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The K-drama phenomenon of 2005, 'My Lovely Samsoon,'
attracted a massive viewing audience and went on to create a
“Sam-soon syndrome.” It won numerous MBC awards in eight categories,
including Best Actor and Best Female Actress for Kim Sun-a in
her role as Sam-soon, and Best Male Actor for Hyun Bin in his
role as Jin-heon.
'My Lovely Samsoon' was the top hit miniseries of 2005, featuring
a great cast: Kim
Sun-a, a popular actress who has appeared in more
movies than TV miniseries; Hyun
Bin, who is considered the handsomest next-generation
male star; Daniel
Henney, a good-looking Korean/American star born
of a British father and a Korean mother; and Jeong
Ryeo- won, a singer-turned-actress and former member
of the female group Chakra. While the miniseries caused a stir
even before the first episode, the biggest news was that actress
Kim Sun-a gained fifteen pounds to nail her role as the fiery,
overweight Sam-soon.
'My Lovely Samsoon' doesn't conform to the stereotype of
the typical K-Drama Cinderella. The Korean version of Bridget
Jones's Diary tells the story of a rather ordinary-looking heroine
who meets a younger and good-looking, rich man. The romantic
drama created much buzz with each episode comically depicting
the love between the not-so-beautiful woman and the ill-tempered
younger man. The “Sam-soon syndrome” was still being felt
in Korea long after the miniseries ended. And Kim Sun-a, Hyun
Bin, Daniel Henney, and Jeong Ryeo-won continue to be the most
sought-after stars in Korean entertainment. In this edition,
we invite you to enjoy the warm, cheerful story of 'My Lovely
Sam-soon' and some of its most popular filming locations. |
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My Lovely Samsoon in Brief
○Producer: Kim Yoon
Chul
○Aired on MBC in Korea: June 1, 2005 - July 21, 2005
on Wednesday & Thursday nights at 9:55
○Website: http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/samsoon
/index.html (Korean) |
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Kim Sam-soon is 29 years old and overweight, and she has
an unfashionable name. On Christmas Eve, she spots her boyfriend
going into a hotel with another woman. Instead of dumping him
then and there, she falls to her knees and begs him not to leave,
but to no avail. She has not only lost her job, but also her
boyfriend, both on the same day. She runs into the restroom,
which turns out to be the men's room. Utterly distraught, she
encounters Jin-heon who thinks she is a female pervert. They
part company on the worst of terms, unaware that their paths
will cross again soon.
A Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef, Sam-soon visits a hotel
for a job interview, where she meets Jin-heon again. This time,
her hair becomes lodged in his tie pin. Rushed for time and
somewhat irritated, Jin-heon grabs a pair of scissors and mercilessly
cuts off the offending hair. In revenge, Sam-soon throws the
cake she had made for the interview in Jin-heon's face. He is
pleasantly surprised by the taste of the cake and hires her
as a pastry chef for his restaurant Bon Appetit.
The two despise each other, bickering day and night. Then
one day, Jin-heon hires Sam-soon to pose as his girlfriend,
hoping to avoid the blind dates set up for him by his meddlesome
mother. Needing the money, Sam-soon agrees to the contract relationship.
But eventually, their emotions turn from hatred to affection,
and they find themselves thinking about each other. The story
line gets more and more interesting as new characters join in,
including Jin-heon's ex-girlfriend Hee-jin and Sam-soon's ex-boyfriend.
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Kim
Sam-soon / 29 years old / Pastry chef / Played by
Kim Sun-a
 Sam-soon
is a bright and cheerful character, who eats and
sleeps whenever she feels down. Her father, who
owned a rice cake store passed away, and now, she
is living with her mother and her elder sister,
who married and moved to the U.S., but came back
to Korea after her divorce.
After completing
her training as a pastry chef in Paris, Sam-soon
returned to Korea and got a job, only to be fired
on Christmas. To make matters worse, she sees her
boyfriend with another woman on the same day. She
visits a hotel to apply for a job and meets Jin-heon,
whom she despises, but she accepts his offer to
work in his restaurant. Even though she constantly
complains to her boss, she gradually finds herself
caring for him. |
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Hyeon
Jin-heon / 27 years old / Owner of restaurant Bon
Appetit / Played by Hyun Bin
Jin-heon is an enviable man – young, good looking,
and rich. His mother owns a hotel, and he operates
the restaurant Bon Appetit. While he seems to have
everything, he actually lost his brother and sister-in-law
in a terrible car accident that also left him with
a permanent leg injury. Since the accident, he has
blamed himself for what happened and has held a
cynical view of the world. His negative disposition
worsened when his first love, Hee-jin, left him
without a word three years ago. Then one day, an
older, chubby woman comes into his life. What she
says and what she does is disturbing to him, but
he can't help but miss her when she is not around. |
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Henry
Kim / In his mid-30s / Korean-American doctor who
was adopted by Americans as a child / Played by
Daniel Henney
 Henry
was adopted at the age of two by an American family
and raised by two loving parents. He is gentle,
practical, and easy-going, and speaks very little
Korean. He is a doctor at the Houston Hospital where
Hee-jin received cancer treatment. He falls in love
with her, expecting nothing in return. When Hee-jin
goes back to Korea, he follows to make sure her
cancer doesn't recur. Every woman's dream, he is
just happy that he can help and take care of her. |
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Yoo
Hee-jin / 27 years old / Jin-heon's ex-girlfriend
/ Played by Jeong Ryeo-won
 She
is a beautiful young Korean girl: warm-hearted,
intelligent, and kind. She fell in love with Jin-heon
in high school and was his girlfriend for six years.
Both her parents are doctors, and she is their only
child. She has lived an affluent life with lots
of love. After she goes to college, her parents
emigrate to the United States, but she remains in
Korea because of Jin-heon. Then one day, she leaves
him without a word. After three years, she returns,
saying she had her reasons for leaving even though
she loved him. Now, she is determined to make Jin-heon
her man. When she learns that Jin-heon loves another
woman, she is devastated and can't get over him. |
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COEX Aquarium |
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The
aquarium where Sam-soon and Jin-heon took Mi-joo
was at COEX. On the wall outside, look for photos
of celebrities who have visited, and see if you
can find your favorite star. A photo of the miniseries'
scene serves as an indicator of where the scene
was shot, so you can't miss it. Unfortunately, the
Deep Blue restaurant, where the three dined together,
is no longer there.
Click
here for COEX Aquarium! |
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Todai Restaurant Bon Appetit
Todai
is where the Bon Appetit restaurant scenes were
shot. In the drama, Jin-heon owned the restaurant
and Sam-soon worked there as a pastry chef. During
filming, the restaurant was closed, and afterwards
it reopened as TODAI, a sushi buffet chain restaurant.
The exterior of the building is the same as when
it was filmed, but the interior was redone. The
downside is that prices are rather high. |
○Menu: Seafood buffet
including California roll, sushi, raw
fish, and salads
○Hours: 11:00-23:00
○Tel: +82-2-553-6886
○Price:
[Ages 14 and over]
Lunch 19,500 won / Dinner 27,000 won
/ Weekends & Holidays 29,000 won
[Ages 3 to 14]
Lunch 15,000 won / Dinner 18,000 won
/ Weekends & Holidays 18,000 won
* Lunch hours: 11:00-16:59 / Dinner
hours: 17:00-23:00 (VAT 10% not included)
○How to get there: Subway Line
2, Samseong Station, Exit 2. Walk straight
ahead and turn left at the first intersection.
The restaurant is on the left opposite
a golf link. |
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Samseong-dong Urijip Gamasot Seolleongtang |
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| In
the 13th episode, Jin-heon takes Henry Kim to this
restaurant, where he shows Henry how to eat kkakdugi
kimchi. He advises, “The best way to eat seolleongtang
is to add kkakdugi broth and stir like this.” When
the scene was shot, the restaurant was in Nonhyeon-dong,
but because of new construction, it has moved to
a site next to the POSCO building in Samseong- dong.
The seats are of the same design as in the miniseries,
so if you are one of those who was impressed by
how tasty the seolleongtang looked in the miniseries,
you definitely want to check this place out. |
○Menu: Seolleongtang
6,000 won/ Samgyetang 10,000 won/ Naengmyeon
5,000 won
○Hours: Opened 24 hours
○Tel: +82-2-539-6665
○How
to get there: Subway Line 2, Samseong
Station, Exit 4 → Walk straight ahead
and pass the underground passageway
→ The restaurant is on the first floor
of the Daewoo I- Ville building, which
is the second building past the POSCO
building. |
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Live Jazz Club: Once in a Blue Moon |
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| At
Once in a Blue Moon, Jin-heon and Hee-jin enjoy
wine and cocktails while watching a jazz performance.
This is one of the favorite filming locations for
miniseries and movies. You may already have seen
it in 'Lovers in Paris,' 'Wolf,' 'Green Rose,' and
'Marrying the Mafia.' It is also often used to film
TV commercials. If you are in the mood for some
jazz music, this night spot will offer you smooth,
romantic jazz rhythms in an upscale ambience. |
○Menu: Wine, alcoholic
drinks, coffee, meals
○Hours:
17:00-02:00
○Tel: +82-2-549-5490
○Website: www.onceinabluemoon.co.kr
○How to get there: Subway
Line 3, Apgujeong Station, Exit 2 →
Walk straight ahead and take the crosswalk
→ Pass by S-Oil gas station and walk
ahead → At the Galleria Department
Store intersection, cross the street
and turn right (a 15-minute walk from
the subway station) |
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Duchamp |
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| The
bakery where Jin-heon takes Sam-soon to show her
some real French pastry is actually the high-end
bakery Duchamp in Apgujeong-dong. The pastry chef
is a Cordon Bleu-trained Japanese chef who makes
60 different types of cakes. Along with the huge
variety of cakes, you can also enjoy chocolates,
bread, and drinks. The bakery has two floors as
well as an outdoor terrace. The scenes were shot
at the center table on the first floor. |
○Hours: 11:30-24:00
○Tel: +82-2-3446-9007
○How
to get there: Take Subway Line 7 to
Cheongdam Station and go out of Exit
9 → Cross over at the Cheongdam 4-way
intersection → Walk ahead in the direction
of Apgujeong → Make a right-hand turn
at the 2nd alley and walk straight about
100 meters |
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Restaurant Neurige Geotgi |
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| Located
opposite Dosan Park in Apgujeong-dong, Neurige Geotgi
is the backdrop for the dispute between Hee-jin
and Sam-soon over Jin-heon. Known for the unusual
location of the kitchen in the center of the space,
the restaurant uses only fresh, organic ingredients.
You can order a simple meal or a drink, and when
the weather is good, you can take a leisurely stroll
in beautiful Dosan Park afterwards. This is a great
place to spend a lazy afternoon. |
○Menu: Tteokbokgi
15,000 won, beef fried rice 12,000 won,
coffee 7,000 won (VAT 10% not included)
○Hours: 11:00 a.m.-02:00 a.m.
○Tel: +82-2-515-8255
○How
to get there: Subway Line 3, Sinsa Station,
Exit 1 or Apgujeong Station, Exit 2.
Take a taxi to Dosan Park. |
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The Plaza Hotel |
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| Scenes
at the hotel owned by Jin-heon's mother were shot
at the Plaza Hotel opposite Seoul City Hall. The
swimming pool scene showing off Jin-heon's hot body
was shot in the fitness center of the hotel (access
is limited to hotel guests and members). At the
Plaza Pub, Jin-heon becomes jealous when Sam-soon
meets her ex-boyfriend Hyeon-woo. Other scenes were
shot in the restroom, lobby, and the main entrance.
All the cakes Sam-soon created were actually made
by the pastry chef at the Plaza Hotel bakery. Currently,
the bakery sells a special Sam-soon cake as well
as a Sam-sik cake. The hotel also offers a Sam-soon
package. |
○Website: www.seoulplaza.co.kr
(Korean, English, Japanese)
○Tel:
+82-2-771-2200
○How to get there:
Subway Line 1 or 2, Seoul City Hall
Station, Exit 6 |
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Gwanghwamun Youngpoong Bookstore |
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To
escape the heat of summer, Jin-heon and Hee-jin
take Mi-joo to this large bookstore in Jongno where
they browse the book sections, buy Mi-joo a toy,
and spend a nice time together. On the first floor
are children's books, Korean books, magazines, puzzles,
and records, while the basement level has a restaurant,
coffee shop, stationery, and foreign books.
Click
here for Youngpoong Bookstore! |
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Cheongjinok Haejanggukjip |
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| After
a night of drinking, Sam-soon and Sam-sik go to
this restaurant to rid themselves of a hangover.
In this comic scene, Sam-soon accidentally spits
rice all over Sam-sik's face. In business for 67
years, the restaurant is the most popular of the
many haejangguk (a broth known to relieve a hangover)
restaurants in the Haejangguk Golmok (Haejanguk
Lane) in Jongno. It has been featured many times
on TV food programs and in magazines. If you are
interested in visiting, it is open 24 hours a day. |
○Hours: Open 24 hours
/ No closing days
○Menu: Haejangguk
5,000~6,000 won / Assortment of pan-fried
delicacies 9,000 won
○Tel: +82-2-735-1690
○How to get there: Subway Line
1, Jonggak Station, Exit 1 → Walk ahead
and turn right after the first block
→ Pass by the Seoul Tourist Hotel (The
restaurant is on the right) |
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Coffee Bean Gwanghwamun |
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| In
the series, Sam-soon really loves café lattes,
but she knows she'll need to give them up in order
to lose weight. Coffee Bean Gwanghwamun is where
she escapes from the sizzling summer heat to satisfy
her latte craving, briskly ordering "A latte,
please… With lots of syrup!" |
○Hours: Monday-Thursday
07:30-23:00, Friday-Saturday 07:30-23:30,
Sundays & Holidays 09:00-23:00
○Tel: +82-2-3210-2326
○How to
get there: Subway Line 5, Gwanghwamun
Station, Exit 5 → Pass by the post
office and walk ahead → The coffee
shop is on the first floor of the Korea
Export Insurance Corporation building |
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Bangsan Market, Uisinsanghoe |
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| In
the series, Sam-soon visits Uisinsanghoe in Bangsan
Market to buy baking supplies. The owner of the
store even appeared in a scene in which he sells
a few items to Sam-soon. The store has a wide selection
of bakers' needs at wholesale prices, so if you
are interested in baking bread or cookies, you may
want to visit. While you are here, have a souvenir
picture taken with the friendly owner. |
○Products on sale:
All kinds of baking ingredients
○Hours: 07:00-18:30
○Tel: +82-2-2265-1398
○How to get there: Subway Line
1, Jongno 5-ga Station, Exit 7 → Walk
ahead and take the crosswalk→Walk ahead
and turn right at the first corner →
The store is on the right |
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Guesthouse, Rakgojae |
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The
guesthouse where Henry stayed is the hanok-style
Rakgojae, located in Jongno, Seoul. The price is
about 150,000
won to 200,000 won per night to stay in this spectacular
house, and meals are included. Rakgojae also offers meals, so
if spending a night is too expensive, you can still
dine in the traditional ambience of a hanok.
Click
here for Rakgojae! |
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Mt. Namsan Cable Car |
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The
location for the final scene is Mt. Namsan cable
car and the stairway, where Sam-soon and Jin-heon
share blissful moments. In the finale, Sam-soon
has found blossoming love and now owns her own business,
and Jin-heon is deeply in love with her. The cable
car will bring back fond memories of the scene,
so don't miss it. Combine your cable car excursion
with a trip to the popular N Seoul Tower. The best
way up to Mt. Namsan is by cable car. Then, like
Sam-soon and Jin-heon, come down the stairs by a
game of rock-paper-scissors.
Click
here for N Seoul Tower!
Click
here for Mt. Namsan Park! |
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Le Saint- Ex |
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| At
this Paris restaurant, Sam-soon and her boyfriend
Hyeon-woo spent happy times and even a first kiss.
However, the restaurant is actually not in Paris.
Le Saint-Ex is a French restaurant nestled in Itaewon,
Seoul. It is always bustling with people looking
for a cozy, comfortable ambience, and delicious
food. The day's menu is written on a blackboard,
and a server will come to your table to offer more
details, so even if you are not familiar with French
cuisine, you won't have much trouble choosing. |
○Menu: steak, salmon,
toast and salads, wine (VAT 10% not
included)
○Hours: Lunch from 12:00
to 15:00, dinner from 18:00 to 21:30
(Hours when orders are taken)
○Tel:
+82-2-795-2465
○How to get there:
Subway Line 6, Itaewon Station, Exit
1 → Take the first side street to the
right and turn left at the first three-way
intersection → The restaurant is located
in the last building on the left at
the end of the road |
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Itaewon Crepe Restaurant, ARVORIG |
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| In
the series, the head chef of Bon Appetit restaurant
recommends that Sam-soon visit a favorite crepe
restaurant, which is actually Arvorig in Itaewon.
The restaurant serves a variety of crepes and dark,
robust coffee. A popular restaurant in Itaewon,
it has a cozy feeling with an impressive chandelier
and red wallpaper. The place is definitely worth
a visit for its magnificent crepes and pancakes
made by a handsome looking French chef. |
○Menu: Sugar and
butter crepe (5,000 won), ice cream
crepe (8,000 won), Cappuccino (6,500
won) (VAT 10% not included)
○Hours:
11:00 a.m.-02:00 a.m.
○Tel: +82-2-796-6673
○How to get there: Subway Line
6, Itaewon Station, Exit 2 → Take the
first side street to the left and you
will find the restaurant on the second
floor of the building to the left |
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Hongik University SU Noraebang |
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Do
you remember the scene in which Sam-soon's elder
sister, mother, and Sam-sik have a great time singing
in a noraebang (karaoke)? If so, you may want to
visit SU Noraebang, a franchise establishment. The
scene in which Jin-heon sings his best to please
Sam-soon's mother was shot at the Edward SU Noraebang
near Hongik University.
The rooms have been
recently remodeled, and the facilities and interior
are so up-to-date that most noraebang scenes in
Korean miniseries and movies are shot here. Each
of the twenty rooms is decorated in a unique theme.
Some rooms have a piano, drum, and other musical
instruments, while others have a stage and side
bar. SU Noraebang is definitely worth a visit. |
○Price: Before 7
p.m., 10,000 won / After 7 p.m., 20,000
won (Special room 30,000 won)
○Tel:
+82-2-336-2332
○How to get there:
Subway Line 2, Hongik University Station,
Exit 6 → Walk ahead and turn left after
taking the crosswalk → Turn right at
the second side street and walk up →
The Noraebang is located at the first
intersection (8 minutes by walk from
the station) |
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Grand Hilton Hotel Coffee Shop |
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On
Christmas Eve, Sam-soon is dumped by her boyfriend
Hyeon-woo in the coffee shop on the first floor
of the Grand Hilton Hotel. It was also where Sam-soon
and Jin-heon went to meet prospective marriage partners.
However, whenever one of them had such a meeting,
the other would interrupt it.
The hotel often
rents its wedding hall for filming wedding scenes,
so if you hope to have a wedding ceremony like one
in the movies, visit the wedding hall and get some
information. |
○Website: www.grandhiltonseoul.com
(Korean, English)
○Tel: +82-2-3216-5656
○How to get there: Subway Line
3, Hongjae Station, Exit 1 → Take a
taxi |
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Jingwansa Temple |
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| Jin-heon's
mother and her family visit this temple to pray
for the souls of Jin-heon's brother and sister-in-law.
Located in Jingwanoe-dong (Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul),
it is small, yet quiet and beautiful. It is adjacent
to a hiking trail, so you may want to combine a
temple visit with a walk. |
○Admission to the
National Park: 1,600 won
○How
to get there: Subway Line 3, Gupabal
Station, Exit 2 → Take a taxi |
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Sangam-dong CGV Multiplex Theatre |
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Thanks
to its upscale and elegant ambience, the Sangam-dong
CGV has become a popular filming location for movies
and miniseries, and was the main filming location
for 'Lovers in Paris.' In 'My Lovely Samsoon,' the
theatre was used to film the scene in which Hee-jin
and Henry watch a matinee movie together, and Hee-jin
runs out because she doesn't feel well. Hee-jin
and Henry enjoy a favorite Korean summer treat patbingsu
(shaved ice) at the Tous Les Jours bakery across
the street from the theatre.
Sangam-dong CGV
is located in the World Cup Park along with a Carrefour
store and a jjimjilbang (sauna/spa), so visitors
can enjoy shopping and sightseeing at the same time. |
○Hours: 09:00-24:00
(Hours may be changed depending on the
movie schedule)
○Tel: +82-1544-1122
○How to get there: Subway Line
6, World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 2
→ Go through the North Gate of the
stadium → CGV is on the first floor |
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Mt. Hallasan in Jeju-do |
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If
you still remember the touching scene in which Sam-soon
walked up Mt. Hallasan in the rain to find Sam-sik
waiting for her, you'll probably want to visit Mt.
Hallasan, one of the most spectacular spots on Jeju
Island. If you want to walk up to the summit like
Sam-soon, you'll need to start your hike no later
than 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning. The major hiking
trails are the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trails.
Sam-soon took the Seongpanak trail, which takes
nine hours round trip.
Click
here for Mt. Hallasan National Park!
*
The pictures above are provided by MBC. |
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