Where to escape the summer heat

Jessie and Pedro want to go somewhere where they can escape the hot and humid heat of Korean summer. Su-hyeon reminisces on her childhood summer experiences while giving her recommendations.

Su-hyeon: It'll be summer soon. Do you guys have any plans?
Pedro: My first summer in Korea was surprising because it was far hotter than I expected. I can see why Koreans go to the beach in summer.
Jessie: This will be my first summer in Korea, and I'm scared of the forthcoming heat. Pedro, where have you gone in summer?
Pedro: I've been to Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches in Busan. I learned how to get to Gangwon-do Province when I went to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics early last year, so I hit the eastern coast of Gangwon-do last summer. Most major beaches nationwide began opening last month.
Su-hyeon: Oh, I guess you like beaches. Have you gone surfing before?
Pedro: No. Do people surf in Korea?
Su-hyeon: Haha, of course. Surfing is one of the things I'd recommend to do during summer vacation.
Jessie: That sounds quite exciting.
Su-hyeon: Jukdo Beach (in Yangyang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province), Mallipo Beach (Taean-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province) and Songjeong Beach (Busan) are very good places to surf. In Jukdo, the water level is low while the waves are high, making the beach popular with beginner and advanced surfers. In Songjeong, the waves stay regular throughout the year. Taean-gun County has a tragic history, though. In 2007, it suffered the worst oil spill in Korean history but its original natural settings have since been restored. And Mallipo Beach has earned the nickname "Mallipo-nia" among surfing fans.
Jessie: What about Jeju Island?
Su-hyeon: The island is a surfer's paradise (smiles).

Su-hyeon: Another place I'd recommend is a water park. It's really convenient and has so many facilities such as massive wave pools, water slides, pools with flowing water and spas.
Jessie: So I guess it's fine even if you can't swim.
Su-hyeon: Yes. I particularly like wave pools. All I have to do is to get on a tube, relax and float on the water. Everyone shouts for joy when the waves come. It's a great way to alleviate stress.
Pedro: I really like water slides. The one that's almost vertical is so thrilling.
Su-hyeon: I usually go to Caribbean Bay (in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province), Ocean World (Hongcheon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province), and Seorak Waterpia (Sokcho, Gangwon-do Province). Some water parks even have free shuttle bus service to pick up visitors in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do Province. You can check the bus schedules on the parks' websites.
Jessie: That sounds really convenient, and I am curious about them since I hardly went to water parks in other countries.

Pedro: Su-hyeon, do you go to the beach every summer?
Su-hyeon: No, the sand there can get too hot. If you want cooler temperatures, I highly recommend valleys.
Pedro: Watermelons and valleys go hand in hand, don't they?
Su-hyeon: Yep (smiles). I'm sure many Koreans as children went to the valleys and dipped their feet and watermelons in the cool water. Valleys deep in the mountains have cool and clean water. Staying inside the valley keeps heat away no matter how hot it is.
Jessie: Just imagining this makes me feel cooler.
Su-hyeon: I used to put watermelons in the valley and place a rock on top to prevent it from getting washed away. The watermelon would get quite cold as if it came straight out of a refrigerator. I vividly remember this and miss those days.
Pedro: Korea has so many valleys. Which ones would you recommend visiting?
Su-hyeon: Enjoying beautiful scenery is the best part about being in a valley. Of the top 100 places for natural scenery selected by the Korea National Park Service, 14 are valleys. Baemsagol Valley (Jirisan Mountain in Jeollanam-do Province), Baekdamgyegok Valley (Seoraksan Mountain in Gangwon-do Province) and Jubang Valley (Juwangsan Mountain in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province) are among the country's most scenic valleys.

Pedro: Wow, there are so many ways to escape the heat in Korea. I'm definitely going surfing this year.
Jessie: I'm going to go to a water park. I hardly went to them in other countries, so I'm really looking forward to it here.
Su-hyeon: Talking about valleys reminded me of my childhood when I used go to them. So I'll re-visit those valleys this year.
Pedro: How about all three of us go together?
Jessie: Sure. And you can't forget bingsu (shaved ice dessert) when talking about heat or summer. Let's eat bingsu. There are so many flavors like mixed grain powder, chocolate, green tea, traditional red bean and mango.
Su-hyeon: Haha, I guess bingsu shops count as a summer resort. OK, let's go to one.

• List of Korea's top 100 scenic spots at natural parks
- Selected by Korea National Park Service
(http://www.knps.or.kr/portal/content/landscape/index_en.do)

Written by Min Yea-Ji
Translated by Lee Jihae
Illustrated by Yuhaill
jesimin@korea.kr