Not many would know what to do with a set of abandoned railroad tracks, useless mountain tunnels, and a stretch of coastal scenery. Yet, the folks in Samcheok, a city located on the eastern coast of Korea, found themselves with these seemingly purposeless components and turned them into a clever tourist destination. Leave it to …
Last week, Korea welcomed its ten millionth tourist with a ceremony at Incheon International Airport. Tourism in Korea has grown exponentially in recent years, partly due to the improvement of tourism policies and the measures taken by the government to make travel around the peninsula more convenient for foreigners. Still, there’s a more obvious catalyst …
Incheon Station is located at the very end of Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Because of its location, the writers of “Korea Top 10” on Arirang TV thought the city, specifically Chinatown, an ideal destination to be included on “Railroads”, an episode I am filming with them now. I had visited Chinatown last …
Recently, I signed on to film an episode of “Top 10 Korea” with Arirang TV. I’ve spent the past few weekends traveling to destinations around Korea that have some sort of relation to railroads, the theme of the episode. I’m positively certain that I will end up looking like an idiot on international television, but …
The temperatures in Korea are dropping quickly. Too quickly if you ask me. Soon enough, Seoulites will be forced to bundle up and head indoors to escape the harsh Korean winter weather.. While there are plenty of things to do throughout the city during the winter, there’s no better place to pass a cold day …
Thanks to Psy and the constant replay of Gangnam Style (which was recently just declared the second most watched video on YouTube EVER), the world now knows that there’s much more to Korea than kimchi and electronics companies. Finally, westerners are seeing this other, hipper side of the country that Korea’s neighbors discovered long ago. …
Over Chuseok vacation, I headed to Ulleung Island, a destination I had been dreaming of visiting for quite some time. Situated in the East Sea (or the Sea of Japan to all of you living outside of Korea), Ulleungdo is an island that promises visitors spectacular scenery, tasty seafood, and a chance to relax far …
It’s time for more not-so-normal norms! This time, I talk about the Korean version of a milkman, cell phone accessories, personal space, and movie theater culture. Please remember that this segment has been written to point out differences that I’ve noticed in cultural norms between my home country, America, and my new home, Korea. My …
Recently, I wrote a post about all of the wonderful reasons to love autumn in Korea. Not listed in the post but very much included in my reasons for loving the season is that of Chuseok. Chuseok is a Korean holiday that celebrates the autumn harvest and is held around the autumn equinox based on …
Although the rainy season has ended, my obsession with makgeolli (Korean rice wine) has only become stronger. It has consumed my thoughts, really, and I’ve found myself on a constant search for the best flavors and makgeolli bars throughout the city. I started to think that maybe I was the only one out there with …