Destination: Bank of Korea Museum (Seoul, South Korea)

Don’t be too surprised that I’m fascinated by money. A museum of money? Sure, it’s a fairly touristy place in downtown Seoul, but still somewhere I needed to check out. First established on June 12, 1950, the Bank of Korea began functioning as a central bank in the...

Destination: Wonpyeong Beach / Bigeumdo – one of the most isolated beaches around (Shihan country, Jeollanam-do)

To put it mildly, Wonpyeong Beach (원평해수욕장) is off the beaten path. Bigeum-do is 54.5 kilometers (about 34 miles) from the mainland of Dae Han Min Guk. Of the 827 islands that dot the shores of Shinan county in Jeollanam-do, Bigeum-do is the seventh-largest. It...

Destination: Gangjin (Jeollanam-do, South Korea)

While in town for the Gangjin Celadon Festival, the Lady in Red and I decided to meander our way through the tiny county in Jeollanam-do. It’s technically an 읍 (eup, or rural county), and with a mere 41,000 people living there it’s far from densely populated. As...

Destination: the biggest Buddha in Korea (Nammireuksa, Gangjin, Jeollanam-do)

Author’s note: A hat tip goes to Brian in Jeollanam-do for discovering this place and sharing it with the K-blogosphere. The middle of nowhere seems the best place to place a Buddhist temple. Far away from the distractions of the world and sounds of the city is...

Destination: Geumgang Park / Hyujeongam (Busan, South Korea)

Author’s note: As a general rule, I don’t usually write a ‘Destination’ about the same place twice (see my previous post on Geumgang Park). My last visit being two years and two cameras ago, I found some parts of this park that I haven’t...

Destination: Gangjin Celadon Festival, South Korea (2010)

At the risk of treading on Brian in Jeollanam-do’s territory, the Lady in Red and I headed down to southwest South Korea to check out the 38th Gangjin Celadon Festival. Korea has over 1,000 years of pottery-making history, and the festival is designed to get you...

Destination: Nakdong Estuary Eco Center (Busan, South Korea)

Although it’s not yet considered one of the ‘must-see’ destinations while in Korea’s second-largest city, western Busan holds the Nakdong Estuary Migratory Bird Park and Eco Center (낙동강하구에코센터). With 37.7 square kilometers of the southern coast...

Destination: Mangsang Beach (Donghae, Gangwon-do)

Welcome to Mangsang Beach (망상해수욕장). Considered one of the finest beaches on the east coast, there’s 1.4 kilometers of sand, 40,000 square meters of camping space, and more than enough salty water. Because the area is such a tourist draw, it isn’t the best...

Destination: Chuam Beach / Chuam Sculpture Park (Donghae, Gangwon-do, South Korea)

Far away from the big-city life, Chuam beach offers a level of peacefulness I hadn’t experienced in awhile. No tall buildings in sight. No other foreigners around. Nobody wearing suits and ties, which actually does happen from time to time. A small tourist information...

Destination: Dokdo Museum (Ulleungdo, South Korea)

As part of my recent trip to Ulleungdo (see part 1, part 2, and part 3), I checked out the Dokdo Museum on the island. For those of you tuning in from outside the Korean peninsula, Dokdo is a set of two islands that both Korea and Japan believe to be theirs. Located...