Tag: Seoul Travel

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The French Fry-Encrusted Corn Dogs of Seoul, South Korea

Where: Seoul, Korea
December 9, 2011 at 12:10 PM | by | Comment (1)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

American amusement parks and state fairs could learn a thing or two from the way South Korea has mastered hot dogs. They're available in every way, including spiral cut, wrapped in bacon, stewed in a curryish chili paste, and nearly tempura-ed with vegetables. Even some rice cakes, like Ddeokbooki, imitate hot dogs. Still, our personal favorite remains the infamous french fry-coated corn dog.

These deep-fried snacks usually figure into visitor's breathless descriptions of Seoul, a little like this: "The palaces! The shopping! And the ice cream cones...they were this tall. And and and the corn dogs were covered in french fries!!"

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Korean Air's Latest A380 Commercial Has Us Reaching For Our Credit Card

September 21, 2011 at 8:42 AM | by | Comment (1)

If you’ve been paying attention to the comings and goings of the A380, you’d know that Korean Air recently got their very first big birds. The carrier is already shuttling happy passengers back and forth between New York-JFK and Seoul-Incheon International Airport, and there are plans to send similar planes further and farther.

We’ve been lucky enough to experience some A380 fun before—thanks Lufthansa—but unfortunately the in-flight duty free shop and the three onboard bars of Korean Air's A380 elude us.

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Korean Air's Very First Airbus A380 Makes Its Debut Flight from JFK to Seoul Today

Where: Incheon, Korea
August 9, 2011 at 11:38 AM | by | Comment (1)

Right now there is a giant Airbus A380 parked at New York-JFK Airport. So what, right? There are A380s at JFK all the time now...but this one is special. This A380 is big and blue and taking off for a direct flight to Seoul-Incheon International Airport at 5:20pm today. It's flight KE 82 (if you want to track it) and it's Korean Air's first Airbus A380 as well as the first A380 to make scheduled flights from the US to Asia.

It's a big deal for sure, not only for the airline and the airports, but also—hugely—for the passengers hopping onboard today and on future flights. Korean Air's first A380 is ridiculously spacious, with unique features we've been drooling over for some time. Onboard are 12 Kosmo First Class suites and 301 Economy Class seats on the first level, with 94 lie-flat sleepers spaced six feet apart on the upper level. Oh—and there's three bars on board: a hosted Celestial Bar, there are self-serve bars located in First Class and at the front of Prestige Class. Plus plus a duty-free shop.

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Mini Duty-Free Shops Onboard Korean Air A380s is the Best Idea Ever

Where: Korea
April 15, 2011 at 9:36 AM | by | Comments (0)

Have you ever gone shopping in South Korea? It's an experience, to say the least. And when you combine one of the country's favorite pastimes with discounts on luxury items as you find in Duty-Free, pardon our French but shit gets real. Real awesome. And soon you'll be able to indulge in duty-free shopping over South Korea—and indeed most of the rest of the world—as Korean Air is installing the world's first in-flight duty-free shops onboard their Airbus A380s.

Korea is crazy for duty-free; indeed there are entire malls in Seoul where you need to have an international trip planned in order to make a purchase, which you then can't pick up until you're safely inside the airport and headed out of the country with the goods. And these malls and special duty-free store levels are gorgeous places where big brands create their own mini luxury environments, so why not translate this success to something that fits on a plane?

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Seoul's Incheon Airport Once Again Beats Every Other Airport in the World

February 18, 2011 at 9:22 AM | by | Comments (0)


A shot inside Seoul's Incheon Airport

It feels as though there is always a new list of airport rankings that comes out, giving top marks to the spick-and-span airports of Asia while America's don't even merit Top 20. Well, there is another ranking list out, and it does stick to this, except that US airports do get recognized in categories like "Best Airport 15-25 million passengers," where BWI takes first place. The rankings have been released by the Airports Council International, which compiles their data on airport service annually thanks to a passenger survey of 300,000 customers from 153 airports, with criteria including "cleanliness, check-in efficiency, comfortable waiting areas and clear signage."

Here are the other big winners this year:

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The First Duty-Free Louis Vuitton Store is Coming to Seoul's Incheon Airport

Where: Incheon International Airport, Seoul, Korea
December 7, 2010 at 8:33 AM | by | Comments (0)

There is no airport we've been to thus far that has more focus on duty-free shopping than Seoul, South Korea's Incheon International. Not only is there what seems like mile after mile of top luxury brands offering their products in mini version of their regular store, but there's even malls in the center of Seoul where you can go to purchase duty-free items and later (even weeks later) pick them up at the airport. We have a friend in Seoul whose family will even take short international flights just for the purpose of getting duty-free deals. That's dedication.

Incheon Airport has proved itself to be such a moneymakers for big brands that Louis Vuitton who just do not do airport stores, has given in and will open their first airport location here. LVMH prez Bernard Arnault personally swing through the airport earlier this year to check out the prospects, and apparently all met with his approval. Although there's no opening date set, the airport is already taking about increasing flights to China just because of the demand the LV duty-free shop will create.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: Pocari Sweat Across Asia

Where: Seoul, Korea
August 27, 2010 at 3:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

Once you've sipped your first Pocari Sweat, you'll never go back. That is, back to thinking it's gross because of its name or weird because it's a completely clear sports drink. Tasting Pocari Sweat is a right of passage for travelers. We snapped the pics here of a Pocari Sweat vending machine on the ground of Seoul, South Korea's Gyeongbokung Palace.

The taste: If you aren't daunted by the name of the drink and you actually allow the clear liquid over your lips, you'll discover that Pocari Sweat tastes nothing like you imagine it would. It's not salty-sweaty, it's not watery and it's not super syrupy either. The taste is lightly citrus and is best likened to those Gatorade waters, if they were only available in a grapefruit flavor.

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The Top Five Places to See Cherry Blossoms...Other Than Washington DC

March 24, 2010 at 10:43 AM | by | Comment (1)


Cherry blossoms in Japan.

Spring is here, and a lovely sign of its arrival is the blooming of cherry blossoms all over the world. The most well-known stateside spot to see the pretty pale pink and white flowers is Washington, D.C., which will have its annual Cherry Blossom Festival soon—from March 27 to April 11. But you don't have to battle crowds at the capital to see clusters of pink-flowered trees.

Check out the The Top 5 Cities (Other Than D.C.) Where You See Cherry Blossoms, after the jump!

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Universal Studios Will Build Their Biggest Theme Park In South Korea

Where: Korea
February 4, 2010 at 8:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

Lately the big news out of Universal Studios has been all Harry Potter all the time, and we couldn’t be more excited. However, officials have been busy thinking about some other theme park opportunities, and they’ve inked a deal to bring the magic of Hollywood to South Korea. Despite some slight delays and a temporary lack of funding, the newest Universal Studios will open when 2014 rolls around in Hwaseong City—not too far outside Seoul.

The cranes and bulldozers are set to start turning up the earth next year. There will be the new park, condos, a golf course, and even a water park. The price tag on this whole project is about $2.67 billion, so we’re kind of expecting only the best of the best. No cutting corners here—maybe Universal saw what Disney’s impressive overseas offerings in Hong Kong were all about.

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No Soju And Karaoke For Obama In South Korea

Where: Seoul, Korea
November 23, 2009 at 1:21 PM | by | Comments (0)

After some tense days in China, President Obama puddle-jumped up to South Korea, opening the flood gates to jokes about how Obama's got Seoul.

But, like in China and Tokyo, Obama wasn't about to hit the karaoke bars or down soju (rice wine); no, he had business to do and soldiers to visit. After meeting with the South Korean president at the historical "Blue House," Obama headed to Osan Air Base to addressed 1,500 US and Korean men in uniform. There would be no trips to the border with North Korea with Barack, since tensions run so high this year. Too bad though; we enjoyed looking at the little barbed wire souvenirs you can buy at the border base at Panmunjom.

Although Obama's first trip to Asia as president was focused on China, he had to give some attention to South Korea. It's a good thing he didn't bring the family though, since we doubt Malia and Sasha would have liked eating living, wriggling octopus tentacles.

Related Stories:
· Commander-in-Chief Obama shares stories with U.S. troops in Korea [LA Times]
· Obama's S. Korea visit free of major protests [Washington Times]
· Obama Around The World [Jaunted]

[Photo: AP/WashingtonTimes]

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The Top Five Counterfeit Shopping Districts In The World

September 9, 2009 at 2:18 PM | by | Comment (1)

While tourists who are free with their credit cards are a dream for cities, any metropolis with a thriving upscale shopping district will also have a black market equivalent doing just as well, if not better. Both buying and selling counterfeit goods is illegal in many countries, with recent court cases (Louis Vuitton vs. Canal Street merchants) backing up trademarks and revealing how the sale of counterfeit goods funds other illegal operations, like the New Jersey money laundering scandal of late.

We'll even admit to purchasing a fake for $15 in Rome's Piazza Navona, right out in the open, back in 2004. We haven't worn it yet, and we probably never will, seeing as how both brands and police have spent the last couple years reshuffling their legal and street teams in order to crack down on the vendors and buyers. And we want to keep you safe. If you're in a dangerous mood, then you might want to shop in these places, but after the jump, we've listed the World's Top Five Counterfeit Districts from which you should stay away.

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North Korea Inviting South Korea Over For The Weekend

August 19, 2009 at 8:49 AM | by | Comments (0)

Who's game for a nice little package trip to North Korea? Anyone? Bueller?

It was announced yesterday that Kim Jong-il is feeling a little neighborly lately and less bomby, and wants to restart family reunion trips from South Korea. Although South Korea hasn't yet said yes to allowing their people to venture over the border, North Korea is re-opening an enclave for reunions at Mount Kumgang, which was once a major money generator for the poor country.

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