Every Saturday a train to Chuncheon in Gangwon Province carrying special guests departs from Seoul Station. The train seems different from others since there are more foreign riders than Koreans.

My name is Suzuki from Fujisawa. I’ve never been to Chuncheon, but heard about how beautiful the city is. I also haven’t been on a Korean train before, so I’m really having fun.

The name of this train is the “hallyu tourism train,” a themed tour program that takes train riders to the scenic locations of popular Korean dramas. Here’s Mr. Lim Seong-hoon of the KORAIL Tourism Development Team to explain more about the tour program.

The first hallyu tourism train went into operation on December 25, 2010, a Saturday. The tour program came into existence, thanks to the Japanese visitors’ soaring interest in Korean dramas. Korean show “Winter Sonata” was a huge hit in Japan, and many Japanese tourists came to Korea to see the drama locations. So KORAIL and the city of Chuncheon joined hands to provide the nation’s first group tour package showcasing several filming locations. It started in 2010 and we have been running this weekly train tour program to Nami Island in Chuncheon every Saturday ever since.

Two itineraries are available in the hallyu train tour program. One includes Nami Island, the background of “Winter Sonata,” and a tour of Chuncheon, and the other takes visitors to an underground tunnel dug by North Korea and a gallery dedicated to the dashing actor So Ji-seop. The Nami Island-Chuncheon course is especially popular among foreign tourists. Another special feature of the hallyu train tour program is the hallyu-oriented décor inside the passenger cars. Here’s Mr. Lim Seong-hoon of the KORAIL Tourism Development Team again.



The hallyu tourism train is Korea’s only train for foreigners. The tour program offers tour guides proficient in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and a variety of events that showcase Korean culture. The passenger cars also feature hallyu-related decors, such as the taegeuk patterns or actor So Ji-seop’s photos. The cars are designed this way so that foreign tourists would be imprinted with these images of Korea.

That’s not all. Until they arrive at the destination, the foreign riders are treated to a fusion Korean music performance, original sound tracks from popular hallyu dramas, and a clown show.

There is hardly a moment to get bored in this trip.

The riders get to see a fusion music concert by four musicians, who also perform traditional pansori as well. There is also a magician in a clown costume, who puts on magic and mime shows and makes balloon animals. Also, songs from famous Korean dramas are played on the speaker. Sometimes we bring in recreation instructors as well.

Every week some 200 to 300 passengers travel from Seoul to Chuncheon on the hallyu tourism train. Over the past years and a half, tens of thousands of foreigners and even some Koreans have enjoyed the tour program.

- I rode on the hallyu train, because I wanted to try out the Nami Island-Chuncheon course. It has been a dream of mine to travel together with foreign tourists, and this train tour package fit the bill. Also, I’ve never been to Nami Island. I’ve heard that it’s one of those places where I can fully enjoy the seasonal changes.

Having departed Seoul Station before eight in the morning, the train arrives at Gapyeong Station a little after ten. This is where passengers get on a bus to Nami Island, where “Winter Sonata” was filmed.

During the ride to the island, tour guide Kim Byung-kwan gives some background information about Nami Island.

Nami Island was not an island. When Cheongpyeong Dam was build in 1943, the area was flooded, leaving only Nami Island above water. The island is a private property. It was purchased by an individual, who planted 300 different kinds of trees and plants and beautified the island.

Nami Island is located in Namsan Village of Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province. About ten minutes later the bus arrives at the Nami Island dock.

A five-minute ride takes visitors to the island.

The first thing they see is a long path lined with the tall, majestic metasequoia trees. The tourists walk deeper into the island, marveling at the serene scenery.

Ten years have passed since “Winter Sonata” was aired on Korean TV. On Nami Island you can still find places where the show’s two main characters, Jun-sang and Yu-jin, rode a bicycle and shared their first kiss. Japanese tourists, who have long dreamed of visiting the filming sites of their favorite show, cannot contain their happiness.



- My name is Yamada. Nami Island was a place I’ve always wanted to visit ever since I watched “Winter Sonata.” I’m so glad that I got to visit this island. The scenery is beautiful.
- I’m from Yokohama. I got interested in the Nami Island tour package, because I was really into “Winter Sonata.” It’s very enjoyable and the scenery is better than I expected. There were many snowy scenes in the show, and I’m glad that there’s still little snow left here. I was able to imagine myself in the scene.

Nami Island is worth visiting even if you are not a fan of “Winter Sonata.” A leisurely stroll around the island while enjoying the trees and birds is likely to fill you with contentment.

After wrapping up the tour of Nami Island, the tourists move to downtown Chuncheon for lunch. The hallyu train tour program’s choice of lunch is Chuncheon chicken ribs.

Contrary to its name, the Chuncheon chicken ribs dish is made with boneless chicken meat. The tender and juicy chicken meat is marinated in a spicy sauce and stir-fried in an iron pan with cabbage, sweet potato, assorted vegetables, and rice cakes. Cheaper than beef or pork dishes, the Chuncheon chicken rib is a popular dish for budget-conscious diners. So, what did the tourists think of Chuncheon’s signature dish?

- It looked really spicy, but it didn’t taste that spicy. It was just right.
- It’s spicy and sweet. Very delicious.
- There is no dish similar to this in Japan. There is yakitori, grilled chicken, in Japanese cuisine, but no such dish as this one, stir-fried chicken with vegetables on an iron flattop. It’s very tasty.

For those who want something more, the restaurant offers Chuncheon makguksu noodle, a perfect accompaniment to the chicken. Here’s tour guide Kim Byung-kwan again.

The main ingredient of makguksu dish is the noodle made of 65% buckwheat flour, 28% potato starch, and wheat flour. Since the noodle is mainly made of buckwheat, it may not taste like much for foreigners, but the rutin substance in buckwheat is supposedly very good for people with cardiovascular diseases. So why don’t you have a taste of the healthy makguksu?



Just hearing the noodle-slurping sound makes one’s mouth water. It was back in the 1930s when the first makguksu restaurant opened in Chuncheon. It was a local custom to treat a special guest with this buckwheat noodle dish flavored with all sorts of seasoning. The noodle dish has been the city’s iconic food for the past 80 years.

In respect to its place in the city’s history, Chuncheon has a Makguksu museum. One of the events included in the hallyu tourism train package is make-your-own-makguksu. Tourists get to make the buckwheat dough and press the dough into thin noodle stands. But the whole process is easier said than done.

- It’s difficult to gauge how much water to put in and knead the mixture into dough.
- It’s my first time at this, but fun. I was surprised that the water was so hot. It was really enjoyable.

After lunch the tourists head to the Kim You-jeong House of Literature. Kim, lauded as the father of modern Korean short stories, was born in Sille Village, Chuncheon in 1908. His short stories, such as “The Camellia” and “Spring, Spring,” defined modern Korean literature during the Japanese colonial reign. The tourists look around the thatched-roof house he was born in.

- The straw roof looks very traditional and there is something like that in Japan as well. I was able to feel the weight of history here. I was really moved.

The Kim You-jeong House of Literature is the last stop of the hallyu tourism train program. It’s back to Seoul again.

- I’m from Okayama. I came to Nami Island, because I wanted to see the filming locations of “Winter Sonata.” The scenery was more beautiful than what I saw on the show. I had fun.
- I had so much fun that I don’t know how fast the day has gone. Nami Island isn’t that far from Seoul, but it had a very rural feel to it. It was really nice.
- It was a fun-filled day – traveling to drama filming sites, eating famous dishes, and admiring beautiful scenery. I wish I could come again when I get a chance.