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First Time in Korea? Here’s What Most Tourists Wish They Knew Earlier

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  If it’s your first time visiting South Korea, you’re probably excited… and maybe a little overwhelmed too. Korea is one of those places that looks very easy on social media. Fast trains, pretty cafés, clean streets, convenience stores everywhere. And to be fair, a lot of that is true. But once you actually land here, small things can get weirdly confusing. Google Maps doesn’t always help much. Some restaurants aren’t great for solo travelers. Public trash bins are harder to find than you’d expect. And sometimes you’re standing in a subway station thinking, “Why are there 14 exits and why do they all look important?” None of this is a huge problem. It just helps to know a few things before your trip starts. So if you’re coming to Korea for the first time, here are the travel tips that will actually make your life easier. Korea Is Easy to Travel… Once You Understand How It Works A lot of travelers end up saying the same thing after a few days in Korea: “It’s convenient, bu...
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Namsan Hanok Village: A Treasure Trove of Traditional Korean Architecture and Culture

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  Village with preserved traditional Korean houses : Namsan Hanok Vilage Source: Korea Tourism Organization The Namsangol Hanok Village, which was established in 1998, welcomes citizens and tourists with five hanok buildings, a traditional craft museum, Cheonugak, a traditional garden, a Namsan Gugakdang in Seoul, and a new millennium time capsule square on a total of 79,934m² (24,180 pyeong) of the site of the former Capital Defense Command in Namsan. In the middle of the busy city center, you can see a variety of experiences based on Korean traditional culture, and you can see beautiful scenery created by traditional landscape-style valleys, pavilions, and various plants along the foot of Namsan. At the highest of the traditional garden is the Seoul Millennium Type Capsule Square, which commemorates the 600th anniversary of Seoul and buried memories of the time in 1994 in anticipation of the 1,000th anniversary of Seoul 400 years later. When you enter Namsangol Hanok Village, whi...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 중구 퇴계로34길 28
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Experience Seoul's Iconic Architecture: DDP Explained for Foreigners

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  Complex cultural space where you can see the most attractive night view of Seoul Source: Korea Tourism Organization DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), which means "Dream," "Design," and "Play," is a multi-cultural space located in Dongdaemun, Seoul. Since its opening on March 21, 2014, it has been hosting large-scale exhibitions, fashion shows, new product presentations, forums and conferences. It was divided into notification centers, learning centers, salim centers, DDP design museums, design marketplaces and Eoulim Square, and Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. The notification center hosted Seoul Fashion Week, the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the VanCliff Appel Exhibition, and the BMW New Car Presentation, and equipped with facilities for an international conference room, which is a multipurpose banquet hall. Source: Korea Tourism Organization From a learning center where BTS' theme exhibition and Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale were held, a c...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 중구 을지로 281
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Experience Korean Traditional Culture in Gwanghwamun

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  Gwanghwamun is the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, representing Korea's history and culture. Source: Korea Tourism Organization Gwanghwamun is the southern gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace and the main gate of the palace. Gwanghwamun was also the main gate of the king's visit, but since it was the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the court of Joseon, it was very grand and colorful in size and formality compared to the main gate of other palaces. In addition, Gwanghwamun was the only one of the five major palaces in Joseon to have a civil door format, with simultaneous and sipsagak on the east and west of the end of the fence, respectively. Source: Korea Tourism Organization Gwanghwamun consists of three Hongye on a stylobate stone axis that supports the middle-layered gate, allowing the king to enter the center and the crown prince and his servants to enter the left and right Hongye. The gate 樓 was used to signal the time when a bell was hung. As such, the fact that...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 종로구 효자로 12
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Jungmyeongjeon Hall with beautiful architecture and historical value

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  The site of a major historical event in the Korean Empire Source: Seoul Tourism Foundation Jungmyeongjeon Hall is an important site for the Korean Empire. It was used as a compilation system for Emperor Gojong, who moved to Jungmyeongjeon Hall after the Great Fire of Gyeongun Palace in 1904. Source: Seoul Tourism Foundation The Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 was signed illegally here in November 1905, and on April 20, 1907, Lee Jun and others were dispatched as special envoys to The Hague to inform the international community of the injustice of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905. Meanwhile, Jungmyeongjeon was rebuilt and used as a social club for foreigners after being destroyed in a fire in 1925, leaving only the outer wall, and was incorporated into state-owned property when the Liberal Party government was established. Source: Seoul Tourism Foundation However, in 1963, President Park Chung-hee returned the Jungmyeongjeon to King Yeongchin and First Lady Lee Bang-ja, who permanently r...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 중구 소공동 정동길 41-11
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Sungnyemun, A Must-Visit Attraction for Foreigners.

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  Sungnyemun is a famous gate located in Seoul, South Korea. It is an important symbol of the city's history and culture, and is known for its beautiful architecture and vibrant atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the city from the gate, and learn about its history and significance. Source: Korea Tourism Organization Gate is the southern main gate of the Joseon capital city located in Namdaemun-ro 4-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, and is also called Namdaemun because it is located south of the four gates. It is the symbol of Seoul and the oldest existing wooden building in Seoul, and was designated as a national treasure on Dec. 20, 1962. It is the largest of the four gates in Seoul and features vertical writing on the signboard.  It was first built in the 5th year (1396) of King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty and rebuilt in February 1398. There was a large-scale renovation work in the 10th year (1479) of King Seongjong, and it served as a gate to Hanseong for a long time witho...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 40
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Step Back in Time at Deoksugung Palace: A Must-Visit Heritage Site in Seoul

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Deoksugung, previously called 'Gyeongungung', is the major royal palace of 'Daehan Empire' which was proclaimed in 1897 The historic Deoksugung Palace was not originally a royal palace.  Originally the home of Prince Wolsan (1454-1488), King Seongjong's brother, it was used as a royal palace in 1593, as the palace was completely burned down during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. King Seonjo evacuated to Uiju, returned to Hanyang, and stayed at Deoksugung Palace. After succeeding King Seonjo in 1608, Gwanghaegun changed the title of Haenggung Palace to Gyeongunggung Palace in 1611 and used it as a royal palace for seven years, before moving it to Changdeokgung Palace in 1615. In 1618, the honor of King Inmokbi was abolished, and Gyeongunggung Palace was lowered to Seogung. It has been used as a separate palace for 270 years since Gwanghaegun was deposed in 1623 due to King Injo's rebellion, and King Injo moved to Changdeokgung Palace after he ascended to ...
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Location: 대한민국 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 99
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