GyeongsangBuk-do to be promoted as tourist destination in South Korea

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- The GyeongsangBuk-do Culture and Tourism Organisation aims to promote the GyeongsangBuk-do province in South Korea as a tourist destination for Malaysians to exprerience the real Korean culture. 

President of the organisation, Kim Seongjo, said GyeongsangBuk-do was a Korean province where tradition and modernity were harmonised enough to be called the ‘Real Korea’, and three major cultures coexisted, namely the Buddhist culture, Andong's Confucian culture, and Goryeo's Gaya Dynasty culture.

"Gyeongbuk (GyeongsangBuk-do) consists of 23 cities, large and small, including Gyeongju, a UNESCO heritage city with a thousand-year history, Andong, a UNESCO heritage city visited by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew of England, and Pohang as well as Mungyeong, a K-drama (Korean Drama) filming location and leisure city,” he said when met by Bernama after the organisation's promotion dinner, here, today. 

GyeongsangBuk-do has been featured in famous K-dramas such as ‘Kingdom’, ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’, ‘When the Camellia Blooms’ and ‘Alchemy of Souls’. 

Tourists will also be able to enjoy GyeongsangBuk-do's famous food - Andong jjimdak (chicken), Korea snow crab and Rice with Leaf Wraps. 

Kim said GyeongsangBuk-do had nine natural parks with beautiful natural scenery and cultural relics as well as a green (trees) ratio of 75 per cent, hence, tourists would be able to enjoy ‘spring-flower’ feasts, ‘summer-healing’ vacations, ‘autumn-colourful’ activities, and ‘winter-emotional’ wellness trips.

“Our GyeongsangBuk-do is the largest metropolitan government accounting for 19 per cent of the area of Korea, and the distance from Seoul is two hours (to Singyeongju, Andong) to two hours and 30 minutes (to Pohang) by KTX (Korea Train eXpress) Train,” he said. 

Kim hoped Malaysians would come to GyeongsangBuk-do to gain a unique and memorable experience.

He said the organisation would also introduce Malaysia to the people of GyeongsangBuk-do, for them to visit the country.

-- BERNAMA