As the chilly winter begins to wane, warm weather and a balmy breeze are slowly showing up across the country.

As everything from the frozen water to the snow-laden trees begins to thaw and slowly comes alive, people are more eager to take advantage of a spring getaway with their family, friends or loved ones.

It would surely be tantalizing for the travelers if there were a chance for them to view the whole range of tourist destinations at a single glance and, at the same time, to sample the range of spectacles available at their disposal and to sample the number of delicacies there for them to taste. That would definitely be the way to go when planning a successful spring trip.


To meet the needs of such quick getaway seekers, there was a special event from February 27 through March 2 at COEX in Seoul that provided a microcosm of all the great tourist destinations available across the nation.

The 2014 Korea Travel Expo offered a wide range of information on the tourist options that are hidden in every corner of the country, from eco-tours and sightseeing trains through to local festivals and regional specialties.


The four-day expo introduced a variety of local festivals, all slated for May, that are gearing up to welcome the new season. The 10th Yeongyang Wild Greens Festival from May 16 to 18 in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), specializes in vegetables raised in the region's clean, natural environment. The 6th Hampyeong Butterfly Festival from May 2 to 11 in Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), will let the millions of Hampyeong-born butterflies flap their beautiful wings as they announce the arrival of a warm, pleasant spring.

Visitors to the expo also got a look at other upcoming festivals. There will be the 2014 Yeongju Seonbi Culture Festival from May 2 to 6 in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where visitors will be able to sense the spirit of Joseon-era virtuous scholars, known as seonbi, and get a glimpse into the intellectual climate of the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

The region's annual marathon, the Yeongju Sobaeksan Marathon, is waiting for the more athletic sports lovers amongst them, as well. Participants will run through the region's cultural heritage sites, the Sosu Seowon, the oldest private Confucian academy in the country, and the Seonbichon, a village for seonbi scholars, both established during the Joseon era. At the same time, marathoners will race surrounded by the breath-taking scenery of the Sobaeksan Mountains.

There are other festivals, either on the way or already underway, too. The 7th JangSu Hanurang Sagwarang Festival allows visitors to taste local specialties—beef and apples—in Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province), while there is currently underway a seafood festival centered around Guryongpo Beach in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, serving freshly-caught seafood and, in particular, the area’s most popular specialty, gwamegi, semi-dried saury or mackerel pike.


Some specific tourist attractions were featured, as well. Expo-goers, for example, learned that there is an 8-kilometer nature trail stretching across Hongseong, in Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province), along which they can stroll, tracing back the thousand-year history of the region.

They were also able to learn that the town of Sangju in Gyeongsangbuk-do is the center of the area’s marine leisure industry, including canoeing, sailing and kayaking. Also, Gochang-gun in Jeollabuk-do is home to rich cultural heritage items, including many dolmens listed as UNESCO World Heritage items, and an immaculately preserved Joseon-era fortress that has been defending the town for centuries.

As the old Korean saying goes, “A loaf of bread is better than the song of many birds.” Similarly, no trip can be complete without tasting the area’s local specialties.

The expo showed off the culinary traditions from across the county. Visitors were able to sample some of the dishes, too, for example, fresh wild greens from Yeongyang, dried persimmons and beef from Sangju and cockles, natural yogurt and roasted eggs from Hongseong.

There were other delights on offer, too. Sweet, juicy apples and donuts came from Yeongju. Salty mackerel, jjimdak, steamed chicken marinated in soy sauce with various vegetables, and heotjesabab, a type of well-known bibimbap, mixed rice with vegetables, all hailed from Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Tomatoes, beef and apples were from Jangsu and apples, rice and noodles made from apples were all made in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do.


"We hope that all tourists, both domestic and international alike, will be able to find more comfortable and cheaper travel experiences here in Korea," said Culture Minister Yoo Jinryong. The expo, the minister said, offers an opportunity to get a glimpse into the best tourist destinations that the country has to offer.

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr