Korail Operasikan Kereta Cepat Jalur Gyeonggang

Korea Selatan menyiapkan infrastruktur yang lengkap, untuk mempermudah para wisatawan yang ingin menikmati Olimpiade Musim Dingin PyeongChang pada Februari 2018 mendatang. Salah satunya adalah menyiapkan transportasi berupa kereta cepat KTX.

Perusahaan kereta Korea, Korail memastikan kereta cepat KTX itu akan beroperasi di jalur Gyeonggang yang baru mulai 22 Desember, 2017. Setelah KTX jalur ini beroperasi, penumpang dapat menikmati akses mudah dari kota Seoul ke bagian pantai timur Korea, seperti kota-kota di provinsi Gangwon.

Selama ini,  satu-satunya rute transportasi yang menghubungkan kota Seoul dengan Gangwon dan bagian timur Korea berjarak minimal 3 jam berkendara dengan mobil atau bis melalui jalan tol dan 6 jam jika menggunakan kereta. Penambahan operasi KTX di rute Gyeonggang diharapkan dapat mengurangi waktu tempuh antara Stasiun Seoul dan Gangneung menjadi hanya 1 jam 54 menit.

KTX jalur Gyeonggang ini rencananya akan melayani 18 kali perjalanan dalam sehari dari Senin sampai Kamis, dan 26 kali perjalanan sehari mulai  Jumat sampai Minggu. Tiket kereta ke Stasiun Gangneung, provinsi Gangwon, akan dikenai biaya 27.600 won dari Stasiun Seoul. Biaya tiket KTX ini lebih murah dibandingkan pilihan transportasi lainnya dan waktu tempuhnya pun menjadi cepat.

Operasional tambahan akan dilakukan pada periode Olimpiade Musim Dingin PyeongChang 2018 untuk kenyamanan pengunjung yang menghadiri acara tersebut. Berita gembira bagi penumpang yang melakukan pembelian lanjutan tiket KTX rute Gyeonggang untuk periode 1-28 Februari, 2018, karena mereka akan mendapatkan diskon sebesar 20%. Informasi mengenai ketersediaan tiket dan lainnya dapat diakses di website resmi Korail, www.letskorail.com.

Korail Pass Khusus Wisatawan Asing

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) dan Korail juga bekerjasama merilis PyeongChang Korail Pass khusus wisatawan asing, sebagai satu-satunya kartu transportasi yang dapat digunakan untuk KTX rute Gyeonggang. Kartu tersebut juga menawarkan hak istimewa kepada pemegangnya selama periode Olimpiade.

Tiket kereta terusan khusus wisatawan mancanegara ini, juga dapat digunakan untuk berkeliling Korea, terutama lewat jalur PyeongChang, Gangneung dan Jeongseon. Periode penjualan tiket ini sudah dibuka sejak 10 Oktober-10 Desember 2017. Keuntungan bagi para pemegang kartu PyeongChang Korail Pass antara lain, Tur Bus dalam kota dengan potongan khusus bahkan gratis, kartu T-Money, diskon 10 persen di tempat penyimpanan bagasi AREX dan layanan transfer, serta keuntungan lainnya.

Dengan berbagai kemudahan dan manfaat itu, wisatawan dari berbagai negara yang datang ke Korea dapat berkeliling dengan nyaman dan menyenangkan (KTOIndonesia)

Jelang Olimpiade PyeongChang, Terminal 2 Bandara Incheon Siap Beroperasi

Awal Februari Korea Selatan akan menjadi tuan rumah perhelatan olahraga berskala Internasional, Olimpiade Musim Dingin PyeongChang 2018.   Untuk menyukseskan terselenggaranya Olimpiade ini,  Korea Selatan akan membuka terminal baru di Bandara Internasional Incheon, yaitu Terminal 2.  Pihak bandata menjadwalkan pembukaan Terminal 2 Bandara Internasional Incheon ini pada 18 Januari 2018, bertepatan dengan kedatangan pengunjung internasional yang akan menyaksikan Olimpiade Musim Dingin di PyeongChang.

Menurut pihak Bandara Incheon, penetapan tanggal tersebut bertujuan agar staf bandara terbiasa dengan operasional bandara dan dapat memfasilitasi kedatangan para atlet yang akan berpartisipasi dalam Olimpiade tersebut.

Untuk memberikan kenyamanan bagi para pengunjung yang datang ke Korea, Terminal 2 Bandara Internasional Incheon menyediakan fasilitas lengkap seperti yang tersedia di Terminal 1, mulai dari meja check-in, bea cukai, imigrasi, pintu keberangkatan, dan fasilitas lainnya. Selain itu, Terminal 2 juga memiliki pusat transportasi all-inclusive berupa kereta api yang beroperasi ke Seoul, bis luar kota, dan parkir jangka pendek bagi penjemput para pelancong.

Terminal 2 Bandara Internasional Incheon juga dilengkapi dengan teknologi pintar terbaru, antara lain robot informasi dan sistem informasi tampilan penerbangan (FIDS) untuk kedatangan dan keberangkatan. Dan yang terpenting, pihak Bandara Internasional Incheon juga telah mengambil semua langkah untuk memastikan tingkat keamanan tertinggi untuk keselamatan semua wisatawan.

Untuk menambah kenyamanan bagi para penumpang transit, Terminal 2  juga akan memberikan pengalaman unik bagi para pelancong, berupa sleeping box, fasilitas olahraga, area games, ruang terbuka yang luas di Great Hall yang membentang dari B1 ke lantai 3, serta area taman yang indah di luar terminal.

Sampai tahun 2017, Bandara Internasional Incheon Korea Selatan masuk dalam 10 besar bandara internasional terbaik di dunia dalam Skytrax World Aiport Award tahun ini. Dan selama empat tahun berturut-turut, bandara ini juga mendapatkan penghargaan dari Global Traveler sebagai ‘Best Airport in the World’.[source: KTO Indonesia ]

Sachoom, Beyond Dancing

I am very enthusiastic when I received invitation from Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Jakarta office to see Sachoom performance, because I missed Sachoom performance when the team came to Jakarta to enliven Korea Festival  in 2015.

So I have arrived at the venue Ice Palace Lotte Shopping Avenue on Thursday (24/11/2016) to see Sachoom full performance. In its performance that night, Sachoom broght a story of three friends coming of age: Jun, Sun and Bin. They are seen throughout different stages of their lives by using the universal language of dance.

Ten members of Sachom from team “Sa”  perform their amazing dancing ability from breakdance, pop dance to comtemporary dance with the accompaniment of various music genre such as hiphop, jazz, pop, and techno. But they do not only dance attractively that make the audiences screaming hysterically but also laughing because of humorous story line and act of the Sachoom members during the performance.

On full version of Scahoom performance that night, it was devided into five themes:

1. Life in the body

Witty physical expressionsof birth combine with brilliant visual image

2.   Lantern Dance

Precise timing creates a flying lantern experience

3. Sensuality and Temptation

The audience is drawn in with breathless intensity

4. Hero

The audience identifies with heroic characters, swinging their arms in the air

5. Contest

Talent and technique are in high gear at the highlight of the show

6.  Let’s dance

After the conflict is resolved, the vibrant music and dancing make the audience stand up and groove to the music

Everybody look excited and delighted that night after the show and so do I.  I am really amazed on  how the entertainment industry in Korea creates the non-verbal performing arts into an amusing and entertaining show to its spectators. It really has a strong selling point so that Korea can make the non-verbal performances as one of its tourist attractions.

What is very interesting about Sachoom, it combines dynamic choreography, music, storyline, costume and the chaming appearance of its personnels.

About Sachoom, Director of KTO Jakarta Oh Hyonjae said, “Besides visiting tourist attraction and shopping, non-verbal performances with its high standar also become tourists destination in Korea”.

K-Pop Dance Class

During its visit to Jakarta, Sachoom also held a show case at Korean Cultural Center Indonesia (KCCI) on Sunday (27/11/2016).  On its 20 minutes show case, Sachoom again receive a rousing welcome from thea audience. After that, two members of Sachoom U Je and Lee Soung Seok  teach 80 guests who came to KCCI that day  a shor K-Pop dance class. They teach some basics movement in K-pop dance from Korean hits song today.

All the guests, mostly senior high schools and university students enthusiastically follow the instructions of U Je and Lee Young Seok. They try to master some difficult style of dance, after they manage them, they dance happily together. It seem very tiring but they really have fun and a good time.

After the show,  in the name of all Sachoom members express his impressions about Indonesia audiences. “Our fans here are really, really awesome and is the best. We all thak you very much,” said U-Je.

Among the guests are members of Sachoom fans club in Jakarta. The fans club established a year ago as a medium of communication among Sachoom fans in Indonesia.

The atmosphere in Sachoom performance at Ice Palace and KCCI is just like the meaning of Sachoom itself “Saranghamyeon Choom Chuoral”—“If You Love it, Let’s Dance”.

Sachoom prove and demonstrate its slogan “Dance is the Most Honest Languange” that all kind of people at any age and any part of the world will understand it.  That’s why Sachoom which is devided  into two team “Sa” and “Choom” has held world tour to many coutries that is France, Japan, England, Germany, Russia, Canada, China, Vietnam and Malaysia. Sachoom has its own theather which is called ‘Sachoom Theather” buit in 2008.

Overall the perfomance of Sachoom is beyond dancing. I hope I can see Sachoom in its native country, South Korea. []

Why You “Definitely” Want to Visit Korea ?

Why You “Definitely” Want to Visit Korea? It’s quite a simple question, but a bit hard to answer. As for me, the matter is not ‘why I want to visit Korea’, because I have sworn myself that I have to visit Korea and these are some of my reasons:

1. Know Korea Better

It’is said seeing is believing. I’ve seen Korea  images in many dramas, movies, pictures and Korea’s travel stories. Those brings my imaginations about Korea, what Korea really looks like and how great it is to travel to Korea? So I have to visit Korea to find the answers so that I can feel myself the sensation of being in Korea. Besides that, by knowing Korea better I do hope I can learn many positive things from Korea, from its people, from its culture, and from its spirit to become one of the most influential country in the world specially from its Hallyu that spread worldwide.

In Indonesia, I saw some Korea art performance, I tasted some Korea food, I event tried on hanbok, but I think it will be different if I experience them all in its native country, South Korea.

  2. I love traveling

Traveling is my passion and my ambition. And among the countries I eager want to visit, Korea is my top priority though traveling to Korea is quite expensive for me, but It really challenge me to actualize my desire to see Korea. I was lucky that I have visited some countries for free ( by invitation or on duty ). And I wish I am lucky again this time by joining this event that I will be able to visit Korea for free. Really hope that I am the one of the lucky winner of this WOWKOREA event and become a part of  Global Wow Korea.

3. I LoveWriting and Photography

I always write my traveling experiences in my blog and my SNS (facebook and Instagram). Some of my travel writings were also published in local magazine and newspaper. For Korea visit, I have a special wish to make a ‘photography book’, trough the photo-book I want to show not only beautiful images of Korea but also to tell my deep feelings about Korea. Hope my wish will come true.

                   when i won Korea Photo Contest held by Korean Cultural Center Indonesia

                              One of my travel writing in local magazine about my visit to Hanoi

 4. Actively Use Social Media 

Like I said before I am using social media such as facebook, blog and instagram, and I am quite active using them. So I can share all about my journey, experiences, and my pictures during my visit to Korea in my social media in real time and daily basis, just like what members Wow Korea do as a social media influencer. 

You can visit my blog in bahasa The News Room 
 Or in English  My Korea Corner
    

5. Friends Support

Last but not least, I am really grateful to my friends who support me to bring my dream into reality.  Some of them encourage me to go and ask me to share my what I see and what I feel about Korea. This kind of support makes me more confident to decide that I must come and see Korea, no matter what. 

                                              "hope is a dream that never sleep" 

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