Korea’s UNESCO Folk Villages
By Marian Goldberg

On November 1, 2010, the KTX (Korea Train Express) inaugurated service on a new route from Seoul to Busan. However, unlike the previous Seoul-Busan route (in operation since 2004), this one makes a stop in Gyeongju City in Gyeongsangbuk Province, a historical area in Korea’s southeast, about 214 miles miles north of Busan. It’s an area where the Korea Tourism Organization is hoping and expecting to see a “tourism renaissance” take place.
Already Korea’s best preserved historical area and number one destination for April cherry blossom admirers, year-round hikers and student groups, Gyeongsangbuk-do’s two main folk villages of Yangdong in Gyeongju City and Hahoe in Andong City were awarded UNESCO’s World Heritage status as official Historic Villages of Korea on August 1, 2010. This threw the two villages into the tourism spotlight, and now the newly completed KTX line will make it easy for travelers to reach them for both day trips and short overnights. Travel time between Seoul and Gyeongju is reduced from nearly 4.5 hours on the deluxe highway express bus to 2.2 hours on the KTX train (standard weekday seating costs around $38). The drive from Gyeongju to Andong (about 112 miles) takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, and a hired taxi is more reasonable and convenient than renting a car.
UNESCO described Yangdong and Hahoe villages as reflecting “the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture and architectural style” of the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Both villages are set deep in the heart of nature and contain a number of traditional tile or thatched roof buildings that have been almost perfectly preserved. Both locations are known as “clan villages,” where residents of the same family name have been living together for hundreds of years. Hahoe Village has been inhabited by members of the Ryu clan of Pungsan (ancestral home of the Ryu clan) for over 600 years. Yangdong has been the home of the Son clan of Gyeongju and the Lee clan of Yeogang for approximately 500 years. Probably Yangdong’s most famous former resident was the great Confucian scholar “Hoejae” Lee Eon-jeok (1491-1553), who was one of the so-called “Five Great Sages of the East.”

Yangdong Village
When our 9-person group arrived at Yangdong village, elderly woman dressed in historical peasant garb were pounding glutinous rice with large wooden hammers, shaping it into gooey cube-shaped treats, and coating these with yellow bean powder. Called Injeolmi, these celebration sweets were then given to us in small, clear plastic containers as welcome gifts.
We spent about an hour strolling and hiking around the 160 houses (54 of which are over 200 years old) still inhabited by some 500 people. We passed homes where laundry hung out to dry, and numerous fields were given to crops such as taro, yellow pumpkin, Korean pepper, sesame, and sweet potatoes.
The most wonderful experience was lunch. We stopped by a “restaurant” called Chowon Sikdang, an old yangban (literary and martial arts class) home in the middle of the village, owned by a local resident family. After exploring their courtyard, we were welcomed inside a large empty living room, where we sat down cross-legged on the heated floor. One by one, low tables were brought in and connected until one long eating surface was completed—long enough to host all nine of us for a traditional multi-course Korean feast. We enjoyed the specialty jeongsik with soup, rice and an abundance of side dishes, including ZZangachi made from seasonal vegetables with soy sauce and red pepper paste, jellied acorn mixed with vegetables, and nutritious black rice wrapped with lotus leaves (about $25 for four people), which we washed down with cheongju, a clear Korean rice wine similar to Japanese sake.
The owner of the house, Mr. Lee-seokjin, was a 13th generation village resident, descended from Mr.Lee-yeonmal (Pen name Nongjae). He spoke some English, but one member of our group also translated. He was a licensed chef, and thus was permitted by law to run a restaurant. However, in line with local tradition, his wife actually did the cooking. It was just the two of them, as their daughter was married and their son was away at university. Currently, they rent out several rooms as a guesthouse (about $50 for two people).

Hahoe Village
“Hahoe” means winding river, and the scenic backdrop of the Nakdong River and Taebaek mountains mean the village is situated in an auspicious location. Some say Hahoe is like a lotus floating on the water. To me, Hahoe Village seemed a little bit more upscale than Yangdong. Many of the restored homes had luxury automobiles in the driveways, and we even saw the home of Ryu Si Won, a famous Korean movie star. However, we were told that this was a unique part of the village design. Here, the aristocratic yangban class and commoners lived together. The largest homes are located at the center of the village, which is divided by a road stretching northeast and southwest. Circling around the stately homes are more modest ones featuring thatched roofs instead of the traditional hanok-style tile roofs. Furthermore, unlike most villages of the period, these commoner dwellings face in all directions from the center, not only southward.
As at Yangdong, we ate at Kamnamujip, a local family-run home-restaurant. Seventy-four year-old Mr. Ryu-Jeonha was a 14th generation descendent from 1st ancestor Ryu-Cheongryong and his wife, 71 year-old Lee-Chakyo was a 25th generation descendent from Lee Whang (Toegye of Tosanseowon). Mrs. Lee made her own sesame seed oil for her own sweet potato noodles, a major ingredient in her original Andong jimdak (chicken) which may have been the best meal I had in Korea.
Hahoe also seemed to be much more ritualistic than Yangdong. At the entrance to the village were dozens of jangseung, which resemble North American totem poles. They guard against the evil spirits of misfortune. Additionally, Hahoe is famously known for its dramatic mask dance and shamanistic rituals called Hahoe byeolsingut talnori. The dances were one way the common people could satirize the arrogance of the ruling class. Today there is an amphitheatre for the mask dances, but in olden times, the mask dances occurred under an old zelkova tree. This tree, now 600 hundred years old, still remains and is considered to be the home of the village spirit. Residents and visitors still tie prayers for health and success to its branches. More information on the mask dances and the masks themselves can be found at the village’s Hahoe Mask Museum, which features hundreds of masks from Korea and around the world.

Where to Stay
The Andong Park Hotel (www.parkhotel.or.kr), happens to be the only hotel in Andong City. It also happens to be fully WiFi-enabled and equipped with a sleek desktop computer and flatscreen television in each room, all for about $60 per night. The wooden floors are heated, and the wild décor is right out of 1969. Sparkly yellow and orange-swirl walls compliment psychedelic floral curtains and shimmering pink bedspreads with bold, white flowers. This is not the Hyatt, but definitely worth the experience.

Getting There and Getting Around
It will be exciting to see how the new KTX service changes tourism patterns in South Korea. New nonstop service to Busan is also coming and as recently as December 28, 2010, new train service was launched from downtown Seoul Station to the Incheon Airport that is complete with a baggage check-in counter for Korean Air and Asiana Airways. The airport train takes only 43 minutes, and if you fly on these two airlines and checked in your luggage, you can go directly through customs/immigration to the gates!
In fact, Korea’s rail travel enthusiasm will be further intensifying. President Lee Myung-bak’s latest plan will upgrade speeds on current lines, create new lines so that 80 percent of the population will have access to high-speed trains and will eventually make 95 percent of the country accessible from any other point in less than two hours. Korea is truly moving fast into the future.

Seoul Grows Under ‘Design Capital’ Title
Korea’s move into the future goes beyond trains and technology. The World Design Capital project is a biennial international designation created to identify and recognize cities that have effectively used design to revive the city and improve its quality of life. Said Seoul City Mayor, Oh Se-hoon, “The selection of the city as “World Design Capital 2010” in 2007 played a crucial role in the establishment of Seoul’s status as a leading design city and transforming itself into an attractive city that is appealing to visit, invest in and live in.”
During its term as World Design Capital, Seoul placed tremendous efforts on various design-related projects all under the umbrella of “Design for All.” The year kicked off with the WDC New Year’s Eve Festival, which was closely followed by a variety of commemorative events including the WDC Global Design Cities Summit, during which the Seoul Design Declaration transpired. Other events included the Seoul Design Market and the World Design Survey 2010 project. The city also held the WDC Citizens Design Competition and the Children’s Creativeness Camp on Children’s Day, in an attempt to foster interaction and citizen participation as part of the WDC program. Seoul organized an International Design Workshop on Universal Design, as well as the Seoul Design Fair and the Seoul Design Assets Exhibition. All of this effort contributed to increasing the city’s brand value and identity.
Design in the city has in recent years been increasingly seen from a broad perspective not only in city planning and architecture, but also in industrial and service design. Through projects such as the Han River Renaissance and Mount Namsan Renaissance, the city has improved the quality of life for all Seoulites and a the same time raised the city’s competitiveness. As such, Seoul has grown out of its past “growth-first” principle and has opened itself up to new horizons to unveil a new, more-considerate city through design.
For more information, contact the Korea Tourism Organization at www.visitkorea.or.kr or 800-TOUR-KOR. For Seoul Tourism, visit www.visitseoul.net, and for Korail: www.korail.com (general) or www.korailtravel.com (train tours).

Korea: The Destination for Ceramic Arts
By Marian Goldberg

While many travelers visit Japan to pay homage to its renowned ceramics, it is often overlooked that Japanese ceramics, which spread north through Japan from the southern Island of Kyushu, was actually “introduced” from Korea! The word “introduced” is mild. In fact, when the Japanese invaded Korea during the 16th Century, many Korean potters were actually abducted and brought by the daimyo (fiefs of the feudal lords) to Japan.
One Korean potter taken to Japan at that time has been revered as the “god of pottery.” Yi Sam-pyeong, known as Ri Sampei, or Kanegae Sampei, in Japan, established the world-famous pottery village in Arita, Kyushu. Yi was originally from the Geum River basin area in Korea. In 1990 a memorial was set up at the entrance of Donghaksa, a Buddhist temple in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, Korea, and the inscription was paid for by the residents of Arita, Japan.
Nevertheless, the Korean potters’ abduction of 1592-1598 did not decimate Korean ceramic arts in the homeland. Ceramics have been an essential element of life in Korea since the Neolithic period (7000 BCE), and have been more than revitalized today. In fact, the renowned British studio potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979) once wrote: “One might think that my greatest love is Japanese ceramics but it is Korean ceramics that move me most.”
Korean ceramics developed with the tea and food culture over the millennium, and even today, multiple pieces of ceramic dishware are used to serve the array of kimchi and condiments offered with every Korean meal. In Korea’s most prestigious restaurants, food is presented on original works of ceramic art. With the strong tourist interest in Korean cuisine, it’s not surprising that travelers would also be interested in Korean ceramics.
One ceramic artist knows this well. Arthur Park, a retired ceramics professor from Wayne State University, is the founder of Morning Earth Tours (www.morningearthkorea.com). Says Park, “Participants on our tours witness the full breadth of Korean ceramics.” Among the studios his tours visit are several intangible human cultural treasures: onggi potters (creators of traditional Korean earthenware vessels used to store pickled vegetables, bean pastes and soy sauces), teabowl masters, Silla style experts (hard metal-like stoneware), bun-cheong masters (celadon-like but with a coarser clay and technique), porcelain masters, and even the last man in Korea to make roof tiles by hand. Arthur has been traveling to the “Land of Morning Calm” for over 30 years, and began offering ceramics tours to Korea in 1997. He now leads about four tours a year focusing on Korean ceramics (http://koreanceramictours.com) and tea culture (http://teatourkorea.com).
Morning Earth Tours also visits ceramics festivals and explores contemporary Korean ceramics and the museums dedicated to the ceramic arts. In fact, according to Judy Schwartz (www.judyschwartz.com), professor of sculpture and ceramics at New York University, there are 22 specialized ceramics museums in the world, and Korea is the only country with four (all others have just 1 or 2). The newest Korean ceramics museum is the Clayarch Gimhae Museum (www.clayarch.org). It opened in 2007 and focuses only on architectural ceramics. It is located in the south, in Gimhae, near Pusan. The other three museums are all located within a half-hour of each other. These include: the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, exhibiting and researching historical Korean ceramics; the Icheon World Ceramics Center exhibiting the work of contemporary ceramic artists—including many living “intangible cultural properties”—and the Yeoju World Ceramic Livingware Gallery focusing on useful ceramics for the home, such as dishes and tea-ware (www.wocef.com). Together, these three museums are all situated within Gyeonggi Province, near the “ceramics town” of Icheon, about an hour’s drive south of Seoul. It’s referred to as such because there are 80 pottery factories, 300 pottery kilns, numerous privately run galleries like the Hanhyanglim Gallery & Jay Collection (www.heyrigallery.com), with its outstanding Ongii kimchi pots, the Icheon Ceramics Village and the World Ceramics Exhibition Foundation’s World Ceramic Biennale Korea, held here every two years. The WCBK is the largest ceramics festival in the world, with over 2 million attendees in 2009. Judith Schwartz was actually among the first international judges of this competition, which offers the largest Grand Prize of any ceramic competition in the world; $60,000. Here, in conjunction with the next Biennale to be held in April 2011, they will open Clay Park, a ceramics theme park.
Of course artists’ studios, ceramics museums and festivals are only part of Korea’s celebration of the ceramic arts. A complete tour must also visit several key galleries in Seoul. One of the better ones is the studio/gallery of Ms. Kim Yik Yung, near the imperial palace. In 2004 Ms. Kim was co-winner of the “Artist of the Year” award from National Museum of Contemporary Art. The most famous gallery is Tong-in and the most high-end is the Hyundai Gallery, located near the Folklore Museum.
For those clients who just want a taste of Korean ceramic culture, several ground operators offer day tours to Icheon. Korea Tour Plaza offers a convention option called “Chasing the Spirit of Korean Ceramics” (www.koreatourplaza.com) and Hanna Tour offers an “Icheon Ceramics Village tour” (www.hanatour.com). Additionally, the Adventure Traveler’s Society is promoting a “Hands-on Ceramics Experience” as a main cultural tour in Korea: www.adventure-travelers.com.
Independent travelers can journey to Icheon from Seoul’s Dong Seoul Bus Terminal in about an hour for about $4. A newer bus also runs hourly (until 10 p.m.) from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal, located in Central City near the JW Marriott Hotel. A taxi from Icheon Intercity Bus Terminal to Icheon Ceramics Village costs just 3,000 won, or about $3. The best hotel in the area is the Hotel Miranda (www.mirandahotel.com), known for its grandiose spa and water park. When your clients get tired of ceramics, they can relax in a traditional hinoke (warm cedar pool) or try a hanbongtang (Korean herb pool) or even a charcoal bath, in addition to various hot and cold Jacuzzi spas.
Call 800-TOUR-KOREA or visit www.visitkorea.or.kr

Historic and Cultural Korea
By Marian Goldberg

In the most recent Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/TravelandTourismReport/index.htm), published by the World Economic Forum, Korea learned that the quality of its cultural assets and resources are among its most attractive attributes for foreign tourists. This year the country is seeking to encourage travelers to explore the uniqueness of its culture by marketing the Gyeongbuk Province (www.gbtour.net/JSPROOT/eng/main/main.html), a UNESCO World Heritage region along the Southeast Coast.

This was my third trip to Korea but my first time out of Seoul and my first time traveling in a group. We were departing for Gyeongbuk, a center of Korean history and Buddhist and Confucian culture. After checking out of the Grand Hyatt Seoul (www.seoul.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp), we boarded the KTX bullet train (http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp) and were whisked about 150 miles southeast from downtown Seoul to Daegu, Korea’s fourth largest city, in just an hour and forty minutes. From Daegu we took a bus one hour east to Andong, the largest city in Gyeongbuk, to begin a two-day immersion into Korea’s living cultural history.
On our first day in Gyeongbuk we explored the Hahoe Village (www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/36) where, with government support, farmers and artisans still uphold and share their traditional ways with visitors. The town, which houses 18 cultural properties, dates back to the late Koryo period (918-1392 AD), although most of the architectural structures are in the early Joseon-style of the 14th-19th centuries. Structurally, Hahoe is organized around the geomantic guidelines of Feng shui or pungsu jiri, meaning wind, water and earth. The village lies along an S-shaped bend in the Nakdong River reaching out in the form of a lotus flower. Buyongdae Cliff borders it to the north and Mt. Namsan to the south. Unlike other clan-based villages, even in ancient times both the upper class and commoners coexisted, albeit with the upper class homes located in the village center and the lower class homes on the periphery.

Although we spent the night at the Hilton (www.kyongjuhilton.co.kr) in nearby Gyeongju City, accommodations are available at a number of traditional Korean inns called yogwan just outside the village or even guesthouses or minbak inside the village. In both cases sleeping accommodations are on thickly matted and blanketed ondol or heated floors. The ondol at minbak tend to be linoleum; floors at yogwan are usually wood. Prices start at 20,000 won or about $18 USD per double room and should be booked in advance during the busy spring-autumn period when prices can double and even triple.

One of the most exciting aspects of a visit to Andog is a chance to witness the Andong Mask Dance Festival (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCLYpMSwfNk) which takes place this year from October 6-15. Our small group had front row seats on the bleachers, so that we not only had a close-up view of the costumes and masks, but we even received fruit offerings from the actors in the Buddhist ceremony that was part of a masked play.

Next, it was on to the Bong Jeong Sa (www.bongjeongsa.org), the Phoenix Stay Temple, said to be the oldest wooden temple in Korea. Some buildings date back to the Silla era (57 BCE - 935 AD) and legend has it that a monk threw a paper phoenix down to the base of the mountain, landing where the temple was later built.

As darkness began to fall, we headed over to an evening experience at Anapji (www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264367). Anapji, meaning “Goose and Duck Lake,” is an artificial pond in Gyeongju National Park. It was part of the ancient http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silla" \o "Silla" Silla palace complex, constructed by order of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munmu_of_Silla" \o "Munmu of Silla" King Munmu, the 30th Silla King, in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/674" \o "674 674 CE as a resort garden verdant with rare plants and teeming with animals. After falling into disrepair, the pond was dredged and restored in 1974, reintroducing its three original spherical islands. My companions and I were each given red paper lanterns lit with a single candle. Holding them aloft on wooden sticks, we marched across the palace grounds to a viewing platform where our lamps cast a soft light on the splendor of the ancient lake and islands, evoking the spirit of the lost Silla world.

The next day we explored numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Gyeongju historical district, which is essentially an open-air museum to the capital of the thousand-year Silla Kingdom. Our first stop was Seokgulam (national treasure #24), a granite grotto atop Mt. Tohamsan. We entered into a rectangular anti-chamber facing the main hall rotunda. Above the rotunda, a half-moon-shaped ceiling decorated with lotus flowers encapsulates an 11 ½ foot smiling, granite Buddha seated atop a lotus flower dais, attended by his Bodhisattva and disciples.

Constructing Seokgulam was a 30-year project, which was initiated in 751 by Kim Dae-Seong, during the Silla Dynasty reign of King Gyeong-Deok. It was said to have been built at the same time as Bulguksa Temple, as the latter was said to have been designated for Kim’s living parents while Seokgulam was for the parents of his former life. Although our group ascended the mountain in mid-morning, it is popular to climb to the grotto at daybreak, as the location is glorious at sunrise.
Next, we visited many of the collected Silla period relics at the Gyeongju National Museum (http://gyeongju.museum.go.kr/eng/). Also on this site is the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok sometimes called Bongdeoksa Bell or Emille Bell (national treasure #29). It is the largest bronze bell that exists in Korea and widely renowned for its superior condition and clear sound. It was manufactured during the reigns of the 35th Silla King Gyeongdeok, in memory of his father, King Seongdeok, and completed in the 7th year of the 36th King Hyegong's rule.

After lunch we toured the toured Daereungwon (www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264117), the site of the ancient Silla mound tombs. Hwangnam Daechong is a pair of tombs and also the biggest tomb in Gyeongju. About 59,000 relics were excavated, showing a funeral custom that appears to be the burial of the living with the dead. Other discoveries included evidence of cultural exchanges with Central Asian countries through the Silk road.
Tomb Cheonmachong, which translates literally as “heavenly horse tomb,” is the only tomb open to the general public. It received its appellation from the picture of a flying white horse painted on the saddle flap that was excavated from the tomb in 1973. Other Cheonmachong relics include a gold crown (national treasure #188) removed from the head of the dead that was the biggest gold crown ever excavated.

On the same site, we found the cylindrical 362-stone block Cheomseongdae Observatory (national treasure #31), representing the 362 days in the lunar year. Created during the reign of Queen Seondeok, it is recognized as the oldest observatory in Asia. The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes and the Winter and Summer Solstices, as well as the 24 solar terms (also known as the astronomical solar year) were determined by watching the stars using this observatory.

Learn to Cook
I need to step back here and mention the lunch we had in Gyeongju. It was traditional, multi-course Korean Royal Cuisine, served in the dining room of Lasonjae, dubbed “Silla’s Millennium Cuisine Hall.” It is at this same location that the Culinary School of Korea www.culinaryschool.co.kr) was founded by Dr. Cha Eun-jung, a doctor of herbal medicine and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. The school’s philosophy is to bring back the traditional, natural, healthy and tasty foods of Korea’s ancient past and to develop Korean-style hybrid cuisine for people all over the world. Short term cooking classes are available in English and meals and tours can be arranged for groups. This is also the home of the historic Lasonjae Pot and Jar Museum, featuring historic vessels in which Silla food was stored and preserved.

Silla History and Adventure Tours
Our guide in Gyeongbuk was Mr. Kwon (kwon4097@kornet.net), who had retired back to Korea after years working for Samsung in Bergen County, NJ. He returned to the Gyeongbuk of his youth to take over the family backpacker’s hostel, bicycle rental and tour business, Hanjin Hotel. Mr. Kwon is always excited and ready to assist foreigners in discovering the history, culture, and wonder of the real Korea.
There are a number of suggested city tours for the Gyeongju area that can be found on the Korea Tourism Organization’s website at (http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_4_10_7.jsp). Through this site, you can also click into a further link to a 10 or 20% discount tour coupon good through December 31, 2010.

Back to Seoul … CHUNA Therapy
On the evening of our second very full day in Gyeongju, we boarded our chartered coach for the Pohang airport, just a 20 minute drive for a 50 minute flight back to Kimpo, Seoul’s domestic airport. Upon arrival, we checked into the W Hotel Seoul (www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1451) to refresh ourselves for a day an exciting day ahead in Korea’s capital city.

In Seoul, we enjoyed great meals and contemporary and traditional theater performances. We had a fun time dressing up for photos in ethnic Korean hanbok costumes at the Chongdong Theater (http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268072), home of the newly revamped traditional show called "Miso." We also visited historic Gyeong Bok Palace (www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/66). Meaning “shining happiness,” the palace was originally built in 1395 during the Chosen Dynasty by King Taejo.

Admittedly, what most intrigued me might be thought of as an unusual tourist stop. I’m talking about the hospital, but not just any hospital. At the Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine (www.jaseng.net), I was able to experience traditional Korean Chuna Therapy. Chu means push and na means pull. Jaseng is the pioneer of this unique neck and back manipulation that is used to realign crooked bones and joints. I thought it was going to be something like chiropractic, but in fact there was no cracking. It was closer to a neck massage, only more targeted to correct the exact problems I had. When my 20-minute session was over, I felt as though my whole head had cleared out, for a cost of about $35. Jaseng doctors speak fluent English and appointments only need to be made one week in advance, perfect for squeezing in between a convention or travel program. Those with more severe issues such as herniated disks can be treated with a combination of Chuna therapies including the “massage style” qi-opening adjustments along with acupuncture, bee venom injections, and herbal medicine, but they would need to plan a longer stay (usually two weeks) in order to receive full treatment. The Center has a US government patent and has been approved as a Harvard University Study. Jaseng has created a new commission program for travel agents and are reachable at enjaseng@enjaseng.co.kr; tel. +82-2-3218-2167.

For more information about medical tourism and general travel in Seoul and combined Seoul-Gyeongju tours, contact Ms. Maureen O’Crowley, Senior Director, Marketing & Conventions, Seoul Tourism Organization at: maureen@seoulwelcome.com; tel. +82-2-3788-0820; www.seoulwelcome.com.

For more information on travel all over Korea, contact the Korea Tourism Organization USA at: ny@kntoamerica.com; 1-800-TOUR-KOR(EA); www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: With Minhong Min, Korean Tourism Organization, Executive Director

By Marian Goldberg

JAX FAX recently spoke with Mr. Minhong Min, Executive Director of the Korean Tourism Organization’s Eastern USA office, based in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Mr. Min discussed Korea’s marketing strategy for 2010 and beyond.

Visit Korea Year 2010 to 2012
We were told that Korea has recently launched a three-year Visit Korea Year Campaign, which will continue through 2012, focusing on different regions each year. The website (http://english.visitkoreayear.com/english/main.asp) provides fairly comprehensive information for travel planners, including event info, special discounts, travel tips and contact information. The focal point for activity in 2010 is Seoul, not just the number one Korean travel destination for Americans but also designated as the 2010 Design World Capital (wdc2010.seoul.go.kr/eng), featuring design events throughout the year. In 2011, Daegu in southeastern Korea takes center stage as the host of the IAAF Track and Field World Championships from Aug. 27-September 4. Then, in 2012, all eyes will be on the port city of Yeosu along the southwestern tip of the peninsula, as it hosts the International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012 from May 12-August 12 with the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities.”
The Visit Korea Year Campaign aims to attract 10 million foreign tourists by 2012 (8.5 million in 2010) and bring in over $10 billion USD in tourism revenue in the first year of the nationwide campaign. It also hopes to raise Korea’s position to the top 20 destinations on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). The 2009 index, compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF), ranked Korea 31st in overall competiveness. However, Mr. Min sees potential, pointing out that Korea was ranked 13th in terms of “quality of cultural assets and resources.” Thus, the KTO will focus on emphasizing Korea’s “spiritual uniqueness and historical richness,” according to Mr. Min, by placing further promotional efforts on their “cultural performances, food, Buddhist traditions, taekwondo and city tourism projects.”

New Tourism Slogan
Along with the new three year campaign, Korea also announced a new marketing slogan: “Korea: Be Inspired,” which replaces “Korea Sparkling” from 2007. Mr. Min revealed that the new slogan will be used in promotional videos and advertisements produced by the KTO in the near future.

Advertising Agenda
Mr. Min announced that Korea will take advantage of both online and print advertising in 2010. Online advertising will include banner ads on www.NYTimes.com/travel in conjunction with the AsiaNow team. Potential travelers are encouraged to enter online to win a free trip to Asia, where Korea is promoted as one of the destination sponsors. KTO also just finished advertising on ABC.com, promoting Korea in March 2010 in conjunction with the final episodes of Lost. Mr. Min noted that the KTO is also engaging in a variety of joint marketing campaigns with tour operators such as America Tour (www.americatourusa.com), Pacific Holidays (www.pacificholidays.com), and Orient Flexi-Pax (www.isram.us/ebroadcast/orient/korea/).

Media Support
KTO will be sponsoring travel personality Rudy Maxa in his plan to shoot an episode of his PBS travel TV show, Rudy Maxa’s World (www.rudymaxasworld.com), in Korea. Other media support will be provided to writers from Sherman’s Travel and Food and Wine magazines.

Trade & Consumer Travel Shows
As in past years, KTO East plans to participate in ASTA’s TheTradeShow being held in Orlando in September, while KTO West will join the Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas during December. Targeting the consumer, they participated in the New York Times Travel Show and the LA Times Travel Show respectively. The KTO Chicago office has closed, and duties were shifted to the New York and LA regional offices.

Special Interest Tours
Travel agents might be interested in programs offered by Seoul-based land operator Aju Incentive Tours (www.ajutours.co.kr). They created a 5-day culinary tour of Seoul with a cooking class, temple fare sampling and culinary cultural performance. They also offer an interesting qi (“chi” in Chinese) tour exploring different aspects of Oriental medicine including foot massages, a visit to the traditional herbal market and an acupuncture experience.
Veteran’s tours are still popular, and as this June is the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War, Military Historical Tours (www.miltours.com) based in Woodbridge, VA, already has a group of 100 traveling.
Korea very much wants to promote its one to seven-hour Transit Tours for those who have a long layover at Incheon Airport. Mr. Min believes your clients will appreciate you making these arrangements for them so they don’t spend a tiring day at the airport unnecessarily. Visit www.visitkorea.or.kr /enu/SI/SI_EN_3_5_1.jsp.

Mark Your Calendar
In October 2010, Korea will host its first Forumula 1 Grand Prix in Jeonnam on the southwestern coast The goal is to develop the region as a comprehensive sports-leisure destination and further develop Korea’s automobile technology industry. The F-1 Race will be held annually in Jeonnam until at least 2016 and Korea is seeking tour partners interested in developing Forumula 1 themed tour programs. (www.f1korea.go.kr/01kr/).
The most popular cultural festival – and one that is all about fun – is the annual Boryeong Mud Festival at Chungcheongnam-do Boryeong-si Daecheon Beach and downtown from July 17-25th. “Mud is rich in minerals and good for your skin,” notes Mr. Min, and the “most popular part of the festivities is where visitors give themselves mud baths or receive a mud massage using quality mud from the Daecheon beach and surrounding tidal flats.” Other featured attractions are a giant mud tub, mud wrestling, mud sliding, a mud prison and mud military training area.
In 2011, Korea will host the general meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Min said this bi-annual tourism event is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious. It is attended by culture ministers of member nations and is expected to raise some 15 billion won ($13 million USD) worth of economic benefit. Mr. Min sees this event as a good opportunity to further promote the 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year Campaign.
For information about Korea visit www.visitkorea.or.kr or call: 800-TOUR-KOR(EA) or email ny@kntoamerica.com