T he Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has refurbished the publicity room for cultural tourism at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential mansion, and officially opened it on May 27.

The newly refurbished facility at the presidential office was reopened after maintenance and repairs to continue to play its role as a facility for showing off Korean cultural tradition to foreign visitors, with some 850,000 of them touring the special place each year.

A view of the remodeled “Sarang-bang” at Cheong Wa Dae. (Photos: KTO)

The KTO took over the management of the facility from Seoul City beginning in March this year for the purpose of turning it into a comprehensive showplace for Korean culture and tradition under their plan to develop the room into a unique corner for foreign visitors.

An exhibition corner of Sarang-bang renovated by Korea Tourism Organization for

 foreign visitors to have a glimpse of the Korean culture and tradition

It has taken about two months to remodel the place so that it can serve traditional Korean foods to foreign visitors, in addition to the exhibition of various Korean cultural artifacts and flowers native to Korea, including wildflowers, in an effort to boost foreign visitors to the facility to around 1.2 million this year.

Cheong Wa Dae’s 4,116-square-meter room for visitors, or “Sarangchae” in Korean, is two stories high with a basement floor, and includes a gift shop and a lounge.

In the Korean cultural exhibition room are traditional Korean clothing and displays showing how people spent their leisure time in the old days and what the lives of modern day Koreans are like, as well as screenings of glimpses into the daily lives of the Korean people. 

A display corner for all kinds of wild flowers growing  in Korea.

What is expected to be of special interest to the foreign visitors is the Korean-style dining room with a kitchen where traditional Korean foods not only will be served but can be made by visitors who want to try their hand at making Korean foods. On display now is an exhibition of some 150 varieties of wildflowers picked from hills and high mountains around the country, which will run until September in the display room and a yard in front of the guest room. 

The remodeled guest room at Cheong Wa Dae has joined the Gyeongbok Palace, the National Folk Museum, the National Modern Arts Museum Seoul Hall, the Korea National History Museum, and other famous facilities in Korea dedicated to displaying Korean history, culture and tradition for the increasing number of foreign tourists to make their trips unforgettable.