Korean Travel Online - New Year's Events and More (concerts, parties, and festivals this winter)

2013 is just around the corner. Here are some ideas on what to do this New Year's and the rest of winter.

Parties and Concerts
Get ready to party the night away with various new year countdown events and concerts

Date	Event	Where	Details
31-Dec	Glen Check Live on New Year’s Eve	Olympic Park, Seoul Olympic Park Stn. (line 5, ex. 3)	Celebrate New Year with South Korean indie band Glen Check's indie-dance fusion countdown | W44,000 – W55,000
31-Dec	Countdown Seoul	Times Square, Seoul Yeongdeungpo Stn. (line 1, ex. 3)	Global live bands and electro DJs on three huge outdoor stages W66,000 – W99,000
31-Dec	W NYE PARTY	Walker Hill, Seoul	WooBar’s extravagant W New Year’s Eve party, including special guest performances from DJ Gigirocco and DJ Belzebass W55,000 – W66,000.
31-Dec	NYE Countdown Party	Hyatt Regency, Jeju	Buffet from 6 pm – 10 pm. Adults W62,000++, children W37,000, drink packages W25,000
29-Dec to  31-Dec	Countdown Fantasy 2012 – 2013	Mapo Arts Center, Seoul Daeheung Stn. (line 6, ex. 2)	This will be the biggest indie New Year’s concert in the country. W44,000 – W132,000. www.mintpaper.com 02-3274-8600
31-Dec	New Year’s Eve Concert	Seoul Arts Center Nambu Bus Terminal Stn. (line 3, ex. 5)	Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, a huge countdown, fireworks and a floating of hope balloons | 7:30 pm. W30,000 – W50,000.
31-Dec	New Year’s Eve Concert	Sejong Grand Theater at Sejong Center Gwanghwamun Stn. (line 5, ex. 8)	Orchestra, choir and more W30,000 – W100,000
31-Dec	NYE Countdown Concert Party	The Ritz-Carlton Seou	Featuring popular baritone singer Kim Dong-kyu 9 pm to 10:50 pm. W190,000 – W220,000
31-Dec	Deli Spice End of Year Concert: “We are here, Busan”	Busan Cinema Center Centum City Station (Busan line 2, exit 6)	Korean modern rock band Deli Spice comes to Busan with their hottest songs from the 90’s as well as their newly-released album | 8pm, W66.000. dureraum.org 02-563-0595
31-Dec	Year-end Concert "Hi! 2013"	Daegu Opera House, Daegu	11:00pm tickets at 30,000 won; 20,000 won; 10,000 won
31-Dec	Pansori -Song of Chunhyang	National Theater of Korea Jung-gu, Seoul	The Story of Chunhyang") is one of the best known love stories and folk tales of Korea| 20:00 | W20,000
31-Dec	Goodbye 2012-Hello 2013	Suseong Artpia, Yongji Hall Suseong-Gu, Daegu	11:00pm | W50,000 / W30,000 / W20,000
30-Dec	Pianist Ji-Yong Recital	Daejeon Culture and Arts Center Government Complex Station, Daejeon Subway Line 1, Exit 3	5pm | R: 60,000won, S: 50,000won, A: 40,000won
30-Dec	Soprano Sumi Jo Concert	Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul	7:00pm | RVIP-W170,000 / VIP-W130,000 / R-W100,000 / S-W80,000 / A-W50,000 http://www.sejongpac.or.kr
30-Dec	Ballet Gala Performance	Suseong Artpia, Yongji Hall Suseong-Gu, Daegu	5:00pm | 50,000 won; 30,000 won; 20,000 won
28-Dec to 30-Dec	Patti Kim Concert	Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center, Aram Concert Hall Gyeonggi-do, Goyang-si	Friday 8pm / Saturday 7pm / Sunday 4pm VIP: 121,000won / R: 110,000won / S: 99,000won / A: 77,000won / B: 55,000won
28-Dec	Lim Hyung-joo Year-end Concert	Daegu Opera House, Buk-Gu, Daegu	8:00 |VIP-W121,000 / R-W110,000 / S-W99,000 / A-W88,000 / B-W77,000 / C-W55,000
27-Dec to 30-Dec	Ah Q - Contemporary Dance	National Theater of Korea Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul	Thu-Fri 8:00pm; Sat-Sun 3:00pm |  W15,000

Sunrise Festivals
Countdowns at midnight are standard in any country, but the traditional Korean way to celebrate the new year is to bask in the glow of the first sunrise.

Category	Date	Event	Where	Details
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) Festival	Sunrise Peak, Jeju	Featuring jazz concerts, plays, a mandarin orange-eating contest and more
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Ulsan Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival	Ganjeolgot Lighthouse Ulju-gun, Ulsan-si	Ganjeolgot is known as the seaside location where one can witness the first sunrise in Korea. Directions: http://bit.ly/W15yVF
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Maryangpo Sunset & Sunrise Festival	Maryangpo Port, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do	A great location and lots of celebratory events such as a local specialty market and seaside bonfires.
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Homigot Sunrise Festival	Homigot Sunrise Plaza Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do	A variety of performances and fireworks Directions: http://bit.ly/YKieH1
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Jeongdongjin Sunrise Festival	Hourglass Park District Gangneung, Gangwon-do	Get off of the train in Jeongdongjin and walk only a few meters to the beautiful beach and its large hourglass.
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Gyeongpo Sunrise Festival	Gyeongpo Beach Gangneung, Gangwon-do	Fireworks and an array of programs and cultural events.
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Yeosu Hyangiram Sunrise Festival	Impo Village (Hyangiram) area Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do	Gukak (Korean traditional music), sunrise singing contest, wish lighting, dance festival, family film festival, and a lot more
Festivals	31-Dec to 1-Jan	Ttangkkeut SunsetㆍSunrise Festival	Ttangkkeut Village Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do	Celebratory concert, followed by beacon tower lighting, traditional dance performance, lantern flying, and fireworks

Winter Festivals
Snow and ice festivals around the nation. Ice-fishing is a common theme.

Date	Event	Where	Details
through 31-Dec	Luminarie Jeju Festival 2012	Jeju Stadium Park at World Cup Stadium	Jeju is covered in luminaries during nighttime
29-Dec to 27-Jan	Pocheon Dongjangkun Festival	National Tourist Complex Baegun Valley, Pocheon City	Ice sculptures, various family winter activities such as trout ice fishing, sledding and kite flying
22-Dec to 3-Feb	Pyeongchang Trout Festival	Odaecheon Stream Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do	Ice fishing, winter folk games, sledding, kite flying, and more! Directions: http://bit.ly/YdyHOU
5-Jan to 27-Jan	Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival	Hwacheoncheon Stream and five villages of Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do	Cut a hole through the ice or catch fish barehanded
25-Jan to 3-Feb	Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival	Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do	Performances, exquisite snow sculptures, snowman festival, snow sledding, etc.
19-Jan to 27-Jan	Inje Icefish Festival	Injedaegyo Bridge Inje-gun, Gangwon-do	Fishing and cooking icefish, bowling via innertube, playing ice soccer, sledding, and race-walking on ice.
04-Jan to 27-Jan	Jaraseom Singsing Winter Festival	Gapyeongcheon Stream Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do	Ice fishing for trout, snow sledding, a 50-people sledge ride on ice, ice sledding, ice skating, and bumper cars
8-Mar to 10-Mar	Jeju Field-Burning Festival	Saebyeol Oreum area Bongseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si	This tradition of field-burning is reenacted by setting an entire side of the mountain (“oreum”) on fire.
28-Dec to 6-Jan	Naeseorak Riverside Festival	Apgang River Inje-gun, Gangwon-do	Ice fishing, sledding, skating, a snow sculpture exhibition, music concerts, dance performances, and a talent competition
21-Dec to 1-Feb	Lantern Festival & Ice Sledding	Children's Grand Park, Seoul	Lantern Festival: December 21, 2012 – January 6, 2013 (17:30 – 21:30), streets from the main gate to the music fountain Ice Sledding Field: December 29, 2012 – February 1, 2013 (10:00 – 17:00), Environment Pond (환경연못) next to the main gate
22-Dec to 24-Feb	Ganghwa Bingeo Festival	Hwangcheong Reservoir Fishing Grounds Ganghwa-gun, Incheon-si	Smelt ice-fishing, bare-hand smelt fishing, ice biking, sledding, ice sliding, and more.
14-Dec to 27-Jan	The Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival	Botjaedaewon & Dahyanggak Observatory Boseong-bun, Jeollanam-do Province	The green tea plantation transforms into a gigantic village of light!
4-Jan to 27-Feb	Jaraseom Singsing Winter Festival	Jaraseom & Gapyeongcheon Stream area Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do	Ice fishing, snow sledding, mini golf on ice, bobsleighing, and ice hockey
29-Dec to 27-Jan	Dongjangkun Festival	Baegun Valley Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do	Ice sculptures, sledding, trout ice fishing, wood-chopping, log-sawing, bonfire-making, and rabbit herding.
1-Dec to 6-Jan	Busan Christmas Tree Festival	Gwangbok-dong Cultural & Fashion Streets , Jung-gu, Busan	Concerts, events, a main tree, and each section will be decorated with different Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights.

Other stuff to do

Date	Event	Where	Details
15-Dec to 17-Feb	Sledding Hill	Ttukseom Hangang Park, Seoul	Sledding and various winter activities http://bit.ly/U8D9Ny
7-Dec to 3-Mar	Five Color Starlight Garden Exhibition	The Garden of Morning Calm Gapyeong-gu, Gyeonggi-do	A magnificent scene of the garden aglow with millions of lights.
31-Dec	Bell-ringing at Bosingak	Bonsingak, Jongno, Seoul	Bell-ringing at midnight with fireworks.
though 13-Jan	Hilton Christmas Train	Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel	A stunning display of vintage trains and wagons set amidst a “Dickensian” winter landscape
Dec to Jan	Outdoor ice skating rinks in Seoul	Seoul	For an updated roundup of outdoor skating rinks in Seoul click here

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Korean Travel Online - Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks in Seoul, Winter 2012/2013

All around the world outdoor ice-rinks spring up to mark the onset of winter. In the spirit of it all, we try to round up the ice-skating rinks around Seoul.

Grand Hyatt Seoul - obviously expensive being a hotel. But you'll be getting a smoother surface to skate on, it's less crowded, and you get a beautiful nighttime view. 
Location: Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Period: December 1, 2012 – to be determined
Hours: Monday-Thursday 12:00–21:00 / Friday-Sunday & Public Holidays 10:00–20:00
Admission: Monday-Thursday 22,000 won / Friday-Sunday & Public Holidays 26,000 won (on a 2-hour basis)

Seoul Square - cheap but could get crowded. Surface gets rough according to some.
Location: Seoul Plaza (in front of City Hall, Jung-gu Seoul-si)
Period: December 14, 2012 – February 3, 2013
Hours: 10:00 - 22:00 (The rink will extend its operation 1 hour on weekends and public holidays)
Admission: 1,000won (on a 1 hour basis) (Skate rental included)
※ Gloves must be worn (500won for a pair when you purchase on-site)

Garden 5 - rink is located at the central square of this gigantic shopping complex
Location: Garden5 (Songpa-gu Seoul-si)
Period: December 7, 2012 – February 17, 2013
Hours: 10:00-20:50 (weekdays) / 10:00 – 22:00 (weekends and public holidays)
Admission: 2,000 (adults)/ 1,500won (teenagers) / 1,000won (children) (on a 1 hour basis)
※ Skate rental: 1,000won/ Gloves must be worn (500won for a pair when you purchase on-site)

Korean Folk Village - operating an ice skating rink for the first time this winter 
Location: KoreanFolk Village (Giheung-gu Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do) near parking lot 
Period: December 12, 2012 - January 31, 2013. 
Hours: 10:00-19:30 (Mon-Thu)/ 10:00-21:30 (Fri-Sun) 
Admission: 5,000won (on a 90 minute basis), skates & helmet rental included ※ Gloves must be worn 

World Cup Park - located at World Cup Park in Seoul Sangam-dong
Location: World Cup Park station (Seoul subway line 6, exit 1)

Skating in Pyeonghwa (Peace) Square inside World Cup Park
Period: December 28, 2012 to February 17, 2013
Hours: Skating 10:00 – 18:00
Fees: Skating: Admission 1,000 won, Skate Rental 1,000 won (for an hour)


Sledding in Noeul (Evening Glow) Park inside World Cup Park
Period: December 25, 2012 to February 24, 2013
Hours:  10:00 – 18:00
Fees: 8,000 won  
Link to the poster (in Korean): click here  

Olympic Park - open from December to mid-February.
Location: Olympic Park (Songpa-gu, Seoul) Mongchontoseong station (Seoul subway line 8, exit 1)
Period: December 24, 2013 to February 3, 2013
Hours:  09:00 – 20:30
Fees: 1,500 won (for 1.5 hours) / Skate rental: 500 won / Gloves: 500 won (or bring your own gloves)   
Classes are also available: Details here
Event poster (in Korean): click here

Walkerhill - lots of holiday decorations, view of the Han River 
Location: Sheraton Grande Walkerhill (Seoul-si Gwangjin-gu Gwangjang-dong)
Period: CLOSED
Hours: Weekdays 12:00 ~ 21:00 / Weekends 12:00 ~ 22:00
Fees: Weekdays 20000 / Weekends 30000 / Skate rental 12000 
UPDATE: According to Walkerhill, they are operating a camping zone instead of an ice skating rink


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Korean Travel Online - Fan Photos – Fall Foliage Photo Challenge Winners

Thank you for entering our Fall Foliage Fan Photo Challenge. We've received over 800 photos and the panel had the wonderfully difficult duty of pre-screening and evaluating all submissions. Thanks also to the fans for voting and helping us choose the winners!

Here are the winners of the photo challenge:

Winners	Name	Photo
1st prize	Hazel Ann Santos	Nakseongdae Park
2nd prize	Katja Hilchenbach	Olympic Park
2nd prize	Devy Chandra	Daedunsan
2nd prize	Arman A. Carinan	Deoksugung Doldam-gil
2nd prize	Audra Connolly	Seraksan
2nd prize	Jo Acuin	Gyeongbokgung
3rd prize	MaLilia Balogo Pedellume Grindle	Palgongsan
3rd prize	Jane Cheng	Baekyangsa
3rd prize	Leticia Avila	Yeongoksa
3rd prize	Martha Abednego	Gyeongbokgung
3rd prize	Shara Mae Pizarro	Nami Island
3rd prize	Sharina Zainordin	Yeouido Park
3rd prize	Narine Haroyan	Nakseongdae Park
3rd prize	Renny Susanti	Nami Island
3rd prize	Jessa Marie R. Almarza	The Na’tl Museum of Korea
3rd prize	Mee Ki Siew	Nami  Island

And here are the 10 lucky voters who won a prize:

How to claim you prize:
Send us a Facebook Message

The first line of the message should read:
"Fan Foliage Photo Challenge Winner" (if your photo won)
OR
"Fan Foliage Voting Winner" (if you a voter)

Include the following information:

Complete Name

Mailing Address (include zip code and country)

Contact Number (include country code and area code for shipping purposes)

Email address

All prize claim messages should be received within 3 days of the announcement (deadline: Dec 5, 2013)

Failure to send the required information shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize. 

Here's the gallery with all the entries:

Korean Travel Online - Winner Announcement: K-Shuttle Prize Draw

The winner for the K-Shuttle Prize Draw is:

Claiming of the prize requires sending an email to asia_english@knto.or.kr by 12 noon on December 2, 2013 with the subject “K-Shuttle Prize Draw”.

The email should contain the following:

Your Name on Facebook

Complete name

Email address

Phone number (include your country code and area code)

Complete mailing address (include zip code)

Failure to send the required information shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize. The announcement of the winning entrant is final and no correspondence will be entered into.