Whether you’re a shopaholic. a workaholic. a K-Pop overzealous. a epicure. a film maker. or merely obviously superstitious: 2012 is a good twelvemonth to be here.
2012. the twelvemonth the universe purportedly ends. All the more ground to see Korea — the Land of Morning Calm — to comfort your panic before the universe is destroyed by a meteorite.
And 2012 is besides the Year of the Dragon. harmonizing to the Chinese zodiac. And non merely that. but it’s besides the Year of the Black Dragon. which merely comes one time around every 60 old ages.
But there’s more than cool East Asiatic symbolism to do 2012 a great twelvemonth for sing Korea.
There are 12 grounds. listed below:
1. It’s Visit Korea Year
Visit Korea Year is basically a biennial run of sole price reductions and publicities designed to do Korea more attractive to travellers. 2012 is the concluding twelvemonth of the run.
Virgin tourers to Korea: don’t delay another twelvemonth.
The vouchers. KTX price reductions of up to 30 per centum. free coach birds. and hotel trades won’t wait around everlastingly. 2. Korea Grand Sale
The Korea Grand Sale is technically portion of the Visit Korea Year run but in its importance it deserves its ain class. Unlike some of the other promotional price reductions of Visit Korea Year. the Korea Grand Sale is surprisingly. and non-intuitively. non merely about salvaging a few won.
“We’re sometimes asked why the price reductions in the Korea Grand Sale’s gross revenues are instead less than expansive. ” says Yoon Heejin of the Visit Korea Committee’s PR squad.
“That’s because the Korea Grand Sale is non merely about purchasing tonss of inexpensive material at low monetary values. It’s about a complete cultural experience. ”
Surely. there is a strong component of Black Friday stampedes in this 52-day “national shopping extravaganza. ” which will affect more than 21. 000 concerns and price reductions of up to 50 per centum.
But if you look beyond the glistening promotional posting of Hallyu star Choi Ji-woo looking mighty happy with shopping bags hanging off her weaponries. there’s a great trade more to be found in the Korea Grand Sale than half-price luxury lip rouges.
The Grand Sale will kick off with a week-long welcome event at Incheon International Airport get downing January 9. 2012. And unlike lip rouge. which is likely to appeal entirely to a particular. narrow demographic. this opening event will include the distribution of a lottery ticket. so everyone receives at least something. A sweltering voluntary will be dressed up as Pororo the Penguin — who is an official mascot — willing to take exposures with childs.
But the existent gap jubilation will be on January 13. at DOOTA Shoping Mall in Dongdaemun. There will be public presentations ( like Original Drawing Show ) most Koreans normally pay brawny amounts to see. There will be choice draws. which means that even by merely being at that place. you might win a trip to Jeju Island or a free dark at a hotel. And eventually. there will be celebrity visual aspects every bit good as legion lotteries and sweepstakes chances.
Window shopping will ne’er be so fun once more. ( Nor so potentially profitable ) .
World Wide Web. koreagrandsale. or. kr
3. Hallyu Madness
2012 is looking to be a good twelvemonth for K-Pop.
If you’re a devoted follower. you might already cognize that there are several large rejoinders in the plants. like an approaching Big Bang concert. or Se7en’s new album. You might besides cognize that 2ne1 will be let go ofing their coactions with will. i. am.
But if all this is difficult to retrieve. you can merely retrieve 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 following twelvemonth.
And it merely so happens that the day of the month of the awards ceremonial coincides with the period of the Korea Grand Sale. Coincidence? Or clever maneuvering on the portion of the Visit Korea Committee? Doesn’t affair ; saw Big Bang!
Besides maintain your eyes peeled and your limbs oiled for the 2012 return on last year’s K-Pop Cover Dance Festival. If you think you have the moves. you can even come in the competition and subject a picture of yourself dancing to a designated K-Pop vocal. Otherwise. it’s a good opportunity to goggle at startlingly on-the-scene K-Pop imitators.
“Last twelvemonth we had 2PM as Judgess. ” says Yoon Heejin of the Visit Korea Committee’s Public Relations Department.
“They were astonished at how accurate some of the contestants’ caricatures were. For illustration. a squad that danced to Girls’ Generation besides managed to capture the single features of each member. down to the outfits. the hair. and the functions. ”
Finally. the Hallyu Dream Festival. held in Gyeong-ju. historical capital of ancient Korean land Silla ( like the Shilla Hotel ) . combines K-Pop shows with historical “experiences” for a quasi-music. quasi-film. quasi-history just festival that acknowledges K-Pop’s less celebrated but every bit worthy brother. the K-Drama. More specifically. the period K-Drama.
Fans of Silla-era period play “Queen Seondeok. ” for illustration. will appreciate that they can research on pes the former set of the play. and possibly even the former scene of the existent events. minus K-Drama’s inclination towards heavy fictionalisation.
4. The IFC fulfills its fate
Although the International Finance Center in Yeouido opened in 2011. it’s non rather complete. The Conrad Hotel. which is slated to open in the IFC sometime in 2012. will hopefully add a homey touch to the formidable concern composite. which tops the 249-meter 63 Building ( one time the tallest edifice in Korea ) by a good 35 metres. That is. every bit homey as one of the world’s most epicurean five-star concern hotels can be. anyhow.
5. Observing nutrient: About every bit good as nutrient itself
Don’t give a darn about K-Pop? Can’t digest Wonder Girls. unless ironically remixed by cellar DJ on tumblr? Merely uninterested in music. in general? That’s mulct. Korea still has plentifulness to offer in 2012. and many of these offerings are comestible. The universe may be stoping. but Koreans will still be cooking. Cooking death-defyingly tasty dishes.
Sample them at the 2012 Korea Food Festival in Jeonju. the metropolis in the South famed for its attractive and delicious dishes. and place of Jeonju bibimbap. 6. The 2012 Expo in Yeosu
Given that Korea’s a peninsula that’s efficaciously an island with three sides ( given the state of affairs in the North ) . it’s surprising that there’s non more accent on Marine affairs.
The 2012 International Exposition in Yeosu. nevertheless. opening under the subject of “The Living Ocean and Coast. ” is hopefully. purportedly altering some of that. The exhibition will cover with issues sing non merely the sea. biologically. but besides marine engineering and sustainable resources.
But truly. to the mean visitant. the academic conferences and the exalted ideals. while impressive — more than 100 states and 1000000s of visitants are expected to take part — aren’t truly attractive forces.
Although we may all appreciate the fact that the United States’ engagement in this Expo. for illustration. optimistically signals greater paces in consciousness of marine environmental jobs. that’s non what makes Yeosu — and Korea — desirable in 2012.
Yeosu has other attractive forces. The Expo will have eldritch and fantastic synergistic shows. movie showings. and exhibitions housed in Wyrd and fantastic edifices. For illustration. there will be a “Cosmic Tree” installing that interacts with visitants. the self-explanatory “Fisheries Experience Zone. ” and an fish tank.
7. Because it’s non merely about Seoul this twelvemonth
A new express train. the ITX. will now do it easier to go between Seoul and Chuncheon. Not rather every bit fast as its predecessor. the KTX. but rapid plenty to stir notice. the ITX runs at 180 kilometers per hour. Such Numberss may non intend much to you. but the name Chuncheon might: Chuncheon is the place of birth of Chuncheon dakgalbi. a sacred epicure Mecca where the original dakgalbi formula remains stainless by Seoul’s gustatory sensations.
But the significance of the ITX. which is due to get down running sometime in February 2012. harmonizing to Arirang Korea. is non in being easy transportated to the place of birth of a 1970s lily-livered dish. Just as Chuncheon’s kernel can’t tantrum into a oily pan — Chuncheon is home to mountains. lakes. lake islands. and legion architectural and historical hoarded wealths — it’s bigger. It’s about a bigger Korea. a Korea beyond Seoul. Some of these aspirations are besides clearly felt in Visit Korea Committee’s online undertaking. the late opened Must-See Routes. a aggregation of suggested travel paths that cover assorted Korean states. For a comprehensive expression at all that you’re losing in Korea — because opportunities are that most of the topographic points featured are unfamiliar instead than familiar — Must-See Routes is thorough. And accompanied by stupefying exposure.
