Welcome to the 2010-2012 ‘Visit Korea Year’

2010-2012 VISIT KOREA YEAR provides diverse and convenient benefits such as a discount program for long-stay visitors, welcome plan, Korea grand sale, and tourist coupon service. It provides a campaign for introducing the elegance and flavour of Korea to tourists visiting South Korea.
The committee is also preparing various events such as IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships in Daegu 2011, EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea, 2010 F1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX, Hallyu (Korean Wave) Dream Festival, Korea Food Festival, and the 6th Busan World Fireworks Festival. For more information check out Visit Korea Year

South Korea is without doubt a forward-thinking country thanks to its speedy approach to everything, an appetite for technological advancement and a strong can-do attitude. That’s what makes South Korea so exciting; it’s a country of endless possibilities. Come as an explorer, seek out adventure and find your own trail. Challenge yourself and you will develop an appreciation for South Korea’s rich cultural tapestry and a newfound sense of personal freedom, the hallmarks of any truly great journey.

Here follows some general information about this wonderfully diverse country, which will help whet your appetite and inspire your adventure.

Visitors to Korea will discover a wide array of unique and delicious Korean food. Korea was once a primarily agricultural nation, and since ancient times rice has been cultivated as Koreans' staple food. These days Korean food also contains a large variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild vegetables. Various preserved Korean food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (seafood fermented in salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are particularly popular due to their distinctive flavor and high nutritional value.

UNESCO World Heritage refers to both cultural and natural heritage sites registered on the World Heritage List. As of October 2010, Korea has eight cultural heritage sites and one natural heritage site. As well as this, UNESCO has a separate program called ‘Memory of the World’ and ‘Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. In Korea, there are seven and eight of them respectively.

Korea could be described as the land of festivals thanks to the multitude of year-round celebrations, which honour the country’s rich history and culture. Two stand out as the most popular, which are a must for visitors: the ‘Boryeong Mud Festival’ is a major attraction for tourists and locals to gather on Daecheon Beach and revel in the trucked-in mineral-rich sea mud, and the ‘Andong International Mask Dance Festival, which takes place from September 24 to October 3, is the Korean cultural tradition of masked dances.

Korean break-dancers are some of the best in the world, and a trip to Korea is a great opportunity to enjoy some of these jaw-dropping, gravity-defying performances. As well as the latest modern performing arts, performances of Korean traditional music and dance still take place regularly and provide the perfect introduction to Korea’s rich cultural heritage. From the thunder of traditional drums to pulsating modern day hip-hop dance, we guarantee that your memories of Korean culture will live on forever in your heart.

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1. Seoul

Nestled around the Hangang River is the Korean capital Seoul, a city of old and new. With thousands of years of history, it has well preserved royal palaces, historical relics, and cultural treasures, as well as state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructures. Located in Namsen Park, one of the biggest parks in Seoul, and close to Downtown Seoul, is the Seoul International Youth Hostel, which provides the perfect base for exploring the capital city of Korea. Visitor attractions including the Namsangol Traditional Korean Village, N-Seoul Tower and Cheonggyecheon are only a short walk from the hostel (10-15 minutes). The Seoul International Youth Hostel is well-equipped with facilities including: restaurant, self-catering kitchen, laundry room and rock-climbing site.

The Olympic Parktel Youth Hostel, another HI hostel based in Seoul, was established in 1990 to commemorate the achievements of the 24th Summer Olympic Games in Seoul and to utilize the facilities effectively. It is a specialized youth hostel equipped with 233 guest rooms overlooking Olympic Park and the Han River. The hostel has a wealth of restaurants, and athletic facilities including a Sauna. Olympic Youth Hostel has a long-standing commitment of nurturing and helping youths grow into global citizens.

Book your Seoul Hostel accomodation.

2. Busan

Busan is often an overlooked city, as many flock to Seoul, but ask any Korean and they will tell you - Busan is the real Korea. Colorful and brash but endearing! Travel south to Busan and experience this bustling port town with its traditional markets and fresh fish.

The Busan Arpina Youth Hostel is growing into a place for leisure and culture, open to the whole world. The hostel aims to be the world`s best resting place in Korea based on its great customer service efforts. The hostel has 103 various rooms for individuals and families, plus great meeting room facilities for international events and conferences. The culture center is fast growing into the central place for youth cultures and the green outdoor lawn gardens provide various events and programs loved by many.

Explore all HI hostels in South Korea.

Korea looks forward to welcoming you!

Each month Hostelling International focuses on a great travel destinations. Take a read and be inspired by our travel ideas.