South Korea may be overlooked by many visitors to Asia, but you shouldn’t make the same mistake. Here are ten reasons why you should visit South Korea at least once!
Korean food
Mentioning Korea without its delicious food is a huge miss! South Korea is a culinary paradise with countless tasty dishes and spicy flavor.
Most Koreans like spicy food, so their culinary culture is famous for this flavor. From kimchi to fried chicken or tteokbokki rice cakes, you can experience the spicy sensation on the tip of your tongue.
Cherry blossoms
Not only Japan, but South Korea is also known as the city of cherry blossoms.
In the spring of late March and early April, when the weather is a bit warmer, cherry blossoms will begin to bloom from the sunny southern lands like Jeju Island to Gyeongsang Province and spread to the Central and North.
Jeju island is the best place to see cherry blossoms blooming with the largest and most beautiful petals. In particular, the cherry blossoms here bring an extraordinary noble beauty compared to the cherry blossoms elsewhere. Also, the Han River Yeouido park is an ideal place to observe the cherry trees along the river.
Famous film sets
If you love Korean movies or enjoy exploring film studios, it’s an excellent idea to visit the film studios here.
Some popular filming locations are traditional villages bearing the national culture such as Namsangol, Korean folk villages, or the palaces still retain the pristine features of the ancient dynasties such as Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung.
Nami Island near Seoul is also a famous location in the movie “Winter Sonata”, or Jeju Island with the movie “After Love”.
The temples
South Korea not only attracts visitors by beautiful natural scenery but also by the temples with ancient architecture in harmony with nature.
One of the outstanding ones is Bulguksa Temple, the oldest temple in Korea, built from the 6th century. The temple has unique architecture, especially the wooden blocks with eye-catching motifs such as lotus, cloudy sky, and birds.
There are also 4-story Yakcheonsa Temple in Jeju Island, Taeansa Temple, Daejeonsa Temple, and Manggyeongsa Temple.
The beaches
Another reason to visit South Korea is its stunning beaches. Especially in the summer, the beaches are ideal destinations to relax and avoid the heat.
My favorite beach is Geumneung beach on Jeju island. Coming here, you can comfortably immerse in the fresh space of the sea, walk along the white sand and enjoy fresh seafood dishes.
Shopping paradise
Korea is known as Asia’s shopping paradise. There are many shopping centers with a full range of products, from affordable to high-end clothes, cosmetics, food, and drink.
Lotte World is an ideal choice with a complex of the shopping mall, cinema, and concert hall.
There are also countless other major downtown areas such as Time Square, Starfield COEX, I’Park, and Starfield Goyang.
If you’re in Seoul, don’t miss the Myeongdong shopping areas, where you can find plenty of outlets and brands.
The festivals
Traditional festivals in South Korea are held year-round, attracting many visitors to learn about the country’s long-standing culture.
For example, it’s the Seoul International Fireworks Festival with beautiful and brilliant fireworks performances or the Chuseok Festival, one of the prominent and important New Year’s days for the Korean people.
Also, there are many other traditional festivals held annually such as the Lunar New Year, Hwaseong Suwon traditional festival, Sancheoneo Hwacheon ice fishing festival, Boryeong Mud Festival, Jeju Fire Festival.
Street food
One of the most attractive features of South Korea is its street food.
You can easily enjoy street food on any street or alley in Korea. Trolleys with friendly street vendors or small roadside stalls with hospitable hosts.
They will all bring you dishes that are unique to Korean culinary culture such as kimbap, ordering fish cakes, Hotteok donuts, etc.
Enjoyable weather
Korea has a temperate climate and four distinct seasons.
The best time in Korea is spring from March to May when the weather is fresh and pleasant. Moreover, you can enjoy different festivals and seeing flowers blooming.
In the summer, you can enjoy your vacation on the beach. Autumn has maple leaves falling down the street, and all roads are covered with a distinct color.
Convenient transportation
The last reason why you should visit South Korea is its modern and convenient transportation. You can travel easily within cities by bus, taxi, and subway.
You should purchase a transport card to receive many incentives and save costs. The subway is only available in big cities like Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, and operates from 5:30 am to 12 pm.
Taxis are available in a variety of colors to distinguish functions and are operated 24 hours a day so you can use them anywhere or go anywhere you want.
