Romance Flows: Top 5 Travel Destinations with Music

Korea Tourism Organization's March Recommended Places to Visit
Trot is the Trend, Yeongam Trot Song Center
Tongje International Music Hall and Yoon Isang Memorial Hall

The theme of recommended places to visit in March selected by the Korea Tourism Organization is travel with music. The recommended travel destinations include: Today I am also a K-pop star, Seoul HiKR Ground (Jung-gu, Seoul); Paju Hwang In-yong Music Space Camerata and Conchino Concrete (Paju, Gyeonggi); Time travel with music, Gyeongju Korea Popular Music Museum (Gyeongbuk, Gyeongju); The romance of spring sea with classical melodies, Tongyeong International Music Hall and Yoon Isang Memorial Hall (Gyeongnam, Tongyeong); and now is the heyday of trot! Yeongam Korea Trot Song Center (Jeonnam, Yeongam).

The K-Farm Ground on the 2nd floor of Hiker Ground at the Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Center is a space where anyone can freely enjoy K-pop.

#Today I am also a K-pop star, Seoul HiKR Ground

The Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Center houses the Korean tourism promotion hall HiKR Ground, which captivates domestic and international travelers with interesting content that incorporates popular elements such as K-pop and media art.

HiKR combines "Hi," a friendly greeting from Korea (KR), and "Ground," meaning a playground for global travelers. It is designed across five floors to enjoy and experience various Korean tourism contents such as K-pop, dramas, art, and festivals.

Especially, the 2nd floor K-pop Ground is popular because visitors can listen to K-pop, dance, and take photos or videos in a space resembling a music video stage set.

To fully enjoy HiKR Ground, use the regular docent program held twice daily from Tuesday to Sunday. Floors 1 and 5 operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (open year-round), and floors 2 to 4 operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free.

A recommended spring day walking course linked with HiKR Ground is to walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream trail in front of HiKR Ground toward Deoksugung Palace (a historic site). Tour the main pavilions and the Seokjojeon Hall Korean Empire History Museum (reservation required), then move to Donuimun Museum Village, a time travel spot in the city. Experience Seoul’s modern and contemporary history in this village reborn as a museum.

Paju Hwang In-yong Music Space Camerata and Kongchino Concrete are equipped with vintage audio systems.

#Paju Hwang In-yong Music Space Camerata and Conchino Concrete

Music has a magical power that moves people's hearts. Whether sad or happy, it embraces, comforts, encourages, and becomes a friend.

Perhaps this is why music is inseparable from travel, like thread and needle.

A trip to Paju is a little different. In Paju, music, which usually plays a supporting role in travel, proudly takes center stage.

Hwang In-yong Music Space Camerata (hereafter Camerata) and Conchino Concrete are spaces dedicated exclusively to music appreciation.

Even in this era overflowing with digital music, the emotion felt in a space for music, by music, and for music is quite different from that of digital music.

If Camerata is the veteran of Paju’s music listening rooms, Conchino Concrete is a rising star. Both boast the finest vintage audio systems.

The stars are large theater speakers from Western Electric in the U.S. and Klangfilm in Germany, which dominated the 1920s and 1930s. The raw charm that digital music cannot reproduce draws many travelers to Camerata and Conchino Concrete.

In Gwangtan-myeon, there is the Private First Class Village. It was created in the hometown of Kim Hyun-sung, who wrote and composed "Private First Class’s Letter," sung by the late Kim Kwang-seok, and is an essential stop on a music-themed trip.

Also good to visit on a spring outing are Paju Yongmiri Ma-ae Standing Buddha (Treasure) and Majang Lake Suspension Bridge.

The second-floor exhibition space of the Korean Popular Music Museum (left) covers 100 years of history of Korean popular music.

#Time travel with music, Gyeongju Korea Popular Music Museum

How about a music trip to fill your emotions in the season when all things come to life? In the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, the Korea Popular Music Museum gathers 100 years of popular music history from Korea’s first popular music to K-pop in one place.

The museum consists of three floors above ground, one basement floor, and outdoor spaces. The 2nd floor displays Korean popular music history by era, and the 3rd floor exhibits 100 years of sound art and science.

You can listen to your favorite songs on-site through rare audio systems worldwide. Many visitors return for the special emotions that unique sounds provide.

The 1st floor houses the cafe Rhapsody in Blue and a music listening room. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Admission fees are 15,000 KRW for adults, 10,000 KRW for teenagers, and 8,000 KRW for children. Nearby Bomunjeong is the shooting location for BTS’s Hwayangyeonhwa pt.1 album jacket and is even more beautiful when cherry blossoms bloom.

A must-visit spot in Gyeongju is the Daereungwon area (historic site), where 23 Silla-era tombs are gathered, giving a real sense of traveling through the ancient capital during a stroll.

Next to Daereungwon is Hwangridan-gil, lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. End your trip at Woljeonggyo Bridge, which is beautifully illuminated at night.

Tongyeong International Music Hall is a classical music venue dedicated to beautiful performances set against the backdrop of the sea.

#The romance of spring sea with classical melodies, Tongyeong International Music Hall and Yoon Isang Memorial Hall

The spring sea in Tongyeong is gentle and mild. Soft sunlight settles on the calm surface like a lake, and passenger and cruise ships travel between scattered blue islands.

The Tongyeong International Music Hall, where a beautiful musical feast unfolds against the dazzling sea backdrop, enriches the trip.

The 21st Tongyeong International Music Festival will be held from March 31 to April 9, 2023.

This music festival honors Yoon Isang, a world-renowned composer from Tongyeong. The music hall is located on a hill overlooking the sea, offering excellent views.

The concert hall lobby is open even on days without performances. Sitting in the sunlit lobby and gazing at the sea stirs tender emotions. Spending time at the scenic brunch cafe is also recommended.

To explore Yoon Isang’s life and music, visit the Yoon Isang Memorial Hall. It exhibits photos, handwritten scores, the cello he played during his lifetime, and furniture, records, and books from his Berlin home, recreating his study and living room. The hall is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Mondays) with free admission.

Nearby Seopirang Park is also worth visiting. Climb to Seoporu, the highest point in the park, for a panoramic view of the Gangguan area. In the lower neighborhood is the alley where Yoon Isang attended school.

Enjoy cherry blossoms blooming at Bongsugol on the way to Mireuksan Mountain, and stop by the Jeon Hyuk-rim Art Museum and Spring Day Bookstore.

Photos of trot stars are displayed by era in the Hall of Fame at the Korea Trot Music Center.

#Now is the heyday of trot! Yeongam Korea Trot Song Center

The trot craze is hot these days. Once considered outdated music, it now enjoys nationwide love as if in its heyday.

The Korea Trot Song Center, located inside Yeongam Wolchulsan Gichan Land, is an exhibition hall themed on trot, a representative genre of popular music.

The 1st floor exhibits the history of trot from the 1930s to the 2000s by era. In a space designed like an old music cafe, visitors can enjoy their favorite songs or sing their favorite tunes to showcase hidden talents.

The 2nd floor is dedicated to singer Ha Chun-hwa from Yeongam. It displays all her achievements over a singing career of about 60 years, including stage costumes, shoes, and trophies from various award ceremonies. Admission fees for the Korea Trot Song Center are 6,000 KRW for adults, 4,000 KRW for teenagers, and 2,000 KRW for children, with 50% refunded in Yeongam Love Gift Certificates.

Gayageum Sanjo Theme Park is a place to enjoy the unique melodies of our people. It also exhibits the only domestic Hwagak Gayageum made of ox horn and pure gold.

Yeongam Insect Museum is great for visiting with children. It features insect specimens collected worldwide, as well as live insects and reptiles, and offers participation in experiential programs. The Wangin Baksa Historic Site, famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms, is also a popular spring outing course.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.