Which regions or cities are you going to visit for your next vacation in Korea?

There are plentiful “wow” factors you’ll find when travelling to Korea. As such, it is worth knowing what stands out the most in each region or city in Korea you plan to visit beforehand.

But prepare to find that what you see, hear, feel and smell are greater than you could have ever imagined, especially when you visit Incheon, Daejeon and Chungcheongbuk-do.

What are the “wow” factors in Incheon?

Here, in Incheon, you will find Incheon International Airport, Korea’s largest and most global international airport, which has become the gateway to South Korea.

The world’s fifth-largest international airport offers differentiated arts and cultural services for an enjoyable experience. Scheduled arts performances and activities are held at the airport, which will allow you to get a glimpse of Korea’s culture prior to exploring further in this thrilling city.

For those of you who love Korean dramas, particularly Hallyu drama, you will feel giddy and fall in love with Incheon as you visit the popular filming locations of your favorite dramas since many of them were filmed in Incheon.

Globally known dramas, such as My Love From The Star and Goblin, were filmed in this city. Incheon is a popular filming locationbecause of the magnificent clash of old and new.

There are historic buildings alongside skyscrapers. You not only can have lunch at a 100-year-old traditional market but you can also shop at a large modern megaplex nearby.

Curious about foods in Incheon, a city with unlimited delights? You can try Jjajangmyeon, JJolmyeonor  Dakgangjeong.  Jjajangmyeon,  a popular Korean-Chinese dish, is a noodle dish in black bean sauce. You can easily find these dishesin the city’s restaurants.

Ancient relics

For those of you who have a passion for history and cultural legacy, then you can travel to Daejeon and Chungcheongnam-do, home to many ancient relics. You will be amazed by a cultural heritage site under the collective name Baekje Historic Areas, recognized by UNESCO in 2015.

Baekje was an ancient kingdom located in the central part of the Korean Peninsula that formed around 18 BC and continued on for another 700 years and who also had their own independent and extravagant culture.

Baekje’s elaborate Buddhist designs heavily influenced the designs in other northeastern Asian countries. Buyeo and Gongju were the two capital cities of the Baekje empire, and since they possess so many ancient relics, the cities are considered a joint relic.

What are the favorite foods in this history-rich region? Tofu Duruchigi, Gongju Ttaro-Gukbap and Yeonipbap are among them. If you wish to have hot food, just try Tofu Duruchigi, Korean spicy tofu stir-fry, or Gongju Ttaro-Gukbap. Gukbap is a Korean dish made by putting cooked rice into a hot soup or boiling cooked rice in a soup.

In Daejeon’s cities, Buyeo and Gongju, there are plentiful hot springs that can heal both your body and soul. So, upon touring to see the incredible ancient relics, you can bath in the hot spring to maintain your health.

Music and Film Festivals

Soaking in a hot spring is not the only nature-based healing method in Korea. VisitChungcheongbuk-do, specifically Jecheon, and you will find oriental medicine- a traditional style of medicine practiced in Korea where medicinal herbs foraged from nature are prescribed to a person depending on their energy (gi) and constitution. To get access to the oriental medicine, you can join Korea Medicine & King’s Road Healing Tour.

Nature in Chungcheongbuk-do is well preserved.Jecheon’slandscape is beautified by “Island Ocean”, an enormous Lake Cheongpungho and Bibongsan Mountain. 

To have fun and relax, you can ride a ferry in Cheongpungho Lake, and feel the wind on your face. Or, you can ride the monorail up Bibongsan Mountain and get a better look of the magnificent area surrounding Cheongpungho Lake.

The Jecheon International Music and Film Festival is held every August at the Uirimji Reservoir, Cheongpungho, and at the center of Jecheon. The festival features an endless number of musical concerts and film screenings by artists from all around the world.  So, don’t miss out the musical concerts and film screenings when you visit Jecheon, a city teeming with the breathtaking natural beauty, in August. 

Recommended menu items in Chungcheongbuk-do, especially in Jecheon,include Jjim Galbi, Snail Soup and Hanbangbaeksuk.

For those of you who have an interest in Korean politics, democracy or Korea’s former presidents, then you can visit Cheongju.

Memorable things to do in the city include walking the same path and relaxing at the same spots as former presidents who served within the last 20 years here at the presidential villa, Cheongnamdae.

There is, indeed, a long list of“wow” factors in Korea, so get ready to find them in Icheon, Daejeon and Chungcheongbuk-do.

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