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Hangul, life in Korea, travel, history and short lessons.

Top Places to Visit in Korea

Korea's must-see places, from Seoul palaces to Busan's hillside villages, with 5 useful Korean phrases for each, with audio and a quick quiz.

  • Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (수원 화성)
    Data: Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사)
    Suwon, Gyeonggi-do

    Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

    수원 화성

    A fortress built from 1794 to 1796 under King Jeongjo, as a sign of his devotion to his father and to found a new city. Its walls run about 5.7 km around Paldalsan Mountain, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Walk the walls and look for the performances held here every day.

    Open 24 hours, all year. The Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival takes place every fall.

  • Namhansanseong Fortress (남한산성)
    Data: Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사)
    Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do

    Namhansanseong Fortress

    남한산성

    A mountain fortress southeast of Seoul that guarded the capital from the Baekje kingdom through the Joseon dynasty. During the Qing invasion of 1636, King Injo took refuge here and built Haenggung, a temporary palace. Trails follow the old walls, and the fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    The fortress is open 24 hours. Haenggung Palace is open 10:00-18:00 (Apr-Oct) and 10:00-17:00 (Nov-Mar), closed Mondays. Parking is available.

  • Pocheon Art Valley (포천아트밸리)
    Data: Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사)
    Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do

    Pocheon Art Valley

    포천아트밸리

    A former granite quarry turned into an art park. Pocheon granite, prized for its hardness and beauty, was cut here for about 30 years from the 1960s and used in major national buildings. After the quarry was left empty in the 1990s, the city restored the land and opened an arts and culture park in 2004-2009, keeping parts of the old cliffs as they were. It is part of the Hantangang UNESCO Global Geopark.

    Open 09:00-18:00 Sunday-Friday and holidays (last entry 17:00), 09:00-22:00 Saturday (last entry 20:00). Closed on the first Tuesday of each month; the monorail stops on Monday mornings for maintenance. Parking is available.

Data: Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사), via TourAPI. Photos are shown as provided, uncropped. Facts are checked against VisitKorea and official festival sites, and the descriptions are our own. Dates can change, so check the official site before you travel.