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National Bullfighting Festival - 05/02/2003 - 05/05/2003

Address : Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do
The National Bullfighting Festival in Jeongeup
Jeongeup is where Gabo Donghak, the peasant uprising, took place in 1894 to fight against the oppression of corrupt officials. Jeongeup is also home to Mt. Naejangsan, reputed as the nation’s most beautiful spot for observing the fall foliage of maple leaves. Jeongeup has a variety of local specialties but the most outstanding is the beef that is unmatched in quality. The cows in Jeongeup are fed un-cracked grains of barley, fresh green feed and Oriental medicinal plants. The National Bullfighting Festival held in Jeongeup showcases the bullfighting culture unique to Korea that is quite different from that of Spain, as well as an opportunity to see a traditional beef marketplace in Korea.
Bullfighting tournament, livestock fair, sampling of Jeongeup beef, exhibition of livestock tools, pig fight, etc.

Duration: May 2 to May 5, 2003 (4 days)
Venue: Mt. Naejangsan National Park, Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do
Inquiries: Livestock & Greenery Division, Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do
Tel: +82-63-530-7292 / Fax: +82-63-530-7137 / E-mail: ky3777@yahoo.co.kr
Website: http://culture.jeongup.go.kr
Accommodations: Naejangsan Tourist Hotel (1st class) (Tel: 063-538-4131: 104 guest rooms) / - Baekjae Hotel (Tel: 063-537-2222: 30 guest rooms)
Nearby Tourist Attractions : Mt. Naejangsan, Jeongeupsa Temple, Museong Auditorium, Cheongoksaji Seven-Storey Stone Pagoda, Baekhak Tourist Farm
Tourism Information: Jeollabuk-do Tourist Information Center (Tel: +82-63-232- 0226)

Seoul –> Jeongeup (3 hours and 20 minutes by train, 3 hours and 20 minutes by bus)

Jirisan Herb Festival - 05/03/2003 - 05/07/2003

Address : Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
Join us at the Jirisan Herb Festival in Sancheong, the Home of Traditional Herbal Medicine
Sancheong is the hometown of Oriental herbal medicine renowned for their quality and efficacy as they are grown on Korea’s celebrated Mt. Jirisan. Numerous Oriental medicine doctors were born here including Yu Eui-Tae, the teacher of Heo Jun, an renowned Oriental medicine doctor during the Joseon Dynasty who set the foundation of Korean medicine. The festival provides a wonderful opportunity for tourists wishing to experience the mysterious world of Oriental medicine as well as to sample and buy products that are good for the health. Here at the festival, you can also receive an Oriental medical diagnosis as well as sample foods made from medicinal herbs.
Sampling of herbal medicinal teas and dishes, free Oriental medical diagnosis, chopping of medicinal plants, sampling of cocktails made from medicinal plants, tour of herbal medicine marketplace

Duration: May 3 - May 7, 2003 (5 days)
Venue : Around Sancheong Stadium in Gyeongsangnam-do
Inquiries: Local Festival Organizing Division, Sancheong County Office, Gyeongsangnam-do
Tel: +82-55-970-3544 / Fax: +82-55-970-3319 / E-mail: yslee@jiri.ne.kr
Website: http://www.sancheong.ne.kr
- Sinsegye Condominium (Tel: 055-973-1890, http://www.scondo.co.kr: 52 guest rooms)
Nearby Tourist Attractions: Mt. Hwangmaesan Movie Theme Park, Jeonguhyeong Royal Tomb, birthplace of Buddhist Monk Seongcheol, cotton plant farm, Daewonsa Valley, Mt. Jirisan
Tourism Information: Gyeongsangnam-do Tourist Information Center (Tel: +82-55-673-9509)

Seoul –> Sancheong (3 hours and 30 minutes by bus)

Daegwallyeong Snow Flower Festival - 01/11/2003 - 01/19/2003

Address : Gangwon-do Pyeongchang-gun
Over 60 percent of Pyeongchang-gun in Gangwon-do Province is over 700 metres above sea level, making for long winters with an abundance of snow. Daegwallyeong, at the border of Pyeongchang-gun and Gangneung, is 832 metres above sea level.

As is true now, in times past it was not uncommon for the villages of Daegwallyeong to be buried under three meters of snow. The villagers developed a type of snowshoe called seolpi made from rope and roots lashed to the bottom of shoes, allowing them to trek across the snow. The villagers hunted for survival and relied on balgu sleds (usually horse or ox-drawn) to transport supplies and firewood and help get them through the harsh winter months.
 
It is only in recent times when improved technology and transportation has eased the lives of the Daegwallyeong villagers, but the past can be reenacted and enjoyed through the Daegwallyeong Snow Flower Festival.

Festivalgoers can don seolpi snowshoes and do mock hunts or take rides in balgu sleds. Treks to observe the splendid snow flowers are popular and definitely should not be missed. The festival is from January 11 to 19, 2003, although these dates are subject to change. Also of interest in the Daegwallyeong area are the perennial firs of Mt. Odaesan and the fields of drying pollack fish that create a unique sight when layered with snow.

Period: January 11 - 19, 2003 (9 days)
Venue: Around Hoenggye-ri Doam-myeon Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
Inquiries: Culture and Tourism Department, Pyeongchang-gun County Office / Tel: 82-33-330-2541
Website: http://www.happy700.or.kr (Korean, English)

Take a bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Pyeongchang, or from Seoul Express Bus Terminal for Gangneung and get off at Hoenggye. Then transfer to a shuttle bus or a Daegwallyeong-bound City Bus to the festival site.

Polar Bear Swimming Competition - 01/26/2003 - 01/26/2003

Address : Busan, Haeundae Beach
The 16th annual Polar Bear Swimming Contest will take place on January 26, 2003 at Haeundae Beach. The contest includes the Haeundae White Sand Races and the Haeundae Ocean Swimming Contests, in striving for a healthy mind and body in the upcoming year. The ocean swimming course is 80 meters and a shorter course is also available at 20 meters.

Participants are limited to 2,000 by the order of arrival, and overseas visitors are welcome. If you wish to join the frigid fun, register on-line or download an application and fax or mail it plus proof of payment to the Westin Chosun Beach Hotel by January 11, 2003. T-shirts, souvenirs, and lunch will be provided.

Date & Place:
2003. 1. 26 (Sunday) 10:00~15:00, TWCB and Haeundae Beach
Main event schedule :
10:00-11:40
Register(Outside Hanmadang)
12:00-12:20 VIP greeting speech and event briefing
12:20-12:30 Dance Show for exercise
12:30-13:00 Main event
13:00-14:30 Shower, break time and Lunch
14:30-15:00 Lucky Draw and Celebrating event on the beach
Other events:
-Polar Bear Eve Night at O’Kim’s
-Ice Carving Exhibition
-Lucky Draw and Performance on the beach
Application:
- Period: before 2003. 1. 11(Sat.)
- Number of participants: 2,000 people (First-come-first-served basis)
- Entry fee: 30,000 won per person
How to apply:
Online Application through The Westin Chosun Beach website:
http://twcb.echosunhotel.com/english/news/polar_Bear/intro.asp
Participants can download the application form through The Westin Chosun Beach website.
Fill out the application form and send the form and deposit slip to the hotel.
Participation fee must be deposited in the bank account of The Westin Chosun Beach (Kookmin Bank Account No. 119-01-0344-470, Westin Chosun Beach Hotel).
Participants can use fax and mail for application. (Address : 737 Woo1(il)-dong, Haeundae-Gu, Busan, Korea)
Application for hotel lunch box :
- Price : 25,000 won surcharge for participants, 30,000 won surcharge for families
- Place : Banquet Hall or Restaurant in The Westin Chosun Beach
Inquiries : Tel 82-51-749-7201,749-7251, Fax 82-51-742-0515

The Inje Pond Smelt Festival - 01/24/2003 - 01/26/2003

Address : Gangwon-do Inje-gun
The Nam-myeon area in Inje-gun, Gangwon-do is famous for its clear blue lakes. Once winter enters its coldest months Soyangho Lake freezes over. The Inje Pong Smelt Festival includes an ice fishing competition and a smelt-tasting event, among a host of different activities. This winter's festival is expected to take place around late January in the upper area of Nam-myeon's Soyangho Lake. Pond smelt live only in very clean water. They flock to Nam-myeon's Soyangho Lake to lay their eggs during March and April. Ice fishing for the silver little fish involves drilling a small hole in the ice, then fishing with a net or small rod. In Korean they are called bing-eo or "ice fish" and are eaten alive with hot pepper paste, or fried tempura style.

Period: January 24-26, 2003 (3 days)
Venue: Soyangho Lake, Nam-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do
Inquiries: Department of Culture and Tourism, Inje-gun County Office / Tel : 82-33-460-2080
Website: http://www.inje.gangwon.kr/english/index.html

Take an Inje-bound intercity bus from Dong Seoul or Sangbong Bus Terminal and get off at Bupyeong-ri in Nam-myeon, Inje-gun

First Full Moon Field Fire Festival - 02/14/2003 - 02/15/2003

Address : Saebyeol Oreum, Bukjeju-gun, Jeju-do
It is an old custom in Korea to set fire to the dry grass in fields and gardens on the day before the first full moon of the lunar new year, to rid the fields of mice and insects that would damage crops in the coming year. Villagers would pray for a bountiful harvest in the fall. The practice of setting the fields on fire was common in Jeju-do. The Bukjeju-gun County Office uses this quaint custom as a basis for the First Full Moon Field Fire Festival around the time of the first full moon. At the festival grounds, grown-ups and children alike bring their own tin cans so they can partake in the jwibullori, mouse fire game. This involves threading wire through the can containing pieces of wood or pine cones, setting it afire, and swinging it around to spark the evening air.

Other events include horse fights and a mock traditional wedding ceremony. The First Full Moon Field Fire Festival takes place on February 14th and 15th at the Saebyeol Oreum.

Period: February 14-15, 2003 (2 days)
Venue: Saebyeol Oreum, Bukjeju-gun, Jeju-do
Inquiries: Livestock and Forestry Bureau, Bukjeju-gun County Office Tel : 82-64-741-0422
Website: http://www.bukjeju.go.kr/foreign/eng/ (Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese)

From Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal take a local bus bound for Seogwipo via West Tourist Highway, get off at Green Resort bus stop, and then walk 5 minutes

Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival - 03/15/2003 - 03/23/2003

Address : Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
For nine days from March 15 to 23 in 2003, the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival will take place at the Cheongdo Bullfighting Ring in the Hwayang-eup. Massive bulls will clash their horns in a lively show of taut muscles and snorts, inducing spectators into an impassioned frenzy of cheering. The bulls struggle until one concedes defeat by turning from the challenge. The animals are seldom injured seriously.

Bullfighting originated from Korea’s agricultural age, when young cowherds set bulls against each other to pass their doldrums days. The sport evolved to a public display of prowess and strength where tribes and villages pit their bulls against others. Bullfighting was banned during the Japanese occupation of Korea because it promotes ethic unity. In the mid 1970s, it began to revive and has solidified as a traditional Korean sport and an exciting form of entertainment.

Fighting bulls are classified into three weight divisions and undergo special training, such as running up mountain paths and dragging bundles of tires. They must also practice special techniques such as horn butting and hooking in order to stand a chance in the ring against the formidable competition.

Period: March 15 - 23, 2003
Venue: Cheongdo Bullfighting Ring in Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Inquiries: Cultural Events Department, Cheongdo-gun County Office, Gyeongsangbuk-do Tel. 82-54-370-6061
Websites: http://www.cheongdo.go.kr/culture/index.html / http://www.festival.or.kr/chongdo/main.htm

Airway: Seoul - Daegu (50 minutes)
Railway: Seoul - Cheongdo (15 times a day, 4 hours)
Bus: Daegu - Cheongdo (30 minute intervals, 50 minutes)

Jeju Rape Flower Festival - 04/04/2003 - 04/06/2003

Address : Jeju-si, Jeju-do
Jeju Rape Flower Festival is held in April on Jeju Island, famous as a vacation spot for seekers of leisure. The flowers explode across the island landscape in a rich shade of yellow, providing the backdrop for a large-scale festival that is held in a different district (one of four) every year. This year’s festival is held in Jeju City Sports Complex.

The rape flower is the representative spring wildflower of Jeju Island, an April visitor that paints the fields in brilliant yellow. Visitors flock to the Jeju island in springtime to experience the sight of these stunning wildflowers, lavishing overwhelming praise on the spectacular scenery that welcomes them. The festival is comprised of a photography contest, drawing contest, and various other shows and hands-on events.

Period: April 4 -6, 2003
Venue: Jeju City Sports Complex, Jeju City, Jeju-do
Inquiries: Tourism and Free Trade Zone Service Team, Jeju City Hall, Tel: +82-64-750-7414
Website: http://english.jejusi.go.kr/

Airway: Gimpo Airport- Jeju Airport/a 55-minute ride

Jinhae Gunhangje(naval port) Festival - 03/29/2003 - 04/07/2003

Address : Jinhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
The Jinhae Gunhangje (Naval Port) Festival is held annually in Jinhae-si for ten days at the beginning of April, among fragrant cherry blossoms.

Jinhae is colored pale pink by thousands of cherry trees that line the streets. The petals fluttering to the ground look like the gentle fall of snow, and a walk in the warm spring petal-snow is a truly romantic inspiration, even to the simplest of imaginations.

The festival originates from a memorial event in 1952, when a statue was raised in the honor of Admiral Yi Sun-shin (a great general of sixteenth century). The festival was revived in 1963 after an eleven-year hiatus, newly planned as a cultural event. It is currently a combination of memorial services for general Yi Sun-shin, and cultural arts events.

Period: March 29 - April 7, 2003
Venue: Jinhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
Inquiries:
Culture and Information Office, Jinhae City Hall Tel: 82-55-548-2043
Admiral Yi Sun-shin Spirit Promotion Association Tel: 82-55-546-4310
Website: http://www.jinhae.go.kr/english/

Espress Bus: Seoul-Jinhae/ five hours' trip
Railway: Seoul-Masan/ four and half hours' trip
Airway: Seoul-Gimhae/ a 50-minutes ride

The 10th Mt. Taebaeksan Snow Festival - 01/18/2003 - 01/26/2003

Address : Mt. Taebaeksan Provincial Park, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do
Mt. Taebaeksan Snow Festival will be held from January 18, 2003 in Gangwon-do. The festival starts with a fantastic opening ceremony with performances, parade and snow sculpture exhibition. Followed are main events such as the Mt. Taebaeksan climbing competition, mini snow soccer game, snow sledding competition, and dance competition. Among them, the snowman festival and igloo cafe are especially popular. Snow sculptures with lighting effects at night makes the best background for the photos. Also, it will be an interesting experience to drink beer in a mug made of ice in the igloo cafe. ‘Ogung sledding’ is a must-do activity in which a traditional Korean sled is used to glide down a variety of sledding hills. Mt. Taebaeksan is one the ten best mountains in Korea and its spectacular snow covered scenery glittering like a silver kingdom, makes it the best venue for the snow festival.

Period: January 18, 2003 – January 26 (9 days)
Location: Mt. Taebaeksan Provincial Park, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do
Inquiries: 033-550-2374 (Kor) /
Webpage: http://snow.taebaek.go.kr/ (Kor)

*From Seoul to Taebaek
(Express Bus) Take the express bus for Taebaek-si at Dong Seoul Bus Terminal/First bus 06:10, Last bus 18:30/ Travel Time: 5 hours/ 20 times a day.
(Train) Take a train for Taebaek-si at Cheongnyangni Station/First train 08:00, Last train 22:00/Travel Time: 4.5 hours / 6 times a day
*From Taebaek-si to Mt. Taebaeksan Provincial Park
Take a bus from Taeback Intercity Bus Terminal to Mt. Taebaeksan Provincial Park or Seoktan (coal) Museum and get off at the last stop.