As November comes to an end, students rush to finish their final exams, ready to go on winter break. However, while most students are excited for the three-week-long break, many are also frustrated by the limited knowledge they have regarding the activities to do during the winter break.
“I remember that I stayed at home for a majority of my winter break last year because I wasn’t aware of the festivals or activities held in Seoul,” said Andrew Choi (11).
There are numerous ice rinks around Seoul with prices ranging from 50,000 won to 1,000 won. Students who wish to save money can visit some of the cheapest ice rinks located near City Hall, where they can rent ice skates and speed away. Meanwhile, people seeking a fancier experience could visit luxurious hotels such as The Hyatt or Banyan Tree. However, these ice rinks can only be accessed by people who already possess a membership to the resorts.
Many students also go on trips to ski resorts for durations that range from a day to a few weeks. Since Korea hosted for the Winter Olympics last year, its ski resorts have been upgraded and renewed with new condos and better ski slopes, attracting avid skiers and snowboarders. Furthermore, the Alpensia Ice Festival, a lightshow conducted through castles that shoot out multicolored lights, has always attracted sightseers and families looking for an alternative activity to skiing.
“When I was younger, my parents especially loved taking my little brother to the Alpensia Ice Festival because he was too young to ski, said Kristina Kim (12). “Watching the festival gave my brother something to do while my sister and I skied at Yongpyeong resort. My brother told me that during this festival, visitors could see beautiful ice buildings that were sculpted with great precision and skill.”
Meanwhile, people who prefer to stay indoors can watch the recently released movie “Frozen 2,” which garnered the attention of both children and adult Disney fans alike. Similar to the first Frozen movie that sold millions of tickets six years ago, “Frozen 2” is also rising in the box office charts rapidly. The popularity of this movie, in fact, has led to the creation of multiple memes depicting how difficult it is to grab a decent seat in the theaters, even going as far to claim that a true Frozen fan would have to watch from seat L4.
“I remember that once I exited the movie theaters, I could not get the ‘Into the Unknown’ song out of my head,” said John Jung (10). “This was the case not only because many children around me were singing it, but also because it was blasting loudly all around the department stores, demonstrating the huge popularity of Frozen 2.”
People also have the choice of exiting Seoul and visiting the countryside. At Ulsan, there is a rose garden light festival, which opens at 6pm and contains a rose garden filled with bright ornaments. Additionally, many tourists also visit Chipgip Mountain in the northern side of Seoul, which consists of a frozen waterfall that creates a beautiful, stop motion image of water falling down the mountain. Though the weather is extremely cold, many people visit this location to take photos and enjoy this breathtaking scenery.