine trees and juniper shrubs, leaned by liana and ivy, mandarin gardens, palm plantations and green tea, dead craters and pastures with horses, amazing lava coasts sand beaches, uninhabited islands and magic under-water land, and of course, the purest ocean is everything you can see in Jeju.

Jeju is recently obtaining popularity as a “Golf island”. Most it is because of developed world-standard golf infrastructure. Golfers, who have once been here agree with such statement. Memories make them comeback to this beautiful island again and again.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:31:26 +0900

Description :

Boryeong mud is rich in minerals and good for one’s skin. The high quality sea mud is famous enough to make mud cosmetic products such as mud packs, mud soaps, etc. The Boryeong Mud festival is filled with fun where visitors enjoy mud massages with quality mud powder from the Daecheon swimming beach and a nearby tidal flat.
Various programs are available such as a mega mud tub, mud wrestling, mud sliding, a mud prison, mud military training and so on. Thus, it is one of the most attractive summer festivals that you cannot miss.

Festival Guidance: The mud festival offers a unique experience in a grand mud tub. Children can enjoy a kid-size mud tub, mud sliding, a mud prison and mud hand printing. Also, participants can wrestle with their equally muddy partner. When things get too muddy, self-mud massages are available in the massage zone and mud photo contests are good ways to capture some good memories of this messy day.
If you want to take some mud home, there is a hands-on program of making mud soap. If you would like to do something more rigorous, there is a marine-like intensive training course, which is a fun activity to test one’s limit. Through this course, you can build trust and friendships with people. For those who love to exercise, the beach marathon contest is another attraction. Also, you can enjoy a high-tech mud massage and soak in a tub of sea-water, all for a moderate fee. If you visit Korea during this time, this is a must-see event where you get dirty at the height of Korean summer heat and no one will yell at you.

Major Highlights: When you go to the festival, don’t forget to bring a spare set of clothes and your bath toiletries. Once you get there, it will be hard not to get muddy. The top attraction is the mud sliding, full of fun and thrills, where you are covered completely in mud. You may romp around with your friends in the mud tub, which is good for your skin.
If you are interested in buying quality mud cosmetic products, they are available at the mud cosmetic exhibition for a reasonable price.

“Fun Ski & Snow Festival” - KNTO

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:29:26 +0900

From December, 2007 through March, 2008, the “Fun Ski & Snow Festival” will be held in Yongpyong and Muju Resorts. Many tourists from Southeast Asian countries stay for 3 nights to enjoy skiing and various events that are provided by the resorts.

This ski tour program includes daytime activities such as ski instruction, amateur ski competitions, snowboard competitions, and sledding competitions, while featuring some nighttime events like Korea traditional dance and music performances. This year, in celebration of the event's 10th year anniversary, there are also a number of additional special events, discounts and free gifts for visitors.

In the recent years, the number of Southeast Asian tourists for the winter season has increased because of the snow covered mountains and the fun and thrills that are offered at the ski resorts in Korea.

Yongpyong Resort and Muju Resort are especially well known for their beauty and the quality of snow among many ski enthusiasts. Yongpyong Resort is located between 700 and 1,500 meters above sea level and is known as the Alps of the Korean Peninsula. It was also the setting for Winter Sonata, a famous TV drama series which was televised in many parts of Asia.

Period (December 2007 ~ March 2008)

Yongpyong Resort (7 times)	Muju Resort (6 times)
Dec. 9-12, 2007	Dec. 16-19, 2007
Dec. 16-19, 2007	Jan. 15-18, 2008
Jan. 13-16, 2008	Jan. 27-30, 2008
Jan. 27-30, 2008	Feb. 13-16, 2008
Feb. 12-15, 2008	Feb. 24-27, 2008
Feb. 24-27, 2008	Feb. 5- Mar. 8, 2008
Feb. 1- Mar. 4, 2008

Watch Festival Videos!


Yongpyong Resort (06.12.10 -06.12.13)	Muju Resort (06.12.17 -06.12.20)

September Festivals

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:48:22 +0900

September Festivals
Autumn is the time where people begin to enjoy more outdoor activities as the refreshing breeze cools the air and the leaves change to an array of red, orange, and yellow colors. For these reasons, many festivals tend to take place during this time, especially cultural tourist attractions. The Celadon Porcelain Festival and the Mask Dance festival are just a few of the festivals where tourists may participate in the festivities while getting a chance to experience Korean culture.

Geumsan Insam Festival

Dates: September 7 - September 16
Venue: Insam Complex Exhibition Hall, Geumsan-eup, Geumsan-gun
Visitors get the opportunity to sample some expensive ginseng for free at Mt. Geumsan, Korea’s famous landmark at a ginseng plantation. Tourists will be able to gather ginseng, prepare ginseng dishes, and also have the chance of purchasing ginseng at an affordable price.

Dates: September 7 - September 16
Venue: Cultural Village District, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
Although this festival is based on the famous Korean novelist, Lee Hyo-Seok, this is an event that anyone can enjoy, even if you are unfamiliar with him or his works. The buckwheat field that surrounds the festival grounds is a great place especially for taking a stroll or taking some photos.

Gangjin Celadon Cultural Festival

Dates: September 8 - September 16
Venue: Pottery Kiln Site of Goryeo Cheongja, Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do
This is a festival of Gangjin’s celadon porcelain, widely known for its superior artistic quality since ancient times. Named as a national treasure, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the superior beauty of traditional-style celadon porcelain ware as well as more modern styles.

Jarasum International Jazz Festival

Dates: September 12 - September 16
Venue: Jarasum Area, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
This is a festival where guests will be able to enjoy international jazz performances by well-known jazz musicians outdoors. Also, tourists can take pleasure in leisure sports as well as the spectacle beauty of Jarasum’s cosmos flowers, sunflowers, and reed fields.

Chungju World Martial Arts Festival

Dates: September 28 - October 4
Venue: Chilgeum Tourist Resort Area, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
A festival where guests are invited to watch martial artists from all over the world participate in exhibition performances and martial arts tournaments. Also, this is chance to experience traditional Korean martial arts since there will be a variety of performances and martial arts related tournaments.

Andong Maskdance Festival

Dates: September 28 - October 7
Venue: Talchum(Mask Dance) Park & Andong Downtown, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
This is a festival featuring the folk dance performances of internationally famous performance teams, and the traditional Korean mask dance (Takchum), previously named as one of Korea’s intangible cultural assets. The Talchum does not bear the constraints of language, so that even foreigners can easily enjoy the diverse folk entertainment of Andong.

Yangyang Song-i Mushroom Festival

Dates: September 29 - October 3
Venue: Waterside of Yangyang Namdaecheon & Yangyang Market, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do
Guests will be able to pick Song-I mushrooms that grow deep in the mountains, and get to taste a variety of Song-I mushroom dishes. Various performances and visitors will be able to enjoy the specialties of Yangyang. Also, a special Song-I gathering event will be prepared for foreigners.

Need travel information? Just Call 1330!

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:37:08 +0900

Need travel information? Just Call 1330!

When you need English assistance or travel information, just dial 1330, and a bilingual operator will offer you detailed information on tourist sites, transportation, restaurants, etc.
If you want information about areas outside of Seoul, enter the area code of that region before pressing 1330.

Hours: 24-hour

How to dial 1330 from a telephone

● In Korea
- Telephone: 1330
- Cellphone: Area code + 1330
(EX. Information for Seoul 02-1330)
- Service Charge: local telephone charge only

● From Abroad
- +82-Area code-1330
(EX. For Seoul +82-2-1330)
- Be sure to drop 0 in front of area code

[Area Codes]

Area	Seoul	Gyeonggi	Incheon	Gangwon	Chungnam	Daejeon	Chungbuk	Busan
Number	(0)2	(0)31	(0)32	(0)33	(0)41	(0)42	(0)43	(0)51

Area	Ulsan	Daegu	Gyeongbuk	Gyeongnam	Jeonnam	Gwangju	Jeonbuk	Jeju
Number	(0)52	(0)53	(0)54	(0)55	(0)61	(0)62	(0)63	(0)64

Upgraded 'Janggeum' hits Sejong Center stage

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:01:38 +0900

The musical "Great Janggeum," a stage version of hit MBC drama "Daejanggeum," has been upgraded after its initial release received cold responses from critics three months ago.

Song Seung-hwan, co-chairman of PMC Production, said yesterday that the flow of the musical has been changed and some songs have been rewritten to dramatize the love story between its two main characters, Janggeum and Min Jung-ho. The upgraded version is scheduled to hit the stage Aug. 25 at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts. The show will run through Sept. 9.

"Although we didn't have much time to wholly upgrade the musical, we tried to intensify the storytelling by highlighting conflicts among the characters rather than visualizing each episode already introduced on the TV series," said Song during a luncheon meeting with reporters in Seoul.

The actor-turned-producer also said he decided to reduce ticket prices from 150,000 won ($159) to 120,000 won.

The musical adaptation of the TV period-drama has drawn attention from the media since last year, raising speculation as to whether the musical would be as successful as the drama. The TV drama "Daejanggeum" was phenomenally successful in 2003, with its viewers' rating soaring above 50 percent. The 54-episode drama also made a huge contribution to the spreading of Hallyu, or Korean Wave, as it was exported to over 50 countries.

However, the musical version drew widespread criticism in May, with critics saying it missed the nuts and bolts that link the story chunks in the original.

Admitting trouble making profits, Song said he hopes now to turn out profits by putting it on international stages after its performances in Seoul.

Earlier this month, PMC signed a $147,000 contract with Japan's Shochiku, which allows the Japanese production company to use the contents and music of the musical "Great Janggeum." It also plans to bring the musical to major cities in China next year.

The musical production follows the same storyline as the drama, portraying a woman who serves at a palace cook for the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty. Although Janggeum faces difficulties as a woman from a low class, she overcomes her hardships with courage.

MBC and PMC Production, creators of the nonverbal performance "Nanta," poured 6 billion won into the homegrown musical production.

By Cho Chung-un

(christory@herald.co.kr)

23nd Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show - KIMES 2007 -

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:02:23 +0900

  Opening Hours    :
  Visitors - 10:00 a.m. ~ 6:00 p.m.
Exhibitors - 9:00 a.m. ~ 6:30 p.m.

   Exhibition Venue  :
COEX (Convention & Exhibition Center) Pacific, Atlantic and Indian and Convention Halls
(159, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-729, Korea)

  Organizers  :
  Korea E & Ex Inc.
Korea Medical Devices Industrial Coop.Association
Korea Medical Devices Industry Association

Sponsors    :
   Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy
Ministry of Health and Welfare
Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA)
Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)
Korea Health Industry Development Institute
The Korean Medical Association
The Korean Hospital Association
The Korean Medical Women's Association
The Korean Nurses Association
The Korean Medical News

  Groups of Exhibits   :
  Consultation & Diagnosis Equipment   Clinical Examination Equipment
Radiology Equipment  Surgical Apparatus & Equipment
Cure Apparatus & Equipment  Physiotherapy Apparatus
Ophthalmic Apparatus  Dental Apparatus
Central Supply Equipment   Hospital Accommodation
Emergency Equipment  Medical Information System
Oriental Medicine & Equipment  Pharmaceutical Equipment
Healthcare Equipment  Disposable Apparatus and Others
Other Relative Items

Exhibition Surface : 32,382㎡

Boryeoung Mud FESTIVAL

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:21:33 +0900

1.     Festival name : 8th Boryeoung Mud Festival

2.     Period : July 16 ~ 22, 2005(7days)

3.     Theme : “Searching for well-being hidden in the natural!”

4.     Place : Daecheon Beach and city around

5.     Host : Boryeoung Mud Festival Committee

6.     Management : Boryeoung City

7.     Sponsor : Ministry of Cuture and Tourism, Korea, Korea National Tourism Organization, Welcome To Korea Foundation, KOMIPO

8.     Contents

  (1) Open events

    (A) Opening ceremony for mud entertainment facility

    (B) Street parade

    (C) Yacht parade

    (D) Opening ceremony(main events)

    (E) King Mud Contest

    (F) Congratulation Concert

    (G) Fireworks Fantasy Show

    (H) Farewell ceremony

  (2) Join-In events

    (A)   Big scale mud bath

    (B)   Kid mud bath

    (C)   Sliding mud

    (D)   Mud correctional institution

    (E)    Mud softball game

    (F)    Mud manikin

    (G)   Mud wrestling game

    (H)    Mud self massage

    (I)     Foreshore self-denial course

    (J)    3rd Boryeoung marathon

    (K)   Mud barriers

    (L)    2nd national mud futsal game

9.     Tour schedule

     -  1st day : arrived at Incheon Airport and pick-up, check-in
                     (Boryeoung), join in the evening events

     -   2nd day: festival tour, Daecheon beach

     -   3rd day: festival tour, join in events

     -   4th day: arrived at Seoul, city tour(half day)

     -   5th day: city day(full day)

     -   6th day: check-out, sending

“A NATIONAL & TRADITIONAL BULLFIGHT FESTIVAL 2005”

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:21:45 +0900

*GENERAL INFO:
Bulls of Jungeup are so special because they eat special foods such as
herbal medicine, uncracked grains of barley, etc. So Jungeup is famous
for the bull’s good flesh. It will be a special time for foreigners to
watch Korean bull’s fight. You can feel it’s something different for
Spain bullfight. Come and enjoy it~!

1) Title: A NATIONAL & TRADITIONAL BULLFIGHT FESTIVAL 2005
2) Periods: The middle of May 2005.
3) Sponsor: Jungeup traditional bullfight association.
4) Contents: Traditional bull fight festival, A contest of Korean
bull bronze, etc.

[7 days tour program.]
The 1st day:  Incheon International Airport -pick up,  Hotel check in
The 2nd day:  Gyongbokgung or Deoksugung, Folk Museum, transfr to
Jungeup.
The 3rd day:  Enjoy the festival
The 4th day:  Enjoy the festival
The 5th day:  Enjoy the festival, transfer to Seoul.
The 6th day:  visit Minseokcheon, COEX
The 7th day:  Hotel check out,  Incheon International airport -sending