At a recent lunch in New York City, I had the opportunity to learn about what’s new for Korea in 2014. Last year, more than 720,000 U.S. travelers visited the country, a 3.4 percent increase from 2012, making the United States the third-largest tourist market for the country. Approximately 32 percent were business travelers, and 95 percent of the total number of tourists reported being satisfied with the experience post-trip. 

Aside from the nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, the food, the shopping, the history, the modernity and the diversity of the destination, there’s plenty for travelers to experience in 2014. The Boryeong Mud Festival is the No. 1 festival for attracting international travelers, and the area’s mud supposedly rivals that of the Dead Sea as far as health and skin benefits. The Asian Games will be held in Incheon from Sept. 19–Oct. 4. Taekwondowon, celebrating every Taekwondo, opens in April.

Another fun fact about Korea: When the country hosts the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, it will become only the eighth country in the world to host both a summer and a winter Olympics.

Can’t get to Korea in 2014? There are a few events more local that can help you experience the joys of Korea. The Manhattan Taekwondo Festival will be held June 13 in Times Square. Korea Day at CitiField on July 6 will honor player Shin-Soo Choo. The “Treasures from Korea: Joseon Dynasty” exhibit will hit museums across the United States, including Philadelphia Museum of Art March 3–May 26.  

Lunch was held at Hanjan, voted among the top 10 restaurants for Korean food in New York by The New York Times. Some of the tasty dishes sampled included vegetable dumplings, pork fat ddukbokki, BBQ Galbi skewers, daikon and brisket soup, bibimbap and kimchi pork dup-bap. Stop by on your next visit to the city for an authentic Korean dining experience. 

— Kim Krol, managing editor