Korea wraps up rare long weekend
South Korea's four-day May holiday came to a close Tuesday, with families and travelers across the country wrapping up their extended break.
The long weekend, created by the overlap of Children's Day and Buddha's Birthday, spanned from Saturday to Tuesday. Major transportation hubs like Incheon International Airport saw heavy crowds throughout the day as travelers returned from domestic and overseas trips.
According to travel booking platform Klook, outbound travel surged roughly 30 percent from last year, with over half of Korean users still choosing Japan as their destination despite the yen's recent rebound. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and China followed as other top picks.
At home, parks like Yeouido Hangang Park were dotted with picnic mats and tents as families and couples enjoyed the mild spring weather. Meanwhile, others sought cultural experiences, flocking to places like the Korean Folk Village in Yongin, where traditional performances captivated large crowds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea coach looking to test young players ahead of World Cup
With South Korea having locked down their World Cup berth early, head coach Hong Myung-bo said Friday he will use the team's one final qualifying match to test young and unproven players. Hong and the rest of the team received a hero's welcome home at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on Friday evening, some 12 hours after securing their 2026 World Cup ticket by beating Iraq 2-0 in Basra, southern Iraq, in their latest qualifying match. South Korea will compete in their 11th consecutive World Cup, a streak bettered by only Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and Spain. South Korea will host Kuwait in Seoul on Tuesday to wrap up Group B play in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. After grabbing their World Cup spot in a hostile environment, the South Korean players will likely be in for a celebratory night in front of home fans in an otherwise inconsequential match. To Hong, though, the match will still be an important occasion as he hopes to get a closer look at some inexperienced players in a national team setting. "We will try our best in that match. And it's an opportunity for us to test young guys who may be able to play at the World Cup next year," Hong told reporters at the airport. "We won't have too many opportunities like this. It's one thing for those guys to watch from the bench and quite another for them to play." Hong said there is no shortage of options on the current iteration of the squad. Of the 26 players, seven players were born in the 2000s and 14 players have fewer than 10 caps. Five of them didn't have any international appearance prior to the Iraq match, with defender Cho Hyun-taek and midfielder Jeon Jin-woo making their debuts in Basra. "Both on defense and offense, we can send out some young players. I will be talking to my staff on how to go about that plan," Hong added. "From this moment on, everything we do will be geared toward preparing for the World Cup." After the Kuwait match, Hong said he will travel to the United States to watch the FIFA Club World Cup, where his former K League 1 team, Ulsan HD FC, will be the lone South Korean representative. Then in July, South Korea will host the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship, followed by friendly matches against the US and Mexico in September. The EAFF tournament has usually featured players based in the domestic K League because it's held in the offseason for European clubs. With the World Cup a year away, though, Hong hinted he may cast a wider net than usual when it comes to selecting players. "For the East Asian tournament, I want to take players who have a chance to play, and help the team at the World Cup and be competitive there," Hong said. "After that event, then I will start getting ready for the September friendlies." With young guns licking their chops, Hong hinted that Son Heung-min, who wasn't on the squad list against Iraq, may be held out next week, too. Son missed about a month earlier this year with a foot injury, before captaining Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Europa League title on May 21. He did not play in Spurs' final Premier League match of the season that weekend, and Hong said Son is not fully recovered from the foot trouble. "If we wanted to force the issue, he could have played maybe 20 to 30 minutes. But I don't think it's the right thing to do to the player at this moment," Hong said. "His season is over, and he had a tough one with injuries. We will make a decision on him over the next couple of days, but I don't think we're at a point where we have to push him that hard." Hong thanked South Korean fans for their support while watching the match that kicked off at 3:15 a.m. Friday. With Iraq on the South Korean government's travel ban list due to security risks, no fans made the trip to watch the win in person. Hong admitted he had been concerned about safety issues during the team's stay in Iraq and thanked the South Korean Embassy in Iraq for taking good care of the players.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Annual Culture Communication Forum to crown winners of sustainable K-Style contest
International gathering showcases finalists with creative takes on Korean tradition The Corea Image Communication Institute will hold its 16th annual Culture Communication Forum on Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, wrapping up a monthslong global contest centered on "sustainable K-style." The event will bring together senior diplomatic and business leaders for a ceremony recognizing the competition's finalists and winners. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung will deliver opening remarks, with congratulatory messages from Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima. EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez will join around 10 other ambassadors in attendance. Corporate attendees include Seo Jung-ho, chair of the Ambassador Hotel Group; Cho Jung-il, chair of The Hanok Heritage; and Sean Blakeley, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Franz Hotten, president of Pernod Ricard Korea, will also attend alongside some 60 guests. The forum's centerpiece will be a live vote to determine the winners among 12 finalists, selected from entries submitted between March 20 and May 30. Participants submitted ideas for reimagining Korean cultural traditions through a sustainability lens, exploring how K-style can evolve for future generations across music, cuisine, film and fashion. Finalists will present their entries, ranging from video clips to spoken presentations in Korean, during Thursday's event. The video competition features long- and short-form categories, each with four finalists. The grand prize winner in the long-form category will receive a prize package worth 3 million won (around $2,213), including 1 million won in cash. The short-form winner will receive a 2 million won package, with 700,000 won in cash. For the Korean speech segment, contestants from the United States, Spain, China, France and Egypt will compete for the grand prize. Each will deliver a three-minute speech on sustainable K-style, with the winners determined by real-time audience voting. The top prize is valued at 3 million won, including 1.5 million won in cash. The forum begins with registration at 4:40 p.m., followed by the main program at 5 p.m. A special pansori performance by French artist Mapo Lor will round out the ceremony. Founded in 2003 and officially registered with the Foreign Ministry, CICI promotes Korea's global image through cultural exchange. Since 2010, its annual CCF has served as a global platform for dialogue among cultural and diplomatic leaders.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
AliExpress' new platform challenges players in Korea's booming travel sector
AliExpress officially launched 'AliExpress Travel' at the 40th Seoul International Travel Fair, signaling its entry into the global travel market and introducing a new all-in-one platform for international travelers. According to the company on Thursday, AliExpress Travel enables users to book destinations, transportation, accommodation and tickets to attractions in a single, streamlined process. The launch comes amid intensifying competition in South Korea's online travel booking market, where traditional giants like HanaTour and ModeTour continue to hold strong, while newer digital-first platforms such as Yanolja, MyRealtrip and Naver Travel are rapidly gaining ground. AliExpress, known primarily for its e-commerce dominance, is now entering the fray with a global platform and aggressive pricing, aiming to differentiate itself through integrated services and localized support for Korean users. One of the platform's key features is its integration with Fliggy, an Alibaba affiliate, which allows users to access a global travel booking network. This includes over 1.5 million hotels worldwide, more than 25,000 direct flight routes, and entry to over 80,000 tourist attractions and theme parks. AliExpress is also offering limited-time promotions tied to its 'Travel Day' campaign. During the AliExpress Summer Sale on Friday, customers will be able to claim 50 percent flight discount coupons on a first-come, first-served basis, along with access to select travel deals at half price. To better serve Korean users, the platform has implemented localized support services. A dedicated Korean-language customer service center provides real-time assistance across all stages of the booking process, including reservations, payments and cancellations. "AliExpress aims to set a new benchmark in the global travel industry by expanding destination options, offering diverse themed travel packages, and delivering greater value," an AliExpress official said. "Just as our slogan says, 'For overseas travel, AliTravel is all you need,' we're committed to enhancing the travel experience for Korean consumers through seamless booking and exceptional deals." According to data from market research firm WiseApp Retail, AliExpress recorded 8.85 million monthly active users as of May, ranking third among e-commerce apps in Korea.
