KOREA FOUNDATION

Alternative pop band Leenalchi’s “Tiger Is Coming” has swept through YouTube, catching viewers much like a tiger. The band’s music is also used in the Korea Tourism Organization’s (KTO) PR video series called “Feel the Rhythm of Korea,” fusing Korean traditional gugak music with modern genres. It is different from the gugak familiar to Koreans and sounds even newer to foreign ears. The videos run for less than two minutes but render strong impressions of city scenes to the soundtrack of exciting fusion gugak rhythms and hilarious dance performances. Within a month of its release, the “Seoul” video garnered over 20 million views on YouTube. The video shows not only such tourist attractions as Cheong Wa Dae and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, but explores the hidden charms of the capital city and allows an up-close look at its citizens’ everyday lives. The KTO series also sheds light on unique features of Busan, Jeonju, Andong, Mokpo, and Gangneung, presenting all kinds of fun and excitement.

Recently, the KF has also prepared a way to travel through Korea online. Titled “Exploring Korean Culture through Virtual Tour,” the KF’s online offering is the video version of “On the Road,” a travel column exploring humanities topics in each destination, originally printed in the KF-published arts and culture quarterly Koreana. The videos guide virtual tourists to various spots, narrating each city’s history and culture, and sharing breathtaking scenery in 4K resolution. Viewers will especially appreciate tips for traveling in smaller cities like Haenam, Daegu, Mokpo, and Jeju that may seem less accessible for foreigners than Seoul. Since late October, the virtual tours have been posted every Friday on the KF’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/TheKoreaFoundation) and the Koreana website (www.koreana.or.kr). By joining these virtual tours, available whenever and wherever, anyone can find the hidden charms of Korea, from the biggest metropolis to the furthest reaches of the peninsula.

Gugak TourOnlineKoreana