Steeped in culture, history and tradition, South Korea's festival offer is diverse, interesting and educational. Whether you visit South Korea in winter or summer, you won't miss a festival as there are events all year round.

Mountain Trout Ice Festival

Winter is an exciting time in South Korea as both locals and visitors flock to the Mountain Trout Ice Festival, which takes annually throughout January. With the setting of crystal clear ice and white snow at Hwacheon, the Ice Festival features activities that cater to all visitors. From mountain trout ice fishing, snow sledding, ice sculpture and many more programs, the event has something in store for families, couples, and all visitors.

Jindo Sea parting Festival

A few times during the year, the tide is low enough for people in Jindo to walk along a narrow path through the sea from the mainland to a nearby island. The phenomenon of the sea parting is sometimes called the "Moses Miracle" and it creates a path that is approximately 2.8 kilometers long and 40 to 60 meters wide.

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

The end of April in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, is the time for butterflies and that's got nothing to do with couples but with actual butterflies. The festival allows visitors to walk through fields of wild flowers and observe the butterflies in their natural habitat when spring is in bloom. This is a great opportunity for enthusiasts to observe rare butterflies up close and learn about ecology.

Damyang Bamboo Festival

Each year Bamboo lovers flock to Damyang-fun in South Jeolla Province, famous for its lush green forests awash with bamboo, other trees and cultural sites. Apart from the beautiful scenery, visitors also enjoy orchestral concerts, traditional music, riding pedaloes, fishing, among others.

Muju Firefly Festival

When the night falls, fireflies light up the sky of Muju, North Jeolla Province. The event takes place each year in mid-June and the activities include a "fireflies exploration event" - in which visitors experience fireflies' natural environment - and trout fishing.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Nestled by beautiful mountains, the mud festival takes place on Daecheon beach in Boryeong. As the mud there is gifted with high levels of minerals, germanium and bentonite, South Koreans claim this mud helps improve your skin tone. The Boryeong Mud Festival, which takes place in mid July each year, is the most popular event among Korea's foreign community, and it features fun activities such as mud wrestling, the "mud king" contest, fireworks, slides greased with mud and dance parties.

Sinchon Water Gun Fight Festival

Grab your water gun and join one of the most exciting festivals of the year. Although it started off as a fun festival in which people of all ages and nations join play with a water gun, it now features other activities which reflect unique ideas and local artists take place in these activities.

Cool Summer Music Festival

Sinchon might have started the trend but it is not the only place that holds a water gun fight. In fact, Seoulland's Cool Summer Music Festival is not only famous for its performances but also for its large-scaled water gun fight which takes place in World Plaza. While waters streams from directions to cool off during the day, at night music programs take over, including Music Survival, Chi-maek (chicken and beer) Night, and evening performances.

Andong International Mask dance Festival

Each year around the end of September, the Andong International Mask Dance Festival takes place and offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy Korea's talchum (Korean masked dances), as well as international masked performances. When the nigth falls, don't miss Hahoe's highlight performance "Seonyujul Bulnori", where you'll be able to see spectacular fireworks light up the sky, creating impressive reflections on the river.

Jinju Lantern Festival

Each year in October the Nam River is lit up with hundreds of beautiful paper lanterns of all shapes and sizes floating down the stream. This festival features an interesting tradition in which visitors write their wishes and attach them to lanterns.

Gwangju World Kimchi Festival

As expected, the Gwangju World Kimchi Festival is held to promote the most famous Korean side dish: Kimchi. The event takes place in the country's Kimchi themed park, Gwangju Kimchi Town, which features a number of diverse kimch-related programs like cooking experience, art gallery, kimchi market, and other fun events. Some of the activities include a Kimchi Master Competition, along with other hands-on program. If you don't win the Presidential Prize, at least you get to take home whatever kimchi you made at the festival.

Whether you are into veggies, rice, seafood or beef, Korean cuisine is a great crowd-pleaser not only for locals but also for Western tourists. From street food to spicy stews, Seoul's dining offer is highly varied and delicious.

As the competition is high, you'll be able to find exquisite food that is quite cheap. Since dining out is very popular amongst locals, food establishments get so packed, there's usually a queue of people standing outside waiting to be seated. If you think you've already tried one dish, you might want to try it again at another "town" which are streets of restaurants serving their interpretation of that dish.

From the western delights in Itaewon to fine dining in Apgujeong, outstanding food can be found all over Seoul. Restaurants, cafes and street stalls can be found in every neighborhood, offering meals that range from unpretentious dishes of DIY beef or pork barbecue as well as healthy rice and vegetable dishes, to sumptuous multicourse banquets that showcase signature dishes and are a feast not only for the palate but also for the eyes.

You can't leave South Korea before sampling Kimchi – a tangy side dish of fermented vegetables – and Bibimbap – a hot bowl of rice with sautéed vegetables on top, and, often, a raw egg or meat as well. Although Kimchi and Bibimbap are the most famous national dishes, you should also sample a hotteok – pancakes with sweet or savory fillings) on a street corner. An authentic Korean experience, however, is indulging yourself with a cake and a beverage in a teahouse.

Noryangjin Fish Market

Open 24/7, the Noryangjin Fish Market features fish auctions in the morning and a dining scene at night. It won't come as a shock all the restaurants that line the market offer fish. A local favorite is a raw fish known as hoe, which is thinly sliced – similarly to the Japanese "sashimi" - and enjoyed with soy sauce, wasabi, red chilli paste and vinegar, and a paste made of sesame oil, garlic and soybean.

Hangover cures

As a result of Korea's drinking culture, a large array of hangover-curing dishes and drinks are very popular in Seoul. From pre-drinking to post-drinking beverages to delicious and spicy stews and broths, there is a large range of hangover cures available for tourists interested in having a big night in South Korea.

Located in Eungam-dom, Daerim Market is home to Gamjaguk Street, an alley named after a famous Korean dish that spans the centuries. This deliciously hot potato and pork broth is also eaten as a cure for hangover. In the alley you can purchase the broth by referring to it as "guk."

But that is not Korean broth designed to cure your hangover. Made from beef broth, with cabbage, bean sprouts, radish and chunks of congealed ox blood, haejang-guk is a satisfying stew guaranteed to kick-start your dehydrated body after a big night. One of the best places to get this dish from is Chungjinok, which has been making it ever since 1937.

Gwangjang Market

Located in one of Seoul's oldest neighborhoods – Jongno-gu – and home to over 200 stalls, Gwangjang Market is Seoul's largest food alley. If you hungry while shopping for clothes or jewelry, from stall to stall you'll find a large variety of dishes to sample, ranging from spicy rice cakes to sushi, noodles, dumplings and numerous local delicacies. The market is renown for its specialty, which is the golden fried nokdu bindaetteok – mung-bean pancake – paired with makgeolli (rice wine).

Namdaemun Market

Gawngjang market might be the city's largest good alley, but if you are looking for an authentic Korean experience, you might want to head to Namdaemun market. Best known for being the biggest traditional market in South Korea, the market is the best place to sample locally produced food, ranging from cuttlefish and noodle soup to meat, chicken's feet and pancake.

Samwon Garden

Surrounded by alluring traditional gardens and waterfalls, Samwon is famous not only for its food but also for its heavenly ambience. Best known for serving world-class galbi – barbecued-beef meal - in the course of the last three decades, Samwon also offers less expensive options such as galbitang.

Whether you are into shopping for traditional, fashionable or luxurious goods, Seoul caters to every need and every whim. From cosmetics to cheap clothes and designer styles, the South Korean capital is a bargain hunter's paradise. The city is loaded up with department stores, malls and traditional markets so you can shop till you drop.

Although men usually go unnoticed when it comes to shopping, Seoul has plenty of stores that will allure men to spend their money. Electronic lovers are also in for a treat in the Korean capital as it is not only home to the headquarters for big brands such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai, but it is also the largest electronics market in Asia.

As shopping in Korea is so vast and varied, you might want to download the "Simple Korean Handbook for Shopping" prior your trip. This handbook will give you tips to make your shopping experience that much easier.

Wholesale Shopping

Famous for selling just about everything, but specialized in wholesale clothing, Dongdaemun Market is the biggest retail and wholesale shopping area in South Korea. From electronics to clothes and shoes, leather goods, fabric, accessories parts and sporting goods, there's nothing you won't be able to find in either its 26 shopping malls or its small shops selling everything from Korean fashion to Western styles. Before venturing into this jungle of shops, however, do put some comfortable shoes on as you might find yourself shopping for hours.

Divided by the main street, the market has two main sections. The first consists of massive shopping malls and sells both retail and wholesale. Open from 10am to 5pm the next day, keep your eyes open and you might catch one of the many events put on at the shopping center.

Meanwhile, the second section mainly deals with wholesale, so it has no changing rooms and refund policies are not guaranteed, so do check your products thoroughly before leaving, particularly if they are made in either Korea or China. While Korean clothes have a better quality than the Chinese ones, you can haggle if you find any Chinese merchandise with a defect.

Samcheong-dong

Home to shops and art galleries displaying everything from famous artwork to local pieces, Samcheong is the place to be for art lovers. As it is located far away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, its skyscrapers and shopping centers, the area radiates a peaceful vibe. If you are interested in accessory shops and small independent stores, you might want to head down Main Street and Hwagae-gil Street.

Ewha

Ewha is a group of hip and cheap shops that line the streets surrounding the campus of Ewha Women's University. As most of the customers are female students, there you can find bargains on a range of styles which are mostly feminine. Don't forget to check the back streets are there you'll find one-of-a-kind and trendy items at discounted prices, as well as shoes on sale.

Hongdae

Known for its independent clothing stalls, indie styles and street art and music, Hongdae is weekend flea market that takes place from March to November in front of Hongik University. Given its proximity to a university campus, this market is the place to look for bargains on high-quality, often unusual, products. Here they also sell the wares of the art students and local goods.

Luxury Fashion – Apujeong & Cheongdam-dong

The whole world has listened to Psy's smash hit "Gangnam's style" but not everyone is aware this is the where the rich and famous spend their money. In the heart of this district you'll find Apujeong and Cheongdam-dom, and as you'll expect, both areas boast the most luxurious stores of the country. From hair salons to plastic surgery, this where South Koreans get the full beauty makeovers they are famous for. These the a modern and luxurious lifestyle, which is reflected by its sophisticated bars and restaurants.

Cosmetic and Make Up Shopping

Seoul is a great place to shop for cosmetics as they are extremely cheap and they offer numerous gifts, free samples and special deals. The brands you might want to keep an eye out for are Skinfood, Etude House and Innisfree, and the best place to buy them is Myeondong.

You might have spotted on social media some reference to BTS. Either on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you can spot #BTS on almost every newsfeed and you might be wondering just what in the world does BTS stand for. BTS doesn't have a cryptic meaning or "Before Throwback Saturday" doesn't really exist. Instead, it stands for Bangtan Boys or Bulletproof Boy Scouts. - a seven-member South Korean boy band that have taken over the world.

Ever since their debut song "No more dream" from their first album "2 Cool 4 Skool", this K-pop band have conquered the hearts and minds of K-pop fans not only in South Korea but also around the world. Their success goes beyond the charts and they have also taken over the Internet.

Known for their large social media presence (6 million followers, 8 million+ YouTube subscribers and 6 million+ fans on Facebook), BTS featured on Forbes as the most retweeted artist on Twitter back in March 2016. As a result, Twitter launched its first ever K-pop Twitter emoji and it featured BTS.

BTS also went down in History as the first ever Korean group to top the Billboard Social 50, a sub-chart that measures reach across social networks. Their social media reach is particularly relevant in a day and age when charts reflect the most genuine way to measure streaming plays, radio and downloads.

Over the course of 31 weeks, BTS topped the Social 50, beating global pop stars the likes of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes.

When BTS member Kim Nam-joon took to the stage to collect their award, their fans tweeted #BTSBBMAS more than 300m times. The band's award and their social presence reflect South Korea's increasing cultural influence across the world. Their 2016 album Wings made it to number 26 in sales during its first month, which is the best position ever reached by a K-pop album.

Although the pop industry is a tightly controlled business in South Korea, BTS's success is partly due to its smaller independent record label, which found a market for a sober tone within the commercial and energetic world of K-pop, and allowed the band to include songs about loneliness and gender politics. While K-pop lyrics tend to play it safe, BTS' songs tackle themes of online harassment, suicide as well as critiques of police brutality.

Their label pioneered to movement to embrace the uncontrolled nature of social media and to allow the band to be themselves and share their real personalities with the world.

Just like other famous boy bands, BTS members' looks have helped them gain popularity amongst the female audience.

With a large international fan base - known as the "Army" - across Asia, Europe, Australia, North America and South America, BTS ranked number 5 on Fobes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2017.

BTS international impact is such that even the official Twitter account for the Times Square in New York City celebrated BTS's fourth anniversary. To congratulate the band Chinese fans rented space on the New York City's famous landmark and displayed a video on the massive screens. Times Square's Twitter account tweeted with footage of the BTS videos and photos being shown on the big screes, and hash tagged the post "4yearsBTSwithARMY."

The post read as follows "We see you, @BTS_twt! Global Kpop icons #BTS are being celebrated on #TimesSquare screens for their 4th anniversary. #4yearsBTSwithARMY."

Another world capital also celebrated BTS's anniversary: U.K. fans showed their love for the band on a billboard in London. Meanwhile, international groups collaborated to congratulated the band on a poster in a Seoul subway station.

These congratulations were accompanied by their respective tweets. For instance BTS UK ARMY UNITE tweeted "Our official photos of the #UKlovesBTS London billboard for @BTS_twt ! Thank you UK ARMY for working so hard to make this happen."

BTS's phenomenon and social media success shows the role Internet plays on a music band's success. Their ARMY fanbase and their dedication to share, tweet and retweet about the band are hugely responsible for the band's global fame. It was their promotion of the band that earned them the Top Social Artist award. Apart from promoting them on social media, the ARMY fanbase collected over 100000 signatures to get them invited to attend the BBMAs, which marked a new height for the group.