I won’t lie. Studying at KDI School is not a walk in the park. With its trimester system, you do have to be dedicated to your studies and put in a lot of work if you want to be successful during your stay in Korea. All of which makes the summer break even more special!

I’m sure every single one of my classmates are making plans to travel around but just in case some of them haven’t been able to because they were busy preparing for exams and assessments, I’ve come up with a few recommendations.

Now, ‘Hallyu’ (Korean cultural wave) has taken the global market by storm. Korea’s sophisticated entertainment and pop culture best known through its K-dramas, K-pop, and movies has become a magnet for tourists from overseas to Korea. Hallyu fever is also among KDI School students. Patricia Pearl, Asideu, a MPP Student from Ghana, said “Korean drama has become popular in Ghana for six years now. It is really popular among youth.”

Another student, Lauren Chang from Belize expressed that Hallyu is amazing because they continue to improve and put something new on the table. “The best thing about it is the fact that K-pop is not stagnant,” Lauren said.

The phenomenon is not just a tempest in a teapot. It’s expanding its horizon beyond K-drama and K-pop into other industries such as fashion and beauty products. “Hallyu is having a huge impact on the economy because people want to buy Korean product more and more,” Jazgul Arystanbekova, MDP Student from Kyrgyzstan, said.

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, Hallyu added KRW 12.4 trillion to the economy in 2015.

Given the Hallyu fever in KDI School, MDP student Lauren says that the open studio sets across Korea can be excellent summer holiday destinations.

1. KBS Suwon Center

The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) center in Suwon reveals what goes behind the scenes of several K-dramas. As one of the top national broadcasting stations in the country, KBS produces many genres of dramas. The place is divided into different sections such as the art production facility which features six studios, editing rooms, and dubbing rooms, as well as facilities to support makeup and the production of shows such as rehearsal rooms.

The KBS Drama Center in Suwon also offers a guided tour. Individual tours are held on Saturdays at 10.30, 13.00 and 15.00. Meanwhile, Group tours are available on Mondays at 10.00 and 15.00, and from Tuesday to Friday at 10.00, 13.30, 15.00 and 16.30.

Entry is free but visitors need to register no later than three days before their visit. One potential obstacle is the fact that the tours are provided in Korean only. So it’s best to go with a friend who can speak Korean.

Visitors will have the opportunity see the actual film studios. Most of the site features film sets that depict homes from the past. You can see the intricate details very well, so it feels like you’ve been transported back in time to a real home rather than a film set. Above the set, you’ll also see hundreds of light fixtures and cameras suspended from the ceiling.

2. Suncheon Drama Film Set

The drama set, located in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do shows Seoul as it was during the 1950s to 1980s. Some movies such as "Sunny" were produced at the Suncheon Drama Film Set. Also, K-pop hit “East of Eden” invested KRW 25 billion into the Suncheon Drama Film Set to film roughly 50 episodes.

Admission fees are KRW 3.000 per person and a fun little feature is that you can rent an old Korean school uniform for just KRW 1,000. With a grand old theater, Jeil Brewery, and a fire station, the Film Set is a perfect place to take photos.

3. Dae Jang Geum Park

Based on the original K-drama hit, “Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace)”, there’s a large outdoor complex with replicated royal palaces, houses, and castles highlighted by a replica of Injeongjeon Hall (one of the main buildings in Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul). Along with Dae Jang Geum, Dae Jang Geum Park located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do is home to several other K-drama hits such as the “Great Queen Seondeok”, and “Moon Embracing the Sun”.

Admissions will cost KRW 7,000 per person which includes a chance to wear Hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) for photo sessions. Visitors can also participate in archery, flag making, and top spinning.

So there you have it! If you’re into Hallyu or if you’d like to learn more about Korean culture, take a trip to one or all of these destinations over the summer break.

By Arifenie FITRI NUR (2016 MPP, Indonesia)