[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Here's where to spend your 2nd to last weekend of 2023 indoors

This week, a cold snap struck the entire country and the temperature nosedived to as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit). The threatening cold is driving people indoors, and outdoor plans are being replaced with those under a roof.

Discovery Naturescape in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi has three concepts implementing various natural landscapes. [KIM KYUNG-BIN]

This week, a cold snap struck the entire country and the temperature nosedived to as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit). The threatening cold is driving people indoors, and outdoor plans are being replaced with those under a roof.

The cold, however, shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying the holiday spirit. If you are looking for something to do in the second to last weekend of 2023, away from the cold, the Korea JoongAng Daily has these four recommendations. The Seoul Animation Center서울 애니메이션센터

Seoul Business Agency runs Seoul Animation Center in Myeongdong, central Seoul, whose first floor House of Cartoon is open to the public for free with more than 30,000 comic books. [SEOUL BUSINESS AGENCY]

Visiting a comic cafe itself isn't special, as it is already quite popular among young Koreans during the country's brutally cold winter season. The cafes serve as a hideout from the cold. But it can be a unique experience at Seoul Business Agency's Seoul Animation Center, located in one of Korea's prime tourist destinations, Myeong-dong, in central Seoul.

The center, operating with funding from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is home to a public comic book library, the House of Cartoon, with a collection of more than 40,000 comic books. The library is located on the first floor of the center, and visitors can binge-read comic books free of charge.

On the center's second floor is "Ani Picnic," where animation fans can entertain themselves with attractions featuring popular animation characters. A virtual reality (VR) experience and stop-motion animation are available. A pass to the second floor costs 4,000 won ($3) for adults and students over 12 years old.

Interestingly, there is a mezzanine between the two floors where vintage comic books are, filling adult visitors with nostalgia by bringing back memories of getting buried deep in reading such comic books as children.

There are also translated comic books available for those who are not familiar with the Korean language.

@seoulanimationcenter_official48 Sogong-ro, Jung District, Seoul(서울시 중구 소공로 48)Business hours: House of Cartoon, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ani Picnic, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Closed on Mondays)Admission fee: House of Cartoon: freeAni Picnic: 6,000 won for children up to 12, 4,000 won for those above 12Phone number: 02-3455-8330Website: https://www.ani.seoul.kr/eng/main/view0000v.doMapo Naru Space마포나루스페이스

Mapo Naru Space in Mapo District, western Seoul, has study spaces that are open throughout the nighttime until 6:00 a.m. the next morning. [MAPO DISTRICT]

For some studious minds, a perfect weekend getaway might as well mean doing more work in a calm and quiet space where you can focus on things without being interrupted. If that's the case for you, the Mapo Library's Mapo Naru Space in Mapo District, western Seoul, is an apt spot to get work done.

The space functions as a work lounge, a metaverse library and a book cafe. The area can seat around 140 people. Those under 25 can use the space for a maximum of 8 hours for 500 won, while those 25 and above can use it for 5,000 won.

Apart from being much cheaper than other study cafes, there are two more perks: high-quality facilities and longer hours of operation.

The space, located inside Hotel Naru, is well-managed and offers small and large tables as well as laptops and tablets available for use for up to three hours. It also has a metaverse virtual library.

It opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 a.m. the next day. If you are planning an all-nighter to cram for an exam or finish your research paper, consider doing so at the public venue.

You have to reserve a seat to use the space. You can do so on the Seoul Citizen Card app. You have to sign up for a membership at the Mapo Library, which is open to those living, working or studying in Seoul. Foreigners can also access the facility if they meet the same criteria and have an ARC.

If you want to check out book cafes but consider signing up a tedious process, there is a 9-floor book cafe just five minutes away by foot named Check Grow Book Cafe, where you can get a nice view of the Han River as the cafe has large windows.

8 Mapo-daero, Mapo District, Seoul(서울시 마포구 마포대로 8 호텔나루 1층) Business hours: 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next dayAdmission fee: Library, freeStudy area: 500 won for those aged 9 to 24, 5,000 won for those above 24Phone number: 02-3153-1627, 1628Website: https://mplib.mapo.go.kr/metalib/index.do

Seoul Book Bogo서울책보고

Seoul Book Bogo in Songpa District, southern Seoul, is a public bookstore where you can find secondhand books and pieces from independent publications. [YONHAP]

Seoul Book Bogo in Songpa District, southern Seoul, is a public vintage bookstore with secondhand or independent pieces collected from 33 bookstores, most of them independent publications. The Seoul Metropolitan Government transformed what used to be a large storage space next to Jamsilnaru Station on line No.2 into a spacious bookstore.

The bookstore went viral on social media with its unique arch-shaped bookshelves that create a path for visitors and tower over people. The path is laid in the shape of a bookworm penetrating through a page, just like the visitors going through the books at the library.

Also referred to by its Korean name, Seoul Chaekbogo, the library carries secondhand books, including comic books and ones written in foreign languages. The city introduces Seoul Book Bogo as a space for cultural experience.

The venue organizes book-related events such as book displays, talk events and book markets. You can check the schedule of events on the library's website and social media pages. The library also hosts pop-up stores and has a cafe. Should you decide to spend a day in the neighborhood, stop by the library for a cozy respite indoors with books.

@seoulbookbogo_official1 Ogeum-ro, Songpa District, Seoul(서울특별시 송파구 오금로1)Business hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. (Closed on Mondays, Jan. 1 and Chuseok holidays)Phone number: 02-6951-4979Website: https://www.seoulbookbogo.kr/front/Discovery Naturescape 디스커버리 네이처스케이프

Discovery Naturescape offers experiences across three themes, each named Nature Adventure, Digital Wonder and Healing Forest. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Spending a weekend indoors shouldn't be synonymous with doing stationary activities or sipping drinks inside a cafe. Discovery Naturescape breaks such stereotypes by inviting activity-oriented minds to engage in indoor "outdoor" activities.

The world's first nature theme park that combines entertainment and adventure, Discovery Naturescape guides visitors through immersive exhibitions and virtual installations portraying the Earth's natural landscapes, from glaciers to forests.

The indoor park has three zones: Nature Adventure, Digital Wonder and Healing Forest. Each zone contains multiple spaces with different installations and experiences. In the Nature Adventure zone, for example, there are installations shaped after canyons, dunes and highlands.

Discovery Naturescape is running a joint discount event with Seoul Land, an amusement park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, until May next year. If you take your receipt to Seoul Land, you can get a ticket for 24,900 won per person, and a discount for up to four people is granted.

@discoverynaturescape21 Dongtan-daero 5-gil, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi(경기도 화성시 동탄대로5길 21 라크몽 A동 4-5층)Business hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (The doors close at 6:00 p.m.)Admission fee: 33,000 won for middle school students and older, 28,000 won for those in elementary schoolPhone number: 1522-0197, 1533-1245Website: https://discoverynaturescape.com/about

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BY KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]