[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Get into the holiday spirit with Korea's festive light attractions

Many places around Korea are lighting up for the upcoming holiday season, serving as not only popular photo spots but also as must-visit locations for couples, families and friends.

Daejeon O-World's Magic Nature is a popular photo spot among Night Universe visitors. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

There are a variety of things that remind us of the quickly approaching holidays, and bright, decorative Christmas lights are one such staple. Many places around Korea are lighting up for the upcoming holiday season, serving as not only popular photo spots but also as must-visit locations for couples, families and friends. Here are five “Sparkling Tourist Attractions” recommended by Korea Tourism Organization to visit in December.

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show is shown above Gwangan Bridge in Busan. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show

The night view at Gwangalli has only become more colorful with the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show. Since April, 500 to 1,500 drones have lit up the sky above Gwangan Bridge in Busan. The show is held every Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. from October to February, and at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. from March to September. The performance will differ depending on the season and holiday.

The M in the show’s name stands for “marvelous,” and the show presents an amazing, fantastical performance for 10 minutes. The show itself is free, and Gwangalli Beach is the best place to watch the show, with a view of both the drones lighting up the city and the Gwangan Bridge together.

@busan_suyeong 219 Gwanganbyeon-ro, Suyeong District, Busan Show times: February – October at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. / March – September at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Admission fee: Free Website: www.gwangallimdrone.co.kr

The Romantic Garden, located inside Ooozooo in Icheon, Gyeonggi, is built to resemble Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Ooozooo

Ooozooo is an illumination theme park located inside the Deokpyeong Eco-Service Area on Yeongdong Expressway. This park was built on an abandoned part of the expressway, and the lights are turned on throughout the park from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. There are many photo spots stationed around the park, including the Violet Fantasy area, which looks like purple stars are falling from the sky, the Romantic Garden area, which closely resembles a famous European palace, and the Tunnel Galaxy 101, which is 101 meters (331 feet) long and is the longest lit-up tunnel in Korea.

During the day, the park is open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the only admission fee is buying a drink from the park's Cafe Jilli. At night, visitors 14 years and older must pay 12,000 won, and those younger must pay 6,000 won.

In the case of rain or snow, call or check Ooozooo’s website for any possible closures.

@ooozooo_ 287-76 Deogi-ro 154 beon-gil, Majang-myeon, Icheon, Gyeonggi Business hours: Daytime: 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. / Nighttime: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Admission fee: 12,000 won for adults (14 years and up), 6,000 won for children younger than 14 Website: www.ooozooo.co.kr Phone number: 031) 645-0002

Light Space inside Gwangmyeong Cave [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Gwangmyeong Cave

What’s something that is cool in the summer, and warm in the winter? A cave — but Gwangmyeong Cave is famous for more than just keeping its visitors warm. The cave is decorated with beautiful lights in every corner of the cave, so visitors can tour the cave without a huge padded jacket, taking pictures along the way.

Gwangmyeong Cave is a popular landmark in Gyeonggi city, and was named one of the “Top 100 Must-Go Destinations in Korea, 2021-2022” by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Some notable spaces inside the cave include the Wormhole Square at the entrance of the cave and Light Space, a popular photo spot inside the cave. At the lower floor of the cave, there is also the Cave Based Aqua World, an aquarium that houses a variety of fish from around the world using the cave’s bedrock water. Outside the cave, the observation platform Sky View allows visitors to see as far as Songdo, Incheon, on a clear day. A nice view of the sunset can also be seen at this observation platform if the time is right.

@gwangmyeong_official 20 Gahak-ro 85 beon-gil, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Business hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m., closed every Monday) Admission fee: 6,000 won for adults, 3,500 won for students (Middle and High school) Website: www.gm.go.kr/cv/en/index.do Phone number: 070) 4277-8902

Daejeon O-World lights up for Night Universe. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Daejeon O-World

At Daejeon O-World, when night falls, a Dimensional Door opens, leading its visitors into a new universe, also known as Night Universe, with 12 different locations that serve as popular photo spots. Magic Nature, which is a long tunnel decorated with lights of various colors, is particularly popular among O-World visitors.

There are also a variety of spots around the amusement park that visitors can enjoy during the day, as the Night Universe takes on the form of a flower garden during the day. Siberian tigers and Mongolian wolves can be seen at the park’s Zoo Land, and a variety of rare birds at Bird Land.

@daejeon_o_world 70 Sajeonggongwon-ro, Jung District, Daejeon Business hours: O-World: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. / Night Universe: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (closed Mondays) Admission fee: O-World: 17,000 won for adults, 13,000 won for youth / Night Universe: 13,000 won for adults, 10,000 won for youth Website: www.oworld.kr Phone number: 042) 580-4820

A photo spot inside Nature World, where the Taean Light Festival is being held. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Taean Nature World

Taean is located near the west coast, a perfect spot to enjoy the sunset. After sunset, Nature World is one recommended stop in the city due to its beautiful sparkling lights at night.

Nature World is hosting its own Taean Light Festival, with its decorations made with more than 6 million LED lightbulbs. A pond located in the middle of the festival site shines at night as it reflects the LED decorations and the park’s swan sculptures. The northern observatory is a popular attraction as its Main LED Garden and Galaxy Carpet occupies the most space at Nature World. On the west side of the pond is its Forest LED Garden, which shows a variety of LED flowers and butterflies for the first time this year.

The park closes in the chance of rain.

@taean_festival 200 Mageompo-gil, Nam-myeon, Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Business hours: 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (last admission at 9 p.m.) Admission fee: 9,000 won for adults, 7,000 won for children and youth Website: www.ffestival.co.kr/main Phone number: 041) 675-9200

BY LEE JUNG-JOO, BAEK JONG-HYUN [lee.jungjoo@joongang.co.kr]