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“Korean "Slow Cities" (ie: "Hick Towns")”

  • 3 posts
  • started 3 years ago by Maangchi
  1. stanford USA My profile page
    • Yorizzang
    • 147 posts
    • joined August 26, 2008

    I have to give the Korean Tourism Board credit, they are going full speed ahead trying to give you any reason whatsoever to spend thousands of dollars to go to Korea. This latest effort caught my eye, promoting Korean "slow cities:"

    http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_4_12_15.jsp

    "A city needs to possess certain characteristics in order to be designated a Slow City. Even if a city’s pace of life is slow, this is not enough. For example, Slow Cities should have no more than 50,000 residents, should have local specialties that are made in the old way, without using machinery, and the city’s traditional heritage should be well-preserved. The town should have no fast food stores or large discount stores, and genuine local dishes should be available."

    I'm not sure these are always the best places for tourists to go. No one speaks English, for one. Also, these simple people are way more fast-paced than this article would have you believe. They even have washing machines!

    If the KNTO is reading this, I have a few tips: these articles need more maps, bigger pictures, and look really weird in Firefox.

    • Posted 3 years ago
  2. powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
    • Yorizzang
    • 325 posts
    • joined June 9, 2009

    I would enjoy visiting some of these slow cities but my wife would kill me if I took her for more than lunch (and my wife is the one who speaks Korean).

    One problem traveling in Korea is western style hotels for more than three people. The website for the Hotel we were at in Seoul would only let me book for three. My wife called and ask if four was ok and they oked it.

    • Posted 3 years ago
  3. stanford USA My profile page
    • Yorizzang
    • 147 posts
    • joined August 26, 2008

    I've been to a few of these slow cities, they are well worth visiting. But they are not easy. You really need to speak Korean, or go with someone who can. I think the average tourist would be frustrated, and as you say, hotels are not what you expect. Certainly in these slow cities, there are no Western style hotels. You would be going native, for sure.

    • Posted 3 years ago

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