Photo Story
What programs South Korea has for tourists.
ID # 4185
This photo story is going to discuss about how South Korea makes an effort for globalization. As an international student from South Korea, I could even the program for international students in South Korea since I was currently studying in the U.S. Based on what I had worked as a volunteer in Korea, I could see how South Korea makes an effort for globalization and foreign tourists. There are also many programs for foreign tourists to experience Korean culture, so I would like to introduce what programs Korea have for that.
Have you ever visited South Korea? Do you know any programs South Korea have for foreign tourists?
This photo story is geared toward students in Grade 8.
Objective: the audience will identify what programs South Korea have for foreign tourists.
Photo #1- Seoul Summer Sale
Photo #1
When I went back to South Korea for the summer vacation last year, I researched if there were any programs I can join with since I wanted to spend the vacation rewardingly. While I was researching the programs, I found that there was Seoul Summer sale in Seoul, Korea. Actually, this program was for “Foreign tourists”, who visited Seoul, where was the capital of South Korea. There were more than a hundred markets, restaurants, department stores and performance show, which were joined with Seoul Summer Sale program. Each foreigner could get a stamp book in each place if he/she showed his/her passport, which could prove he/she is a foreigner. With the stamps, the tourist could get a discount or any souvenir from the place. That program only held in summer, so the program’s name was “Seoul Summer Sale”. The people, who had prepared the program told me there were many foreign tourists in Korea from other Asian countries, so that program was for them to enjoy their trip more than without the program.
Photo #2- the place, which joined with Seoul Summer Sale program
Photo #2
Each place, which joined with the Seoul Summer Sale program needed to attach the posters of the program, so the tourists could find the place well. However, there were some places, where did not really offer the discount or souvenir although they joined with the program voluntarily. Therefore, what I needed to do as a volunteer was pretending to be a foreigner and checking if the place keeps their pledge with the program or not. For that, Seoul city gave me the checklists, so I needed to check if they were doing great or not.
Photo #3- the menu in English
Photo #3
All the restaurants needed to have a menu in English, so foreigners could see what menu they had: that was also on the checklists. Through the program, I could see how South Korea had made an effort to be globalized and to attract tourists from another countries. I was surprised there was a volunteering program to check if the program was going well because I could know how they were trying to precede the program well.
Photo #4- Hi-Seoul Festival (Cheong-Gye-Cheon luminarie festival)
Photo #4
There is also a festival for tourists, and the festival is called as “Hi-Seoul Festival”. This festival is held in Seoul, and is started since 2003. The purpose of it is to inform Seoul’s historicity, cultural identity, and internationality. I could not join with the festival since 2008 because I have been in the U.S. However, I joined with the festival in 2007. I went to Cheong-Gye-Cheon River, which is located in center of Seoul. The river was decorated with luminarie, so I could see how Seoul made a harmony with lots of lamps.
Photo #5- Han-Ryu concert
Photo #5
Have you ever heard about Han-Ryu? Han-Ryu means the increase in the popularity of South Korean entertainment and culture. Actually, there is Korean wave over the Asia, so there are lots of tourists, who are interested in Korean entertainers. I went to the Han-Ryu concert in Incheon, Korea when I was high school student. While I was waiting for the concert, I could hear other languages, not Korean; that was interesting how they visited to South Korea for the concert. Actually, the concert I visited was only for the year, but now it is held in every year so people from other countries also could join with Korean entertainment and pop culture.
Photo #6- Mud festival in Boryeong
Photo #6
This festival is actually not for only foreigners, and it is just a festival, which is held in Boryeong, South Korea. Since Korean Peninsula is surrounded by tidal mudflat, they think it is appropriate natural environment for ecotourism. There are fireworks festival, mud self-massage zone, mud body painting, and various performing shows for the mud festival, and there are lots of tourists to enjoy that because many countries do not have mud flat. Although I could not take any pictures when I visited there because I was worried about my camera to be broken, I could met lots of tourists from other countries. Actually, there were only few programs in there, but it was enough to enjoy only with the mud.
Photo #7- Globalization of Korean pop culture
Photo #7
There was Gangnam style flash mob in UNC in this semester. Gangnam style is famous Korean song, which is published last summer. The music video of it was ranked on youtube, and people around the world have been tried to dance with the music. I was surprise how Korean music could be famous in the U.S., and how UNC students knew how to dance with Gangnam style. I think this is also related to globalization of Korean culture although Korea is a little far from America. I did not join with the flash mob, but I recorded the video since my sister joined with it. As an international student from South Korea, I was proud of how Korean pop culture has been globalized.
As all photos show, South Korean government makes an effort for globalization so there are lots of programs for foreign tourists. I know that is for attraction of foreign tourists, but I also think that is one of great ways to make Korean culture to be globalized. I hope you could get an information of the programs for tourists in Korea, so you can really enjoy it if you have any opportunity to visit there.
Photo citation
Photo #1: the picture I got from Seoul Summer festival while I was working as a volunteer
Photo #2&3: taken by me
Photo #4: http://lesiles-blog.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
Photo #5: http://www.mct.go.kr/web/cultureInfoCourt/localFestival/festivalView.jsp?pSeq=3544
Photo #6: http://www.wbsi.kr/mbs/wbsfm/jsp/album/view.jsp?spage=4&boardId=77576&boardSeq=549346&mcategoryId=&id=wbsfm_051800000000
Photo #7: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/09/k-pop-sensation-gangnam-style-creates-noise-in-pit