By Xu Aiying and Kim Young Shin

The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced on May 2 that it will take some 220 non-Korean residents on six tours around Korea's UNESCO sites.

The first trip is an educational tour of the ancient Baekje kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660). The tour group, consisting of ambassadors and diplomats, will look around the cultural heritage sites in Gongju and Buyeo in Chungcheongnam-do Province, the ancient capital of Baekje. The group will visit national museums in both cities and related UNESCO sites, such as the Jeongnimsa Temple, the royal tombs at Songsan-ri, and the Gongsanseong fortress. The group will attend a Namsadang Nori folk performance, which is an Intangible Cultural Heritage Item of Humanity.

In July, foreign military officers attending the Korea National Defense University and their families will try taekkyeon, a traditional Korean martial art and another Intangible Cultural Heritage Item of Humanity. In June and September, tours will be taken to the Baekje Historic Areas and the Gyeongju Historic Areas. In November, non-Korean students will be invited to the Yeongneung royal tomb, where King Sejong the Great is buried, the developer of the Hunminjeongeum that created Hangeul, a world heritage document.

Building on feedback received from last year’s participants, this year’s tour includes many hands-on activities, such as learning taekkyeon, sailing on the hwangpo dotbae boats (황포 돗배), writing and designing with Hangeul letters, and taking part in the Namsadang Nori folk performance. Also, the tour will include major events in Korea, such as the Jikji Korea Festival, which celebrates the world’s oldest book printed with metal type. The tourists will also visit sites related to the Hunminjeongeum to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the coronation of Sejong the Great.

xuaiy@korea.kr