Visit Dokdo and Ulleung-Do Islands in the East Sea

Ulleungdo is a pentagon-shaped island located 92km away from Dokdo Islet.
The island was made from a series of volcanic eruptions. Its highest peak is called Seonginbong Peak, and there is a village along the coastline on the slope. On the north side is a caldera crater which collapsed to create the Nari Basin and the Albong Basin.
Level ground is difficult to find here and the shores are mostly cliffs. There are a lot of snow in the winter. About half of the people work in the fishing industry. Corn, potatoes, wheat and beans were cultivated here, but nowadays mountain plants and medicinal herbs are mostly grown instead.
There are dongbaek trees and some 650 other plants and trees thriving on the island. The neighboring waters is the junction line between two cold & warm ocean currents, where many squids, saury and pollacks are caught. The Ulleungdo squid is especially famous for their outstanding quality. It has been said that there are no thieves, pollution or snakes on Ulleungdo Island. On the other hand, there are many aromatic trees, wind, beautiful women, water and rocks. This is why it is called the island of The Three Mu (The Chinese character meaning ' have nothing') and Five Da (The Chinese character meaning 'have many of').

For more information http://www.ulleung.go.kr/English/
Deodeok(Codonopsis lanceolata)*There is a mark of Ulleungdo squid in the Taenggitdae.
Squid dishes are squid mulhoi(sashimi soup), squid seasoned with vinegar and condiment, squid sundae, squid bulgogi, squid bowel soup and squid jeotgal(salted fish), and you can taste delicious squid dishes at a low price in raw fish restaurants in Ulleungdo, Jeodong fish market, Dodong wharf and etc.



With Yun-yeol Jeong,Mayor of Ulleung County... http://www.ulleung.go.kr/English/about/about_sub01.htm?mnu_siteid=eng&mnu_uid=577
Mushroom-like rock created by the volcanic island, Ulleungdo...
Taking pictures with YB rock(KoreaRock)
Around Dokdo Island
With Assistant Minister Seo Kang-soo of the Korea Culture and Information Service...!!!

By the way,check below pictures and those pictures show how I enjoyed the scenery with WSK by taking a cruise around Ulleungdo, Gwaneumdo Islands, and a natural tunnel. Elephant Rock, Samseonan, and Lion Rock are some of the other tourist attractions praised by tourists.

"Dokdo Museum "

Dokdo Museum

East Seat Tour, 1st Day

Ulleong-do and Dokdo Islands, 4th days

Ulleung-do Island,3rd days

East Seat Tour, 2nd Days

That was a remarkable experience we had there during four days
Thank you PCNB and Thank you KOIS~

Seoul Grand Sale 2010

- Period : July 21 – September 12 (54 days)
- Venue : Various parts of Seoul
- Event description : Special discounts, free entries, premium giveaways etc.
- Open to domestic citizens, foreign visitors
- Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization.

Intended to promote the image of Seoul as the shopping tourism destination, the event will be participated by some 600 retailers that will offer special discounts as well as a wide variety of events and promotions.

for more information http://www.seoulgrandsale.com/2010/en/seoulinfo/grandsale.asp

Two Korean Villages Become UNESCO Sites

Andong City’s Hahoe Village and Gyeongju City’s Yangdong Village, which are the two most representative historic villages in Korea, were registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list at the 34th Session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held in Brasilia, Brazil on August 1. With this designation, Korea now holds a total of 10 UNESCO World Heritage items.
It is extremely rare for historic villages to be in intact state due to modernization and development and such, and the assessment of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is accordingly extremely rigorous.
Andong City’s Hahoe Village

The Hahoe and Yangdong Village, too, had to go through a series of reviews, holdups, and postponements before they were granted the approval. ICOMOS recognized the two villages’ historic and cultural significance as early as last May and the legitimate ground in having them registered as one coupled-up item. However, due to the fact that there wasn’t a comprehensive administrative office that manages both of the villages together, ICOMOS sustained their approval.

To this, Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration with Gyeongsangbuk-do, Andong City and Gyeongju City, organized “The Council on Preservation of Historic Villages” that was going to collaboratively manage and preserve the two villages. And after submitting to 21 member countries of WHC thorough information and promotional materials on the Hahoe and Yangdong Village as well as dispatching a government delegation to the 34th Session of WHC, were they able to put the two villages on the list of UNECO World Cultural Heritage.

1995: Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple / Jongmyo Shrine / Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks
1997: Changdeokgung Palace Complex / Hwaseong Fortress
2000: Gyeongju Historic Areas / Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
2007: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
2009: Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
2010: Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong

Founded in the 14th-15th centuries, Hahoe and Yangdong Village’s layout and location – sheltered by forested mountains and facing out onto a river and open agricultural fields – reflect the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture of the early part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Andong City’s Hahoe Village

The Hahoe Village contains Yangjindang Manor (Treasure No. 306), Pikchondaek House (Important Folklore Material No. 84), Chunghyodang Manor (Treasure No. 414), and Namchondaek House (Important Folklore Material No. 90) among others. It has also preserved the shamanist rite of Byeolsin-gut, Hahoe Mask Dance, and Jeulbul Nori.

The Yangdong Village contains Mucheomdang (Treasure No. 411), Hyangdan (Treasure No. 412), Gwangajeong (Treasure No. 442) as well as Tonggamsokpyeon, a book printed on movable metal type (National Treasure No. 283).
Gyeongju City’s Yangdong Village

The two villages are the first of their kind in Korea to receive the honor in that they are places that are actually being inhabited by people. They are “living heritage.” Residents have well preserved not only traditional housings but the intangible culture of the two villages as well, which further increases the value of Hahoe and Yangdong.
Gyeongju City’s Yangdong Village

Having relics registered on the UNESCO list is pointless if they don’t continue to be properly looked after. The two villages, Hahoe and Yangdong, now having become world-acknowledged historic assets, will likely trigger a surge of tourists both domestic and international. And accordingly, we will need to further reinforce maintenance system and strengthen tourism infrastructure so that those precious vestiges of the past can still be there for the next generation to appreciate as well.

Korean Song Gives Hope to Kenyan Children

Have you listened to the song “Dream of a Goose (거위의 꿈)” by the legendary Korean singer Insooni (인순이)? I bet most of you have.

“….Yes, I do have a dream. I believe in that dream. Wait and watch me….”

A song of catchy melody, heartfelt lyrics, and powerful performance. But I personally would say that the charm of the song lies in its lyrics. It’s a monologue of a goose that is determined to soar up to the sky someday – despite all the callous ridicule of the world saying geese can never fly. The goose says it will achieve that dream of flying someday somehow. It’s such heart-wrenching lyrics.

And what’s more impressive, this Korean song is being sung by children in a far, far, far away country – Kenya.

Children of “Korogocho,” Kenya’s Largest Slum Town

In the region called Korogocho, one of the largest slum neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya, some 150,000 to 200,000 people live pressed shoulder to shoulder. The town is polluted beyond imagination – its sky is black with smoke coming from burning garbage and its ground wet with atrocious residual liquid.

In this seediest of the seediest towns on earth, people live on less than two dollars a day. Children scavenge through garbage for food and clothing – practically live amidst piles of trash – and going to school is a luxury only enjoyed by a mere one-third of the Korogocho children. The illiteracy rate and the seriousness of their ignorance is of such grave state that the kids won’t understand if they are told to “line up.” But what’s harder for them to bear than the hunger and the lack of education itself is the despair – the complete absence of hope and dream.

And in this most dire and glum situation, Good Neighbors – an international humanitarian and development organization from Seoul that originated as a non-profit NGO in 1991 – has been running the Jirani (meaning “good neighbor” in Swahili) school, vocational training center, and medical center since 1996.

A Song of Hope Budding out of Despair

Artistic activities offered to children in Kenya are almost non-existent. The only substantial one will be the choir run by the Good Neighbors Kenya, giving them a glimmer of hope and dream.

Under the instruction of a Korean music director, children started practicing the song “Dream of a Goose.”

30 children selected as members of the Jirani education center choir after rigorous auditions


Director spared no time and energy in explaining the meaning of the song’s lyrics over and over to the children. For the second verse, they even composed their own version of lyrics in Swahili describing their sufferings and also their will to overcome them. The children sang with all of their hearts, hundreds of times, and soon they memorized all the melodies and lyrics.

And they were given the opportunity to participate in the music competition hosted by the Kenyan government on June 18. And miraculously, they came in 3rd place. The video of their performance was uploaded on YouTube and drew applause and encouragement from audiences worldwide. It moved numerous Korean web users as well as the Korean singer Juck Lee who is none other than the composer of the very song “Dream of a Goose.”
Singer Juck Lee’s Twitter

Children’s Voice and a Dream Come True

The story of Korogocho children and their choir eventually gave birth to the “Jirani Children’s Choir,” sponsored by Good Neighbors. Around 100 children were selected after extensive auditions, and they started to sing hope and dream to the world.

Children who have to dig though mountains of garbage to survive now spread something beautiful, something hopeful, to the world with their collaborative voice. It is, indeed, a dream come true.

After a series of performances in a number of countries including Korea, they were able to collect enough finance to support the children’s education.
The Jirani Children’s Choir

It’s a real story that sounds so dramatic and touching it might as well be turned into a film. Tae-Jong Rim, one of the five board members of Good Neighbors and the president of the Jirani Cultural Project Foundation, commented, “The Jirani Children’s Choir wouldn’t have been possible without Koreans’ strength in culture. We should continue to expand these kinds of activities.” International exchange and support will keep expanding as well as the government ODA.

It’s impossible to help everyone in the world who is poor and is in need of help. But it’s possible to give them a glimpse of hope, just as the Kenyan children’s “Dream of a Goose” did.