Korea: Make It South
Published: 30/09/2009 - Filed under: Features » Features » Destinations » Archive » 2009 » October 2009 » Destinations »
Gyeonggi Province and Seoul lead the charge for growth, Julian Tan reports
Walking into the staid-looking Suwon City office of Sim Heung-Sik, public relations planning director of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, it is difficult to comprehend the mammoth task he and his team have ahead of them to promote Gyeonggi-do (“do” is Korean for province) as a destination for business, culture and lifestyle.
Dubbed the Greater Seoul metropolitan area, Gyeonggi province benefits from a geographical advantage surrounding Seoul and Incheon and being close to the Incheon Port, Incheon International Airport and Pyeongtaek Port.
Linked by the Incheon Airport Expressway to downtown Seoul, Gyeonggi-do will gain even more accessibility once the underground Great Train Express or GTX starts to operate in 2016. For example, travelling from Gyeonggi Province to the city centre, via the new train service, will take 30 minutes (currently an hour by car). The state-of-the-art, CO2-reducing rail system is expected to serve 76,000 commuters daily on three lines, running at 100km/h.
The origins of Gyeonggi-do date back to as early as the 2nd BC. According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s website, “Gyeong” means “capital city designated by the king” while “Gi” is “150km of land in the four directions from the residence of the king”.
Occupying 10.2 percent of gross national area – 17 times larger than Seoul or 10 times the size of Hongkong – Gyeonggi-do hosts over 11 million people, making up about 22 percent of the Korean population that totals over 48.7 million, with its more prominent (and highly publicised) sister city Seoul accommodating a huge chunk of the residents.
With one of its goals to nurture a multicultural society, Gyeonggi has laboured to establish the networks and infrastructure for divergence as well as create a good business and healthcare environment. Last year, it was among several provinces that introduced programmes to help migrant workers and their families assimilate into the Korean culture. To celebrate these aims, the provincial government designated May 20 as “Together Day”.
In a bid to woo overseas talents to settle in Gyeonggi-do, immigrant welfare centres have been organised, providing counselling, legal aid and other administrative services. The Gyeonggi government has encouraged hospitals to set up information desks for foreign residents, while provincial medical centres are available in six cities. Last year, there were nearly 278,000 foreigners living in Gyeonggi-do, compared with the over 260,000 in Seoul. This sizeable expatriate community, due to the high concentration of industrial tenants, led to the opening of Gyeonggi Suwon International School in 2006.
On the business front, Gyeonggi-do boasts a sizeable critical mass of knowledge-based industries, representing the country’s most famous exports, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Hyundai-Kia Motors among others. The province contributes 21 percent of national GDP, which is nearly half of a 44 percent combined national GDP among Gyeonggi, Seoul and Incheon.
The likes of ThyssenKrupp and Bosch have set up factories in Gyeonggi-do, whose mission, according to official drumbeater Sim Heung-Sik, remains to attract foreign investments in automotive, information technology, research and development, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Gyeonggi-do, Incheon and Seoul, Sim believes, can form a “megacity” gaining from a shared expertise and capitalising on their strengths and the know-how that is already in place. “The 21st century is characterised by the policies of major centres,” he says. “Within five years, Gyeonggi can be a very attractive centre in terms of the economy, culture and tourism.”
Suwon and Icheon – not to be confused with the international airport location of Incheon – boast a number of deluxe and business hotels. These include Miranda Hotel with 209 rooms and suites, while Hotel Luxury Suwon offers 121 guestrooms including suites that are styled in Mediterranean and European themes.
Although a number of locally run hotels operate in the Gyeonggi area, there is, however, an undersupply of quality international branded hotels. Kim Gi-Young, the Governor’s policy special adviser, hastens to add: “We have the five-star Ramada Plaza Suwon here.” Offering 232 rooms including three Executive Floors, the Wyndham-managed hotel charges a minimum of KRW180,000 (US$151) for a night’s stay, inclusive of complimentary wired and wireless internet and access to a 24-hour business centre.
Tourism plays a significant role in the economic development of the Gyeonggi area, and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization has been tasked with spreading the word of its treasure trove of culture and traditions, ranging from historical sites to art and handicrafts to food and sports. The most-visited site – as proven by the bus loads of camera- toting visitors who make their way there daily – is the Demilitarised Zone, still a potent reminder of the vast divide that separates a land that was once one.
Korea has countless folk villages, museums, temples, royal tombs and fortresses. Worth visiting is the Unesco-designated Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, built in the 18th century by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honour his father, Prince Sado. Cultural buffs will also be interested to know about the Tomb of King Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, who created Hangeul, the Korean alphabet.
The must-visit list also includes the Korean Folk Village showcasing life in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum which uses its outdoor exhibition area, theatre and performance square to the hilt.
Larger-scale offerings come in the form of festivals, food events and sports. The Korea International Boat Show and the World Match Racing Tour – Korea Match Cup 2009, held in June, put Gyeonggi-do in the marine industry spotlight. According to organisers, 281 companies, including 162 foreign entities, participated in the event, which was graced by yachting legends, Frenchman Sebastien Col and Englishman Ben Ainslie. Trading on the Koreans’ age-old love affair with ceramics, the month-long Fifth World Ceramic Biennale – held in April and May this year in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju – provided a platform for artisans to showcase pottery making using traditional kilns.
Next month, the much-anticipated G (Gyeonggi) Food Show is scheduled to take place from November 19 to 22, as part of the Food Week, which serves as an international stage for domestic and foreign manufacturers and distributors to promote their brands to Korean consumers. This year’s G Food Show revolves around a “green” theme.
Korea’s sustainable agriculture movement has raised the profile of Gyeonggi-do, where 198,000ha
of land is devoted to the raising of cattle and cultivation of flowers, vegetables and rice. Rice cake, for example, is a product long associated with the province and comes in a variety of colours and designs rendering it an art creation more than just something edible. In two years’ time, Gyeonggi-do will host the 17th IFOAM (International Federation of the Organic Agriculture Movement) Organic World Congress, the first to be held in Asia, which will again put Gyeonggi on the world map.
GYEONGGI AT A GLANCE
- Area: 10,183km2
- Population: 11,292,264
- Economic scale/gross regional domestic product (GRDP): KRW182,831.7 billion (US153,908 billion), which makes up 20 percent of the country’s figures
- GRDP growth rate: 6 percent
- Trade: Exports – US$64.6 billion; imports: Us$67.9 billion
Source: Gyeonggi Provincial Government
SEOUL HOTEL UPDATES
GRAND HYATT SEOUL
Situated atop Mount Namsan (literally translated as “South Mountain”), the hotel underwent a facelift that took fours years to complete. Refreshed products include all of its 601 guestrooms – the exclusive Grand Club was ready in 2007, while renovation of the Grand Rooms (the hotel’s standard room category) and Grand Suites finished in March this year, revealing a contemporary and functional design. Floor-to-ceiling windows, mirrors on the upper areas of walls and sliding bathroom doors all add to an open-room layout. Options for dining and social functions include the Terrace café restaurant and a new outdoor venue called JJ Garden, among others. For chilling out, the lobby lounge with a view is the place.
www.seoul.grand.hyatt.com
GRAND INTERCONTINENTAL SEOUL
This hotel is part of the World Trade Center complex in upscale Gangnam, also home to a convention and exhibition centre, a casino, the City Air Terminal, duty-free shop and a mall with over 200 shops. Together with sister hotel, the COEX InterContinental Seoul, both properties offer great accessibility, with the Samseong subway station directly underground. The Grand InterContinental recently completed a two-year renovation, the largest in scale since its opening in 1988 (COEX InterContinental was launched in 1999). Accommodation is provided in 518 modern guestrooms, designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates and ranging from 40sqm onwards. The hotel’s skylit atrium lobby exudes a distinctive Korean-style ambience with soaring curves, marble pillars and danchung (traditional Korean decoration) elements in the ceiling.
www.seoul.intercontinental.com
LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL
The Korean chaebol (conglomerate), Lotte is synonymous with candy manufacturing and beverages, malls, baseball (Lotte Giants), IT, publishing, construction and amusement parks, to name just a few. In the hospitality business, the Lotte group owns several hotels and resorts in Korea including Lotte Hotel Seoul downtown. Its first overseas signpost is scheduled to open in Moscow in April 2010. A transformation was seen in all of Lotte Hotel’s 1,124 guestrooms – 759 in the Main Building and 365 in the New Wing. Other enhancements included a ladies’ floor, accessible by a card key on the Main Building’s 22nd floor; and Korea’s first Pierre Gagnaire restaurant, replacing Schoenbrunn in the New Wing.
www.lottehotel.com
THE SHILLA
Taking its name from the ancient Shilla Dynasty, the Shilla celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The hotel sits on a 9.3ha manicured garden in Jangchung-dong, only a stroll away from the dining, shopping and lifestyle options that Seoul offers. Its doors have been graced by VVVIPs, from royalty to heads of states to celebrities. Designed by Peter M Remedios of Remedios Siembieda, the 465-room hotel encapsulates a contemporary Korean style through the use of granite and lotus flower shapes, while capturing a luxurious ambience with leather, wood, fabrics and light.
www.shilla.net/en/index.jsp
W SEOUL-WALKERHILL
This “house of style” is created by a pool of cutting-edge architects and designers such as Studio Gaia and Tony Chi of the US and Hongkong’s RAD, and is known for hosting celebrity-studded parties, product launches and other glitzy events. Needless to say, the 252-room hotel celebrated its fifth year of operations on August 28 in chic W-style. Situated at Walkerhill (Sheraton Grande is the other hotel in this area), the W on the slopes of Mount Acha boasts views of the Hangang River. A slight change was recently made to WooBar in the Living Room, also the lobby area, where cubicle seats were replaced with sleek cushioned ones, offering a more spacious feel. From public areas to the guestrooms, everything runs on a modern-and-sleek theme. Even the guestrooms come with unique names such as Wonderful, Fabulous, Fantastic and Wow, in line with the W brand.
www.whotels.com/seoul
NEW AND COUNTING
A slew of hotel openings has taken place in downtown Seoul and as far as Songdo City and IncheonBANYAN TREE CLUB AND SPA (open in Q2, 2010)
50 rooms, with some exclusively for social club memberswww.banyantree.com
BENIKEA PREMIER SONGDO METRO HOTEL
43 Standard Double roomswww.songdometrohotel.com
BEST WESTERN PREMIER SONGDO PARK HOTEL INCHEON
300 rooms and suiteswww.bestwesternpremier.com
LOTTE CITY HOTEL MAPO
284 rooms, two of which are Ondol with underfloor heatingwww.lottecityhotel.co.kr
SHERATON INCHEON
319 rooms and suiteswww.sheratonincheon.co.kr
SEOUL - A WORK-IN-PROGRESS
If Rome wasn’t built in a day, then the same can be said about Seoul.The enterprising hub, always on the cusp of improvement, has been designated World Design Capital 2010, by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, recognising its efforts to enhance living spaces.
To date, a number of projects have been realised to make Seoul an epitome of style and efficiency. The Gwanghwamun Square and the Gwangjin Bridge are two such examples. Gwanghwamun Square, which dates back to the reign of King Taejo in the 14th century, reopened in August after a multi-million-dollar facelift. Previously occupying six traffic lanes, the downtown square can now accommodate up to 70,000 people and consists of an exhibition hall, an events venue with a state-of-the-art screen, two waterways and LED-illuminated fountains.
The new Gwangjin Bridge takes pedestrians and cyclists in designated paths across the Hangang River. Views of the river below are possible from an observation deck with glass flooring.
“Seoul was established as the capital of the Joseon Dynasty over 600 years ago,” says Maureen O’Crowley, senior director, international marketing and conventions, Seoul Tourism Organization. “With Five Royal Palaces (Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung) still remaining, Seoul is a city with a rich culture.”
“Koreans have long embraced the arts and the arts scene has taken off with major exhibitions happening frequently. A Klimt exhibition was shown here late last year, while a Renoir one is presently in town.”
For more information, visit www.seoulwelcome.com
TIP OFF: Smart Travel Intelligence
Seoul is a business-friendly city, despite English not being widely spoken. Not to worry, a host of translation services and money-saving aides are easily availableHOP ON, HOP OFF
Alternatively, if you’re feeling generous, book a stretch limousine and tour Seoul at night. The limos will pick you up anywhere you desire, for a three-hour tour led by the chauffeurs themselves. Prices vary depending on the tour duration
T-MONEY CARD
Forget about counting those numerous zeros in the Korean won, go cashless. The T-Money Card can be used on buses and subways in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi-do area, as well as to pay for goods and services at participating T-Money Card members such as (nearly all) convenience stores, vending machines and royal palaces. With a starting value of KRW2,500 (US$2), the card is rechargeable at T-Money vendors like subway stations.Until June 30, 2010, travellers receive the card free of charge as well as a complimentary KRW3,000 (US$2.46) pre-paid T-Money Card when renting a mobile phone at the SHOW global roaming centres in Incheon International and Gimpo Airports (the card must be returned together with the rental phone, so don’t lose it). Users also enjoy a KRW100 (8 cents) discount off the basic cash fare, more discounts when making transfers and mileage points that can be converted into T-Money for more rides and purchases.
1330
Dial this number any time of the day for English-speaking operators who can help with information on tourist sites, transportation, restaurants and other services. International mobile-phone carriers need only key in the area code (for example, “02” for Seoul) followed by “1330”. The service is based on a local phone service charge.ROAMING PHONE SERVICES
SK Telecom and S Roaming are two of the major local phone companies. Daily mobile-phone rental fees are from KRW3,000 (US$2.46) at SK Telecom and from KRW2,700 (US$2.21) at S Roaming, both for up to 10 days’ use.For details on SIM cards and other services, visit www.sktroaming.com and www.sroaming.com
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Although money changers in Incheon Airport offer only slightly different rates, some checking (and running) around will help save you some won. Here’s what we found on September 4 from money changers KB, KEB and S, airport landside.
- US$1 = KRW1,294 (KB), KRW1,294 (KEB), KRW1,296 (Shinhan Bank)
- HK$1 = KRW168 (KB), KRW169 (KEB), KRW168.45 (Shinhan Bank)
- S$1 = KRW897.87 (KB), KRW900.15 (KEB), KRW904.78 (Shinhan Bank)
- A$1 = KRW1,802.06 (KB), KRW1,071.28 (KEB), KRW1,084.5 (Shinhan Bank)
Julian Tan
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