Love locks at N Seoul Tower, street food in Hongdae

Baekrokdam, a crater lake on the top of Hallasan Mountain in Jeju Island.

Results of a recent Facebook survey on what to do in Korea

"Going for a bike ride on a bright sunny day at the Hangang Park then going to Namsan. Also, shopping a bit and going to a cafe along Garosu-gil. Strolling along Haeundae Beach and enjoying the seafood fiesta at the Jagalchi Fish Market. Staying for three nights in the beautiful, historic and traditional city of Gwangju. Then, ending it all by exploring Jeju Island".

Yongcheon Cave, a lava tube cave filled with spring water on Jeju Island.

These are just some of the items listed in the itineraries of survey respondents who want to come to Korea. Regional tourist spots, like Jinhae's Yeojwacheon Stream during cherry blossom season, the suspension bridge at Daedunsan Mountain, the Dalmaji Hills, Haeundae Beach and the Gukje Market in Busan, were also uncovered as some visitors' favorites. While Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju and Incheon were listed a lot, specific locations, like the Kansong Museum, the N Seoul Tower, Bukaksan Mountain and Garosu-gil, were also frequently mentioned.

This high level of interest and knowledge from our Facebook fans exceeded our expectations. Korea.net, the Korean government's multilingual web portal, conducted a week long survey on Facebook from July 14 to 21. We asked three questions to the fans of our page,Korea Clickers. First, what's on your to-do list? Second, what locations are on your must-visit list? Finally, what food would you like try in Korea?

Unlike multiple choice questions, which restrict and predict the answers, we asked participants to freely write their answers and to describe their heart's desire. Despite the time and effort required to compose their answers, our fans were very proactive and gave us 177 replies.

First, in response to, "What's on your to-do list?" the answers, from most to least, were: shopping for cosmetics, shopping for products placed in soap operas and shopping for clothing; travelling to sites made famous by soap operas; meeting famous people; enjoying a "traditional" experience; and, finally, going on cafe tours. Shopping locations included the markets in Namdaemun and Dongdaemun, as well as the Gwangjang Market. They also included department stores, like Lotte and Shinsaegae. Respondents also said they wished to meet celebrities, from pop groups like Big Bang, Super Junior and SHINee through to actors and actresses likeSo Ji-sub,Lee Jong-sukand even including reality TV personalitiesGaryandSong Ji-hyo. The list also included YouTuber guitaristJung Sung-ha.

Interest in Korea is developing apace

One eye-catching answer was a wish to study abroad in Korea and, at the end, find a job, relocate and settle entirely in Korea. Some people hoped to visit the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, and other government ministries, to further learn about Korea's public administration system. Along with tourism related to soap opera filming locations, meeting "average Koreans" and learning and practicing the Korean language were both noticeable wishes. Living with a Korean family, making Korean friends and conversing directly, without the aid of a translator, all reflected our Facebook fans' desire to learn more about the daily lives of people here. Their answers proved that interest in Korea has evolved from a one-off whim to an object of life-long learning.

The most sought out travel destinations were Jeju Island, Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju, the DMZ and Daegu. Specific locations included N Seoul Tower, the royal palaces of Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and the Secret Garden, the National Museum of Korea, the Hangang River, the streets of Hongdae and Gangnam and Buddhist temples.

Many wanted to, "Make a love lock at Namsan Tower", meaning they wanted to place a decorated padlock with their partner onto the railings and fences at the base of the N Seoul Tower. It seems like the tower has become a landmark, like Paris's Eiffel Tower or Tokyo's Tokyo Tower.

People also wanted to visit media locations, like the studios of the three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS, as well as the studios of Arirang TV and TBS efm, and the offices of the three larger entertainment agencies, SM, YG and AOMG. This is strong proof that the mainstream of Korean mass media -- pop music, hip hop, TV soap operas and movies -- hasn't lost its ever-captivating stronghold on fans worldwide.

Korea.net's Facebook fans chose the N Seoul Tower as the top must-visit location in Korea. (photo: Jeon Han)

Surprisingly, many participants knew the finer details of Korean traditional culture. Respondents said they learned about traditional manners and rites from reality TV shows like "2 Days & 1 Night", "Running Man" and even "Gag Concert", a live comedy variety show.

Learning about the "actual lifestyle" of a real Korean gathered considerable interest too.

Concerning food, instead of the full Korean table d'hôte of formal cuisine, many wished for street food and traditional market food. Kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi, tteokbboki and gimbap were the runners-up in the food category. Unexpected desired menu items were dried squid toasted over hot stones, dried persimmons, sundaeguk, makchang and sundubu jjigae. In this light, the increasing preference for street food should require continuous attention to the taste and cleanliness of these establishments.

By Wi Tack-whan, Paik Hyun
Korea.net Staff Writers
[email protected]