S. Korea Blue House Opens To Public For 1st Time In 74 Years

SEOUL (AP) — For many South Koreans, the former presidential palace in Seoul was a little-visited, heavily secured mountainside landmark. That’s now changed as thousands have been allowed a look inside for the first time in 74 years.

As one of his first acts, the new South Korean leader has moved the presidential offices from the Blue House, named after its distinctive blue roof tiles, and opened its gates to the public, allowing a maximum of 39,000 people a day to visit.

The normally serious compound has been transformed into something like a fair, with excited crowds looking around and standing in long queues.

I feel grateful that the Blue House has opened to the public,” 61-year-old office worker Lee Sang Woon said recently during a tour with his family. “I am really happy to be here.”

The Blue House has gone through multiple transformations over the years. Once the site of a royal garden, the Japanese built the official residence for their governors-general there during Tokyo’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. After Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945, the U.S. military commander occupied the place until it became South Korea’s official presidential office and residence upon the country’s foundation in 1948.

The Blue House opening is part of new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s pledge to abandon the palace and establish his offices at the Defense Ministry compound in the Yongsan district, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) away.

Yoon said he chose the Defense Ministry compound because it’s already equipped with security-related command facilities. He said he aims to build something similar to the White House in Washington that would let citizens have a closer look at the building over a fence. Yoon said the new offices will allow for better communication with the public.

His relocation plans, however, have faced complaints that they were rushed and unrealistic. Critics say a hasty movement of top government offices could undermine national security by concentrating too much power in one place, cost too much and violate the property rights of people living in the area.

His predecessor, Moon Jae-in, also expressed worries that Yoon made his decision before hearing enough public opinion.

When Moon took office in 2017, he also pledged to move out in a bid to distance himself from his disgraced, jailed predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who grew up there as the daughter of a dictator. Moon eventually abandoned his plan, and Park was pardoned late last year.

Yoon, however, started his first day earlier this month as president in Yongsan, and the ex-presidential office was opened to the public that same day.

Choi Jun Chae, 60, who runs a mill at a traditional market near the Blue House, was sorry to see the presidential office leave his neighborhood but also hopeful that the relocation would boost local businesses by bringing in more tourists.

“Under the (former President) Lee Myung-bak administration, there were lots of protests ... so it was really hard to commute to this area. Cars couldn’t move, so I had to walk,” Choi said.

Thousands of people have gathered near the Blue House in the past for mass rallies and marches. Nearby residents said they suffered from noise and traffic congestion.

“I hope that protests decrease and more people visit the area,” Yoo Sung-jong, head of a popular bakery in the neighborhood, said. “But (the president) was here for a long time, so it is a bit sad too.”

While some people in the new presidential neighborhood expect an improvement because of the new offices, there are also worries.

“As for traffic issues, I can already see more people visiting here. It will be very crowded and complicated at first, but I think it will gradually get better,” said Kim Jung-taek, a gallery owner near the new presidential offices.

South Korea Reports More Than 2,000 New Coronavirus Cases

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea has reported more than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus, nearing a one-day record set last month, continuing an alarming surge as the nation enters its biggest holiday of the year.

2,008 cases reported Friday was the 73rd consecutive day of over 1,000 despite officials enforcing the country’s strongest social distancing rules short of a lockdown in capital Seoul and other large population centers for the past 10 weeks.

More than 1,500 of the new case came from the greater Seoul area, home to half of a population of more than 51 million, where infections have surged as schools reopened and people returned from summer vacations in recent weeks.

There are concerns that transmissions will worsen nationwide the Chuseok holiday break, the Korean version of Thanksgiving that begins over the weekend and continues through next Wednesday. Millions usually travel across the to meet relatives during Chuseok.

“We plead once again that people who aren’t fully vaccinated not to visit their aging parents who are in their 60s or older,” Deputy Health Minister Lee Ki-il said during a briefing. “In the greater capital area, transmissions are continuously happening at indoor gyms, cram schools, churches and wherever there’s many people in confined spaces. Capital area residents should always keep in mind that they could get infected any where at any time, and be very careful.”

Travelore News: Incheon Airport Celebrates Its Selection As World’s Best For 10th Consecutive Year

The Incheon International Airport Corporation will hold the ‘Spring Music Concert’, celebrating its selection as the world’s best airport for 10th consecutive year in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) evaluation and the 14th anniversary of its opening.

The ‘Spring Music Concert’ will be held every day at 16:00 p.m. for 1 hour from March 25th to 29th at Millennium Hall on the first floor of Incheon International Airport, featuring top-class musicians in diverse genres, including orchestra, jazz and classic. The performance is open to every visitor for free.

On the first day, March 25th, Korean Pops Orchestra that communicates with the audience by composing classics in pleasant manner will perform popular movie original sound tracks (OSTs) and pop-classics, accompanying famous musicians, such as Tenor Lee Won-hyeong, Saxophonist Han Hun-sik and Guitarist Lee Ji-seong.

On March 26th, popular singer So Hyang and musical actor Yoon Hyeong-lyeol will present beautiful songs. So Hyang was acclaimed as a highly talented singer on music competition TV shows ‘I Am a Singer’ and ‘Immortal Masterpieces’. Musical actor Yoon was commended as a leading actor in the musical ‘Notre Dame de Paris’.

Three top jazz musicians in Korea will present a ‘Tripartite Jazz Festival’ on March 27th. They are Jazz vocalist Woong San, Saxophonist Lee Jeong-sik and Accordionist Jeong Tae-ho.

On March 28th, genius pianist Shin Ji-ho and emerging pop classic singer Jin Jeong-hoon, will present a cross-over concert.

Classic ensemble will be staged on March 29th, the last day of the regular concert, with sweet melodies of a prominent string quartet ‘Quartet X’ along with Violinist Cho Yun-beom.

A part of seats at the ‘Spring Music Concert’ will be reserved in advance, and seats can be reserved on its website (www.airport.kr) in the order of arrival. Standing places are also available.

The stage of the concert at the Millennium Hall will be decorated with flowers and butterflies that symbolize spring with the theme of ‘Sky Garden –Spring’s Blossom’ to present excitement and pleasure to travelers, celebrating its selection as the world’s best airport for 10th consecutive year and the 14th anniversary of its opening.

Wan-su Park, President of Incheon International Airport said, “Marking the 14th anniversary of its opening, the Incheon International Airport has grown as the world’s top airport that meets expectation of the people by ranking first in the ASQ evaluation for 10th consecutive year. The regular concert is a festival arranged in reward to the people and customers who love Incheon Airport.”

Seoul: Trains, Fast cell Service, Palaces And Food

Contributed by Amir Bibawy, AP

This February 2014 photo shows ice-cold sashimi in Seoul, one of Korea’s many culinary surprises. The fish and other cuts of seafood are served with wasabi, soy and sesame sauce and usually topped off by one of the country’s many rice wines. Seoul’s hyper-efficient capital draws visitors with its exquisite restaurants, historic palaces and ultramodern infrastructure. (AP Photo/Amir Bibawy).

 South Korea's hyper-efficient capital doesn't immediately spring to mind when you think of exotic Asian destinations. But this mega-city offers much to tempt travelers beyond a layover from the ultra-modern international airport in nearby Incheon. You can explore Korea's rich historic heritage, visiting temples and palaces; wander around the enormous National Museum of Korea, and savor the delights of its surprisingly varied cuisine.

As in Tokyo and Hong Kong, Seoul's transportation network puts most European and North American cities to shame. Invest in a Seoul City Pass Plus card, which can be used not only on the trains, which run both under and above ground, but also on buses and even taxis. It's also accepted for payment at many tourist sites and convenience shops, offering discounts on some tours and museum admissions.

High on your list will be one or two of Seoul's five palaces. Most guidebooks recommend Gyeongbok-gung, the grandest of all of them. But I headed to Changdeok-gung, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, instead. The sprawling palace grounds can only be visited on guided tours; check the schedule to make sure you catch a tour in the right language. There's one tour of the famous gardens and another of palace buildings.

Strategically and culturally, Korea is wedged between East Asia's superpowers, Japan and China. As you travel around Seoul, you'll understand the intricate connections among the three countries. Many links are evident in the collection at the National Museum of Korea, a must for those seeking to go beneath Seoul's veneer of technology and learn about the country's history.

The museum, the largest in area in Asia and sixth-largest in the world, is suitably impressive from the outside, with a futuristic architectural design that pays tribute to Korea's modernization. Inside, many of the more than 300,000 pieces are designated National Treasures of Korea. The building design utilizes natural light in many galleries, which makes it easy to explore for hours without that feeling you get in big museums that you're stuck in a vault all day. Highlights include Buddhist bells on the third floor (one each from Korea, China and Japan) and, the piece-de-resistance, the Ten-Story Pagoda, a unique marble structure built in the 14th century, looming over the ground floor. It was taken to Japan before World War II (Japan occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945), but was returned to Korea in 1960, disassembled. It's been painstakingly restored and is an enduring symbol of an architecture style little-known outside their country.

Koreans love to shop and there's nowhere better for it than the pedestrian shopping district of Myeong-dong, where I stayed. Streets are lined with brand name-stores (both Korean and Western) open late into the night. It also has countless restaurants and cafes. On my first night there, I ventured out to find a restaurant near my hotel and had a near-panic attack. There were so many choices, but none familiar to me, though I'd gone to many Korean restaurants in New York. I ended up in a brightly-lit place that was almost ready to close. I pointed out a few menu items and a hot barbecue top was turned on at my table, ingredients meticulously lined up to cook. I tried to stir them together but the waitress, half-amused but also stern about my culinary ineptitude, took the ladle from my hand and set it aside. "Needs to cook more," she mumbled. Every time I tried to touch the food with my chopsticks, other diners looked on with amusement. Clearly, I had no idea what I was doing. Mercifully, the waitress ultimately came over and stirred up a delightful chicken and vegetable dish with rice. I added kimchi from the buffet.

Another essential stop is Gwangjang Market, which bustles with street food vendors and little restaurant-shacks in the evening when its shops have closed. Locals go there for Korean pancakes made from mung beans called bindaeddeok and cheap street food. I opted for one of the ubiquitous dumpling soup places, where for about $5 you get a huge bowl of steaming soup with pork dumplings, freshly made before your eyes. In winter, the stall benches are even heated. On my second visit to the market, I had sashimi and rice wine. The sashimi was near-frozen, a common way of serving it there and different from the Japanese room-temperature tradition.

For traditional Korean food beyond the market, skip Korea House - it's touristy and expensive. Do venture into one of the tent restaurants that serve food late into the night in popular nightlife districts. And get your fix of bibimbap - a rice dish with vegetables, egg, meat and chili or soy sauce served all over the city - along with a traditional seafood stew, which is hearty and warm.

Bukchon Village, a neighborhood of traditional Korean houses with slanted roofs, is a nice place to stroll. The area is flanked by two palaces, and dotted with chic boutiques and cafes.

One striking thing you'll notice is that Seoul's residents are glued to their cellphones - usually Samsung or LG, brands that have played a role in Korea's strong economy. During my visit last winter, everyone was streaming the Olympic games live on cellphones on the subway - a testament to how fast and reliable the 4G network is. Even my American phone worked faster there than in New York.

Finally, don't leave Seoul without venturing up to the N Seoul Tower, the city's highest tourist point, offering a view from the top at nearly 1,600 feet (480 meters) above sea level. You can hike through Namsan Park, Seoul's Central Park, to the base of the tower, or take a cable car up. It's busy at dusk, but a nice time to watch as the city below you transforms into a stunning and colorful display of lights.

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