Don't blame us if you want to stay forever.
2012, the year the world supposedly ends. All
the more reason to visit Korea -- the Land of Morning Calm -- to soothe
your terror before the world is destroyed by a meteorite.
And 2012 is also the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese
zodiac. And not only that, but it's also the Year of the Black Dragon,
which only comes once around every 60 years.
But there's more than cool East Asian symbolism to make 2012 a great year for visiting Korea.
There are 12 reasons, listed below:
1. It's Visit Korea Year
It's the beginning of the end.
Visit
Korea Year is essentially a two-year campaign of exclusive discounts
and promotions designed to make Korea more attractive to travelers. 2012
is the final year of the campaign.
Virgin tourists to Korea: don't wait another year.
The
coupons,
KTX discounts of up to 30 percent,
free bus shuttles, and
hotel deals won't wait around forever.
2. Korea Grand Sale
Paying full price is for amateurs.
The
Korea Grand Sale is technically part of the Visit Korea Year campaign but in its grandness it deserves its own category.
Unlike some of the other promotional discounts of Visit Korea Year,
the Korea Grand Sale is surprisingly, and non-intuitively, not just
about saving a few won.
"We're sometimes asked why the discounts in the Korea Grand Sale's
sales are rather less than grand," says Yoon Heejin of the Visit Korea
Committee's PR team.
"That's because the Korea Grand Sale is not just about buying loads
of cheap stuff at low prices. It's about a complete cultural
experience."
Sure, there is a strong element of Black Friday stampedes in this
52-day "national shopping extravaganza," which will involve more than
21,000 businesses and discounts of up to 50 percent.
But if you look beyond the shiny promotional poster of Hallyu star
Choi Ji-woo looking mighty happy with shopping bags hanging off her
arms, there's a great deal more to be found in the Korea Grand Sale than
half-price luxury lipsticks.
The Grand Sale will kick off with a week-long welcome event at
Incheon International Airport beginning January 9, 2012. And unlike
lipstick, which is likely to appeal exclusively to a specific, narrow
demographic, this opening event will include the distribution of a
lottery ticket, so everyone receives at least something. A sweltering
volunteer will be dressed up as Pororo the Penguin -- who is an official
mascot -- willing to take photos with kids.
But the real opening celebration will be on January 13, at DOOTA Shopping Mall in Dongdaemun. There will be performances (like
Original Drawing Show)
most Koreans usually pay hefty sums to see. There will be prize draws,
which means that even by simply being there, you might win a trip to
Jeju Island or a free night at a hotel.
And finally, there will be celebrity appearances as well as numerous lotteries and sweepstakes opportunities.
Window shopping will never be so fun again. (Nor so potentially profitable).
www.koreagrandsale.or.kr
3. Hallyu Madness
Have a K-Poppy new year.
2012 is looking to be a good year for K-Pop.
If you're a devoted follower, you might already know that there are
several big comebacks in the works, like an upcoming Big Bang concert,
or Se7en's new album. You might also know that 2ne1 will be releasing
their collaborations with will.i.am.
But if all this is hard to remember, you can just remember one: the
21st Seoul Music Awards, which will be held on January 19, 2012, at the
Olympic Gymnastics Arena, which will be the K-Pop event of the next
year.
And it just so happens that the date of the awards ceremony coincides
with the period of the Korea Grand Sale. Coincidence? Or clever
maneuvering on the part of the Visit Korea Committee? Doesn't matter;
saw Big Bang!
Also keep your eyes peeled and your limbs oiled for the 2012 take on
last year's K-Pop Cover Dance Festival. If you think you have the moves,
you can even enter the competition and submit a video of yourself
dancing to a designated K-Pop song. Otherwise, it's a good chance to
gawk at startlingly on-the-spot K-Pop impersonators.
"Last year we had 2PM as judges," says Yoon Heejin of the Visit Korea Committee's Public Relations Department.
"They were astonished at how accurate some of the contestants'
impersonations were. For example, a team that danced to Girls'
Generation also managed to capture the individual characteristics of
each member, down to the outfits, the hair, and the roles."
Finally, the Hallyu Dream Festival, held in Gyeong-ju, historical
capital of ancient Korean kingdom Silla (like the Shilla Hotel),
combines K-Pop shows with historical "experiences" for a quasi-music,
quasi-film, quasi-history fair festival that acknowledges K-Pop's less
famous but equally worthy brother, the K-Drama. More specifically, the
period K-Drama.
Fans of Silla-era period drama "Queen Seondeok," for example, will
appreciate that they can explore on foot the former set of the drama,
and perhaps even the former setting of the actual events, minus
K-Drama's tendency towards heavy fictionalization.
4. The IFC fulfills its destiny
Behold, the new money spot in Seoul.
Although the
International Finance Center
in Yeouido opened in 2011, it's not quite complete. The Conrad Hotel,
which is slated to open in the IFC sometime in 2012, will hopefully add a
homey touch to the formidable business complex, which tops the
249-meter 63 Building (once the tallest building in Korea) by a good 35
meters.
That is, as homey as one of the world's most luxurious five-star business hotels can be, anyway.
5. Celebrating food: Almost as good as food itself
Our 40 delicious Korean foods article could very well be re-titled 40 reasons to visit Korea.
Don't give a damn about K-Pop? Can't digest
Wonder Girls, unless ironically remixed by basement DJ on tumblr? Just
uninterested in music, in general? That's fine. Korea still has plenty
to offer in 2012, and many of these offerings are edible. The world may
be ending, but Koreans will still be cooking. Cooking death-defyingly
tasty dishes.
Sample them at the
2012 Korea Food Festival in Jeonju, the city in the South famed for its attractive and delectable dishes, and home of Jeonju bibimbap.
5/F Wooseok Building, 710-5 Geumam 1-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si,
Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 전주시 덕진구 금암1동 710-5 우석빌딩 5층); +82 63 272 6987, 8; www.koreafoodfestival.or.kr
6. The 2012 Expo in Yeosu
Korea jumps at any chance to erect a futuristic new building and fill it with stuff to gawk at.
Given that Korea's a peninsula that's
effectively an island with three sides (given the situation in the
North), it's surprising that there's not more emphasis on marine
matters.
The 2012 International Exposition in Yeosu, however, opening under
the theme of "The Living Ocean and Coast," is hopefully, supposedly
changing some of that. The expo will deal with issues regarding not only
the sea, biologically, but also marine technology and sustainable
resources.
But really, to the average visitor, the academic conferences and the
lofty ideals, while impressive -- more than 100 countries and millions
of visitors are expected to participate -- aren't really attractions.
Although we may all appreciate the fact that the United States'
involvement in this Expo, for example, optimistically signals greater
strides in awareness of marine environmental problems, that's not what
makes Yeosu -- and Korea -- desirable in 2012.
Yeosu has other attractions. The Expo will feature weird and
wonderful interactive displays, film screenings, and exhibitions housed
in weird and wonderful buildings. For example, there will be a "Cosmic
Tree" installation that interacts with visitors, the self-explanatory
"Fisheries Experience Zone," and an aquarium.
100 Deokchungan-gil, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do (전라남도 여수시 덕충안길 100); +82 1577 2012; eng.expo2012.kr
7. Because it's not just about Seoul this year
Your new ride.
A
new express train, the ITX, will now make it easier to travel between
Seoul and Chuncheon. Not quite as fast as its predecessor, the KTX, but
speedy enough to stir notice, the ITX runs at 180 kph. Such numbers may
not mean much to you, but the name Chuncheon might: Chuncheon is the
birthplace of Chuncheon dakgalbi, a sacred foodie mecca where the
original dakgalbi recipe remains untainted by Seoul's tastes.
But the significance of the ITX, which is due to start running sometime in February 2012, according to
Arirang Korea,
is not in being easily transportated to the birthplace of a 1970s
chicken dish. Just as Chuncheon's essence can't fit into a greasy pan --
Chuncheon is home to mountains, lakes, lake islands, and numerous
architectural and historical treasures -- it's bigger. It's about a
bigger Korea, a Korea beyond Seoul.
Some of these aspirations are also clearly felt in Visit Korea Committee's online project, the recently opened
Must-See Routes,
a collection of suggested travel itineraries that cover various Korean
provinces. For a comprehensive look at all that you're missing in Korea
-- because chances are that most of the places featured are unfamiliar
rather than familiar -- Must-See Routes is thorough. And accompanied by
stunning photographs.
Follow in Park Chan-wook's footsteps.
8. Olleh Smartphone Film Festival
As one of the world's most wired cities, being at the forefront of smartphone technology development is almost obligatory.
2012 will be the second year of Korea's Olleh Smartphone Film
Festival, an innovative tech-themed soirée that promotes and celebrates
future smartphone development. But as the name suggests, it's more than a
showcase for fancy new phones.
The festival, which will be held from March 19 to March 21, includes a
competition component for professional and amateur filmmakers alike
with tantalizing cash prizes of up to ₩50 million for the best short
films shot with a smartphone.
There are no restrictions, save for a time limit of 10 minutes or
less, and contestants are encouraged to exercise their "creativity" and
"boldness" to the fullest.
Contestants are divided into two categories, professional and
amateur, and the top three candidates from each category will be awarded
cash prizes of
₩10 million,
₩30 million and
₩50 million, respectively, as well as a brand-new smartphone. The last candidate standing will receive a whopping
₩200
million in prize money, and all of the runner-ups will receive
opportunities to expand on and develop their smartphone short films into
larger projects, as well public and media exposure via screenings that
will be held in March and April.
The festival is accepting submissions starting January 1.
+82 2 517 3353; www.ollehfilmfestival.com
9. Seoul International Marathon
Let the training begin.
For
those who constantly tell themselves to get in shape but never do, the
Seoul International Marathon might just be impetus they need. At 42.195
kilometers, it may
be well past driving distance for the binge-drinking, taxi-cabbing,
chain-smoking Seoulite, but if you can beat yourself into shape by 8
a.m., March 18, this might mean a new beginning for your body and mind.
There aren't many qualifications--if you're over 18 and reasonably
confident that you can run approximately 43 kilometers in five hours or
less (it's said to be easier than it looks on paper, with some
preparation) you're eligible to run. If you manage to finish in less
than three hours, you will be inducted into the Hall of Fame and will
also receive a medal as a motivational token for the future. The
marathon, which kicks off at the statue of Admiral Lee Soon-Sin in
Gwanghwamun and ends at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium, will be broadcast
live in 50 countries. Applications are accepted until the 20,000 runner
limit is reached. More information can be found on the marathon's
website,
www.seoul-marathon.com.
10. Even better beds: Koreastay, Goodstay and Hanok Homestay
Budget lodgings meets historical preservation.
Technically, only one of these three catchy rhyming government-subsidized programs for budget lodging is new.
Hanok Homestay, which supplies lodgings at a traditional Korean-style house, or hanok, and
Goodstay,
which is simply a logo that indicates endorsement (and at least a
degree of vetting) from the Korea Tourist Organization, are both
relatively familiar staples on the budget accommodation scene.
Koreastay, however, is relatively new; the
current version
of the website only just debuted, and rather shakily, sometime in
November 2011. But we hope it catches and snowballs by 2012, because it
seems like a pretty damn good idea, especially for the offbeat
backpacker more interested in language exchange than socks exchange --
although both are important -- or the globe-trotting student traveling
on a budget.
Koreastay is similar to Hanok Homestay: your host will likely live in
a modern Korean apartment or villa rather than a refurbished hanok.
It's a little like paid CouchSurfing, and what you pay for is the
guarantee of a hot meal, and well, the guarantee in general.
MICE: One word, four concepts. No rodents. And a bucketload of deals.
11. Work and play
Some might say that Koreans are workaholics. We prefer to say that
Koreans are great at mixing business and pleasure. And if there was ever
a great year for mixing business and pleasure in Seoul, it would be
2012, which was declared the Korea Convention Year by the Korean
government.
This means government-subsidized discounts and incentives for
qualified conventions held in Korea in 2012. This includes hotel and
venue discounts, airline deals, and even bonuses like tickets to
traditional performances, tour packages, and souvenirs.
The 2012 Korea Convention Year has also partnered with the Korea MICE
Alliance, essentially an alliance of private-sector organizations and
government agencies that specializes in conventions. The awkwardly cute
acronym, MICE (which stands for Meeting, Incentive, Convention and
Exhibition) is also surprisingly effective in describing this
partnership.
Essentially the partnership between 2012 Korea Convention Year and
MICE means that MICE participants will receive even more benefits. MICE
organizers will receive even more subsidies, and on a local level,
meetings at MICE Alliance cities means enhanced incentives.
www.miceseoul.com
12. A world of music
They're sexy and they know it.
K-Pop may rule the roost when it comes to
Korean music. But Seoul's tastes are still varied enough to attract the
big international names in jazz, electronica, indie pop/rock, and heavy
metal, as the 2012 concert listings attest.
It begins with a Her Space Holiday show at V Hall on January 7. With a
brief respite in the form of Damien Rice's gentle acoustic strums on
January 11 at Olympic Hall, and jazz legend Pat Metheney performing at
Sejong Arts Center on January 13, we're back to electronica with Justice
and Crystal Castles performing at the Seoul Electronic Music Festival
in Goyang-si on January 14.
And crowning January 2012 on the 25th is Beirut at Ax Hall.
February is a good month for heavy metal fans, as Judas Priest
returns for a show on February 4 at Olympic Hall, Lamb of God performs
at Ax Hall on February 12, and Opeth provides a getaway from Valentine's
Day on Valentine's Day at V Hall.
Shortly after, on April 7 at Olympic Hall, LMFAO is bringing their "Party Rock Anthem" to Seoul.
More on CNNGo: Why it's great to be a foreign traveler in Korea
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