Winter Sonata Island - Nami Island

Boys Over Flowers won the most popular drama category in the Seoul Drama Awards 2009 and its male leads, members of F4, have now become the heart-throbs of thousands of teenage girls all over East and South-East Asia. So it's no wonder that Lee Min-ho's (이민호) public appearance in Singapore to officiate at a store's opening in October had to be cancelled due to crowd control issues. But at the start of the "K-drama" invasion , at the beginning of this decade, the cast of the Korean F4 were still in school. Who then was the Korean drama lead that stole the many thousands fluttering hearts of ladies (the mothers, aunties or elder sisters of to-day's die-hard and ardent fans of the Korean F4)? - none other than BYJ!


Bae Yong Joon (배용준)(BYJ) became the darling of thousands of ladies after the launch of the TV drama, Winter Sonata (겨울연가) in 2002. This TV serial was so popular that 80% of Japan was watching it at its peak and very soon the fever spread to the whole of East and Southeast Asia. This was indeed a phenomenon, something that no one could have dreamt of because prior to the onslaught of the Korean wave, Japan was then the nation that was casting great influence through the export of her J-pop and J-culture to many of the countries in the region.

Well who could have dared imagine that one day thousands of Japanese housewives would idolise a Korean artist when Japan was actually the dominant power that was exerting her control and influence over the Korean way of life during the earlier part of the twentieth century (Korea was under Japanese rule from mid-1910 to mid-1945). I still can recall seeing, some years back, many Japanese K-fans browsing over pin-ups of Bae Yong Joon in the souvenir stalls at the traditional Nakamise shopping arcade that line the path towards the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo.

The success of Winter Sonata can be attributed to the many ingredients that went into the making of this delicious Korean "cake" - a beautiful and very touching love storyline that boast a handsome hero and his pretty damsel (Choi Ji-woo (최지우)); good acting from a charming cast; melancholic yet romantic music; soothing tunes with sentimental lyrics. And to top it all up, the "icing" - a breathtaking winter scenery that servers as the romantic backdrop for numerous of the memorable and touching scenes. The location that provided this "topping" is Nami Island (남이섬).

Namiseom is an island located on top of the Cheongpyeong Lake. It was formed with the completion of the Cheongpyeong Dam in 1943. It has an area of 460,000 m² and is about one and a half hours' drive (63 km) from Seoul. It was named after General Nami (1441-1469) who was promoted after suppressing a riot but denounced and executed as a traitor subsequently.

We boarded the ferry for the trip (which took less than 30 minutes) from Gapyeong Wharf, disembarked at Nami Island Wharf and walked through the white arch gateway that leads to the Central White Pine Tree Lane, passing the tomb of General Nami
on the left. Along here is where you will find numerous exhibition halls.

This lushly green island boast a wide collection of trees and plants; offering animals like deer, squirrels, rabbits, ostriches and birds a pristine sanctuary. In the case of man he not only enjoys a serene, clean, green and fresh environment but he has also available to him facilities for recreation and relaxation, including, among others, a bike center, swimming pool, electric car tour and pleasure boats.

This placed used to be visited mainly by locals before Winter Sonata. But after the spread of the "WS fever" the island has become a target of invasion by thousands
of tourists from East and Southeast Asia. If you refer to the Nami Island Tour Guide's map of the island you can follow the trails of Winter Sonata as the main filming locations are clearly marked on it using little red hearts, while posters, statutes, etc. are used to pinpoint the actual locations on the physical path. Well which ardent Winter Sonata fan could resist the temptation of having a photograph taken at each of these memorable spots on this romantic island. One of the most popular scenic spot for such an undertaking is the one with the island's Metasequoia path (a forest path surrounded by white birches and Korean white pines) as the background (seen in the above right photo). And I am very certain that when you are here you will take one such shot for the album.

Will be leaving for Hokkaido in less than a week's time so my next posting will most probably be around Christmas. Meanwhile here's wishing one and all a Merry X'mas.

[ Thank you to auntie Poh Choo for the photo of BYJ taken during a visit of his to Singapore ]

Boys Over Muju Resort

The Korean Drama "Boys Over Flowers" (Kgotboda Namja - 꽃보다 남자) was on TV a couple of months ago when I happened to catch a glimpse of an episode with some members of the cast in a hotel within a ski resort. That's when it hit me that the place looked very familiar ... eh? ... I was actually there last year. The place is the Muju Resort - a very beautiful, european-styled resort. The hotel is the 5-star Hotel Tirol.


Being there makes you think you're in some little european village in the Alps even though you are actually in South Korea. This is one awesome place. If its not because of seeing it on TV again I could well have put it away at the back of my mind. That's when I decided that I should start a little corner in cyber space to keep a record of pleasant memories. At the same time I hope to share them with those who drop by. Hopefully while here visitors could find something that is informative, interesting and useful. As I pen my thoughts and feelings in this little cyber hideaway do note that certain views and ideas expressed are based purely on personal opinions and preferences. The reader is of course free to disagree.

Muju Resort, lying about 188 km southeast of Seoul, spreads over 1,700 acres of nature as part of the Deogyo National Park. As well as skiing in the winter, it offers leisure activities throughout the year whereby guests can enjoy a gondola ride to the beautiful peak of Deogyusan Mountain, tee-off on an Arnold Palmer designed 18-hole wildlife golf course, or relax in the resort's outdoor hot springs.

I have stayed in many hotels during my visits to various countries over the years but up till now only one has left a deep, strong and lasting impression on me - Hotel Tirol. Tirol is the name of one of Austria's nine states, located in Western Austria. The beauty and warmth of this hotel is very evident through the unique Austrian atmosphere created by its authentic Austrian architecture. The superb interior encompasses you with cosiness as it bathed in the warmth of romantic and gentle lightings.

As you walk through the front doors you will be "greeted" by an imperial staircase with the hotel's name prominently displayed across the facing wall. As you capture the beauty of the place with your cameras do remember to take some snapshots with this stairway as the backdrop.

Each and every room at Hotel Tirol is adorned with Italian tiles, authentic furniture and panels made from the Austrian larch tree, so when you enter your room you will immediately smell the fine scent of an Austrian forest. This is supposed to give one a natural therapy similar to taking a walk through the alpine woods. No wonder it seems that MJ, the King of Pop himself, was interested in buying over the place during his visit here.

You must take a night walk through the picturesque europrean styled buildings around Hotel Tirol. You will get the serene feeling that you are strolling along some little european village in the Alps. Better still, why not enjoy an ice cream cone as you do your walkabout - especially if its a freezing cold night - only for those who are masochists!

And of course don't forget to bring your cameras as there are many cute and cosy little spots for some memorable snapshots.

The ski area is just a stone throw away from the hotel. We were at the resort on the last day of the ski season as such the crowd was not there and we did not really get to frolic in the snow. The ski/snowboard slopes were empty. What was on the ground was more like crust or wet granular snow. The timing was wrong.

Those who watched the 12th episode of "Boys Over Flowers" will of course know that at the right period in time the snow-filled slopes actually looked gorgeous as white backdrops for the hundreds of colourfully outfitted fun seekers.

Would love to return to this beautiful wonderland but this time round must make sure it would be during the peak of the skiing season. This is a place that one could come back to whenever there is a need to de-stress and relax. And if after a while of lazing around makes you bored then there are numerous leisure activities available in the resort to keep you occupied.

For those who are not familiar with "Kgotboda Namja (Boys Over Flowers)" - its a Korean drama adaptation of the Japanese manga "Hana Yori Dango" - the title is a pun on the Japanese old saying 'dumplings over flowers' referring to people who attend the Hanami (flower festival), but instead of enjoying flowers, focus more on the materialistic side of the event such as getting food and buying souvenirs. This is the third television drama adaptation of the popular Japanese manga after the success of both the Taiwanese (Meteor Garden - Liúxing Huayuán) and Japanese versions. You can read more about it - here.

Korean dramas have become very popular throughout Asia in recent years and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean Wave that is exporting Korean culture throughout the region. This Korean Fever began with the export of Korean TV dramas such as "Autumn Fairy Tale", "Winter Sonata", "Stairways To Heaven" and "Dae Jang Geum" (Jewel in the Palace). This was followed closely by Korean movies, popular music, food and language (even my auntie Poh Choo is taking Korean lessons with her housewives friends).

The success of South Korean dramas, movies, and pop music has become a drawing force for South Korea; attracting thousands of tourists from countries in East and Southeast Asia - such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Filming locations of popular Television dramas have now become "must visit" destinations in the travel itineraries of these 'fan-tourists'. I hope to write about Nami Island, the romantic setting for "Winter Sonata" in my next posting. So do drop by again in the coming week ...