[HanCinema's Digest] Travel Bug Bites

Minty Clinch explores the charms of Pyeongchang ahead of the Winter Games, get a glimpse of an abandoned theme park in Seoul on Atlas Obscura, Jamsil residents support tourists with massive volunteer programme to help with translations, and a sci-fi themed promotional video for the upcoming 2018 Winter Games turns heads

Advertisement

"A winter break in Pyeongchang, South Korea"

The Winter Games in Pyeongchang is almost upon us, and the country is expecting thousands of visitors when Games begin in February. In this post on The National, Minty Clinch visits the host city of Pyeongchang to check out its slopes, explore an old-fashioned port, enjoy some luxury hotels, and, of course, tuck into any and all local specialities. If you planning on being here next year for the Winter Games, Minty's write up here will help you orientate yourself so you can get the most of your time in The Land of the Morning Calm.

...READ ON THE NATION

"Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park"

Korea has some incredible theme parks, but Yongma Land in Seoul is not one of them. The park was built in the 80s when bumper cars and carousels were all the rage, but now it's in decay as entropy takes its toll. One enterprising local businessman has, however, turned the park into somewhat of an attraction, allowing visitors to "revel in the poignant charm of its decay". The park has also been featured in K-pop videos, too. Crayon Pop's "Bar Bar Bar" was shot there, for example. Click on through to Atlas Obscura for a dozen eerie images of the Land that time forgot...

...READ ON ATLAS OBSCURA

"Sci-fi video promoting Pyeongchang 2018 released"

Korea.net recently released a rather strange promotional video for the upcoming Winter Games in Pyeongchang early next year. The video is set in the near future where, after an off-screen war between humans and their artificial counterparts, the 'last AI' focuses her attention on trying to understand why the humans came out victorious. "We tried to break away from producing videos that only outline and boast about the nation's achievements", said Kim Tae-hoon, director of the company that produced the film, KCIS (Korean Culture and Information Service). What do you think of this atypical promotional video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below...

...READ/WATCH ON INSIDE THE GAMES

"Jamsil residents provide tourists with free translations"

The Songpa district in Seoul was at the epicentre of the Seoul Olympics almost 30 years ago now, but the residents there are still warmly welcoming visitors from all over the world. The district recently launched a foreigner-friendly initiative by assembling a multilingual team of translators to roam the area to assist their overseas guests. "Some 100 residents inhabiting the Jamsil Special Tourist Zone in Songpa-gu are in the volunteer group, including retired seniors over 50 years old and teenagers". The volunteers will be wearing "We Can Volunteer" vests.

...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD