Riding the hallyu

MANILA, Philippines - The hallyu (Korean wave) that is sweeping the country sometimes seems more like a tsunami. Korean enclaves have sprouted not just in the Metro Manila area, but all over the country, and signs in Hangul (the Korean script) of Korean restaurants, shops, even churches and schools, can be seen from Parañaque to General Santos City. Nearly a million Koreans visited the Philippines last year, and the government is targeting to increase that number to 1.1 million.

South Korea, on the other hand, has set a goal of 11 million international visitors for this year, and has sought to tap markets beyond Japan, traditionally its main source of tourists. The countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) present a huge opportunity for inbound tourists, and the Korea Tourism Organization recently set up offices in several ASEAN countries – including the Philippines – to tap this market.

In 2011, 337,268 Filipinos visited Korea; the first half of this year saw 165,512 Pinoy visitors. To encourage visitors, the Korean Ministry of Justice has relaxed visa requirements for a number of nationals, including Filipinos. Here are some quick ways to ride the hallyu, or taking in Seoul on the run.

Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seat of the Joseon Dynasty and symbol of national sovereignty, the palace was built in 1395 in the heart of the capital city. The massive granite Gwanghwamun is the main gate of the palace, its most recent restoration completed in 2010. The grounds of the “palace greatly blessed by heaven” covers over 40 hectares, and at one time had over 500 buildings.

The Gyeongbokgung Palace is the heart of the city (left); intricate details in the palace interiors (below). Our guide Rhee at the Dramia studio complex (middle left). Rhee, a resident of Yongin district and a volunteer guide, gave us a lesson on the 10-vowel, 14-consonant Hangul alphabet. Chicken and abalone delight at Sam Gye Tang (middle right). Shopping – or simply browsing – at Insa-dong is a delightful experience (bottom).

Today the complex houses the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum, and visitors can witness the changing of the guards (daily except Tuesdays from March to November, every two hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Gwanghwamun Plaza stretches half a kilometer in front of the gate and features a flower carpet, waterway, fancy lighting and is a popular promenade. Nearby is the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, one of the largest in Seoul, and the mega Kyobo Book Center.

Insa-dong. This area in the heart of the city offers a delightful experience of traditional Korea. Happily, the main road is vehicle free, the better for visitors to explore the many shops, stalls and art galleries. Antiques, crafts, artworks, even teas (the plum and citrus teas are wonderful) and teapots and cups abound in charming shops (some more charming with wooden shelves and traditional decor than others that look like supermarkets), together with the usual souvenirs and knickknacks.

Queen Elizabeth II is said to have visited Insa-dong in 1999 and raved about the artworks.

On one of the side streets is Sam Gye Tang, where we had the highly touted chicken ginseng soup. Even on a hot summer day we thoroughly enjoyed the dish, a whole young chicken boiled in a luscious broth of ginseng and other herbs, with abalone on the shell to boot!

The colorful changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace (top). The newest K-Pop sensation 4T2, or 2NE1 times two, with five Pinoy wanna-bes, at the Hallyu Hall in the KTO building.

Those into serious shopping – and which Pinoy isn’t? – head to Itaewon for fashion, Yongsan for electronics, one of several “premium” outlets (Yeoju, Paju, Paju Lotte or Gimhae), or – for the ultimate in Korean tiangge shopping – Dongdaemun and Namdaemun night markets.

Keep in mind – and keep your receipts – that visitors can get refunds on their VAT and SET taxes at the airport when they depart.  

Dramia. One of the main components of the hallyu is Korean drama, specifically Korean telenovelas like “Jewel in the Palace,” “Jumong,” “Queen Seondok” and “Dong Yi.”

All of these were filmed at the MBC Dramia – or drama utopia, very aptly named – studio, a 29.4-hectare open set in Yongin district built by the Munhwa Broadcasting Company. Structures were recreated based on historical records and very accurately reflect the cultures of the Three States era, Goryeo and Chosun dynasties. On the day of our visit, the new series “Doctor Jin” was filming.

For Korea-novela aficionados, this is really utopia, for not only do you get to walk the actual streets and palaces of the dramas, costumes, furniture and other items from the various series are on display in the administration building. Public tours are limited, so check before you take the two-hour trip out of Seoul.

FOR-EVERLAND. Kids and their water guns cool off in the fountain (above). The lovely gardens at the European Adventure (right).

MBC Dramia is not the only film studio complex in Korea’s booming film industry. Others include Namyangju (the largest in Asia), Bucheon, KBS Suwon, and Dae Jang Geum, a mega-hit series that aired from 2003-2004 and the set is now a theme park.

Everland. I’m not sure if this is a play on the “Neverland” of Peter Pan or Michael Jackson, but this theme park built by the Samsung Group drew 6.6 million visitors last year.

The park is divided into five areas – Global Fair with shops, restaurants and general services; Zoo-Topia with a petting zoo and a real zoo with tigers and bears (visitors ride in a caged bus) and an Amazon Express water ride; European Adventure with a beautiful flower garden and the T-Express, a wooden roller coaster with a drop of 57 meters at a 77º incline; American Adventure with a rodeo, Wild West rides and a 1950s themed Rockville; and Magicland, featuring Aesop’s Village (yes, the fables guy).

Next to Everland is a water park called Caribbean Bay, an obvious favorite for Korean families escaping the searing summer heat.

K-pop. Korea is no longer just kimchi (any one of the hundreds of varieties); it’s now the home of K-pop, or Korean pop music that has taken the world by storm. Fanatics will probably consider this a pilgrimage, to go to the land of Super Junior, Rain, Girls’ Generation, 2NE1, Big Bang, SHINee, TVXQ, and then some. I am told that among the must-go destinations for K-pop fans is the K-Star Gallery, which features a photo zone with life-size cutouts of celebrities that fans can have their photos taken with. A smaller version of that is the Hallyu Hall at the KTO building, which we did visit, as a photo on this spread will attest to.

Seoul has been the capital of Korea for more than 600 years, since it was known as Hanyang in the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Alongside the rich traditional culture that is evident in many areas of city life, Seoul is a bustling metropolis that is the political, economical and social center of South Korea. Whether or not you’re caught up in the hallyu, it is a great place to visit.