Jeff Hwang and I have been hiking for several hours, on our way to Baegundae, the highest peak in South Korea’s Bukhansan National Park. The late-morning sky, clear and blue just minutes ago, darkens quickly as heavy gray clouds appear above the granite peak, occasionally sending a few raindrops down through the canopy of towering maple trees.

We disregard the ominous weather and push upward, reaching a steep rock face that we traverse by pulling ourselves along a steel cable tethered to the rock by metal poles. At the point where our bodies are horizontal to the rock, with a sheer drop of 2,600 feet below us, the skies open and a hard rain pours down, along with wind gusts that batter us and the peak 100 yards above.

By the time we pull ourselves to the top, our strength is sapped and we are soaked to the bone, trying not to think of the return trip down the slippery rock face. A Korean flag blows violently in the wind. Yet we are exhilarated from our mountain adventure and cannot quite believe that the city of Seoul — where modern glass skyscrapers, fashionable shopping streets and the quiet-flowing Han River are still bathed under a warm summer sun — is just over the nearby peaks. In clear weather, we would have been able to see a faint outline of the Seoul skyline; the city is so close that Jeff and I traveled to Bukhansan in Gyeonggi Province on the Seoul subway.

If Seoul was placed into the hole of a doughnut, the tasty part surrounding it — less a few bites off the left side — would be Gyeonggi Province, known in South Korea as Gyeonggi-do. With a population of 10 million, Gyeonggi is South Korea’s most populous province, easily accessible from Seoul in one hour or less. But it is still far removed, psychologically and culturally, from the high-energy urbanization of downtown Seoul.

The mountain peaks of Bukhansan make up only a small part of Gyeonggi, which stretches from the northern DMZ region and the border with North Korea, to the Deokjeok Islands in Gyeonggi Bay on the west coast, to the southern “ceramic” town of Icheon (not to be confused with Incheon) and to the provincial capital of Suwon.

Gyeonggi has long been known to be business friendly, and the province’s Foreign Investment Incentive System offers international firms who qualify excellent tax reduction or exemption opportunities. This past summer, the Gyeonggi government signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s United Phosphorous Limited, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, to build a $140 million manufacturing facility in Hwaseong City for the production of pro-environment crop protection agents. Other international firms already located in Gyeonggi include 3M, Siemens and ProLogis, as well as the large Korean conglomerates Samsung Electronics, LG Display and Hynix.

Universal Parks and Resorts, which operates a chain of theme parks in the United States and Japan, signed an agreement in January, along with 14 Korean companies, to build a $3 billion park complex in Hwaseong. It is expected to become the largest theme park in Asia when completed in 2014.

The province is the hub of the highly regarded Korean IT industry, accounting for 33 percent of IT production and 50 percent of IT exports. It is also home to 25 percent of the IT companies in Korea and 34 percent of IT professionals.

Other projects in development include the modernization of Pyeongtaek Port , one of the key shipping points for the Seoul-Gyeonggi region. The port area has been especially important for South Korea’s growing trading market with Northeast Asia and is expected to become even more visible in the coming years with the relocation of U.S. military forces in South Korea to Pyeongtaek City. The development of nearby Godeok International City, with an investment of more than $11 billion, will transform the area into another center for international high-tech businesses.

In Goyang City in northern Gyeonggi, plans call for the expansion of the Korean International Exhibition Center, a 602,000-square-foot venue which opened in 2005. New hotels, shopping malls and other leisure facilities will complement the existing exhibition-friendly region. Also in Goyang, the ongoing Hallyuworld project is a complex that supports the development and distribution of Korean cultural content, including film, drama and music, to markets outside Korea.

High-tech office parks continue to dominate Gyeonggi’s largest projects, and the Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone is creating more high-tech industrial clusters as a base for high-tech R&D in conjunction with the emergence of Pyeongtaek Port as a major business and industrial transport center.

With much of Gyeonggi’s farmland converted into high-tech office park ventures and recreational venues, it is remarkable that agriculture and beef production continue to thrive in the province. But with thousands of traditional small farms along the rivers in the fertile plains south of Seoul, the climate and soil are perfect for raising Korean grass-fed beef and for growing Hatsalderi grapes, agaric and pyogo mushrooms, and flavorful radishes and pears. From the fishing villages along Gyeonggi’s warm coastal region come delicious clams, oysters and octopus.

One of Gyeonggi’s most famous products, however, is neither a high-tech device nor a tasty shellfish. It is makgeolli, a rice wine brewed in the mountains of northeastern Gyeonggi. In the city of Pocheon, more than 10 breweries produce the drink by fermenting boiled rice and high-quality water, along with malt and other ingredients. Pocheon makgeolli is about 7 percent alcohol, and this traditional “farmer’s liquor” has become popular among the under-40 generation of Koreans, who purchase the beverage in plastic containers, shaking the bottle vigorously before pouring it into individual wooden bowls or cups. Drinking several bowls of makgeolli and eating traditional pajeon (green onion pancakes) on a cold, rainy day is almost a national pastime in Korea.

Info To Go

Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) is located on reclaimed land in Gyeonggi Bay, 50 miles west of Seoul. It is the major international gateway for Gyeonggi Province, and flights link 124 cities in 43 countries. Incheon has won many “best airport” awards since it opened in 2001; and the terminal’s large shopping center, golf range and casino provide entertainment. Rail and bus service links the airport to Seoul and directly to several cities in Gyeonggi. For information, visit www.visitkorea.or.kr.

Just The Facts

Time Zone: GM T+9

Phone Code: 82 South Korea, 31 Gyeonggi Province

Currency: Won

Entry/Exit Requirements: U.S. citizens must have a valid passport. If you are visiting for more than 90 days or for any reason other than tourism or a temporary non-profit business trip, you must also have a visa. Visitors staying longer than 90 days must also apply for an Alien Registration Card after arriving in Korea.

Official Language: Korean. English is spoken in most hotels, shops, Western-style restaurants and in the business community.

Key Industries: Auto manufacturing, biotechnology, renewable energy manufacturing and research, high-tech research and development, tourism, IT industries, organic agriculture.

Diversions

Gyeonggi Province is a unique combination of corporate parks for the high-tech industry, small factories and food processing plants, farms and an abundance of natural attractions, including mountains, rivers and coastal terrain all within close proximity to each other. Numerous towns and cities have both modern cultural venues and traditional Korean hanok architecture. While the sophistication and diversity of Seoul is not far away, Gyeonggi allows visitors to experience Korea’s small country towns and fishing villages without travelling far from Seoul.

A visit to Bukhansan National Park is an easy drive or subway ride from Seoul and offers dozens of hiking trails, cozy mountainside restaurants and interesting temples hidden within the forests. It is the most-visited national park in the country. Namhansanseong Provincial Park is about 15 miles southeast of Seoul. A temple/fortress wall, originally constructed in the 1600s, was mostly destroyed by Japanese forces in the early 20th century, but the location is still beautiful, with rolling mountains and freshwater rivers. Suwon, just 28 miles from Seoul, is the provincial capital, where attractions include the restored 18th-century fortress and palace known as Hwaseong Haenggung. Not far from Suwon is Korean Folk Village with a large collection of traditional thatched and tiled dwellings.

For a look at cutting-edge art in a serene and post-modern environment, visit the Ellen Kim Murphy Art Center (148-4 Daesim-ri, Yanseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, tel 82 31 771 6040), a beautiful white, glass and iron home-gallery designed by noted Korean architect Ryu Chun-Su. Located on a picturesque spot along the Namhan River, the first floor contains eclectic art, and picture windows overlook the river. A restaurant is on the second floor, and the personable owners — Korean art critic and writer Ellen Kim and her American husband Terry Murphy — are usually present.

Although Incheon, like Seoul, is not technically in Gyeonggi Province, there are several off-the-beaten-track islands nearby accessed by high-speed ferries that leave from Incheon’s Yeonan Pier. Deokjeok has beautiful beaches, fairly high elevated points with great views, and private homes that rent rooms. Ganghwa is a much larger island, located farther north up the coast. Famous for its ginseng, its rural attractions include verdant rice fields, egrets, ancient ruins and a six-mile coastal bike trail. Seasonal cuisine includes excellent grilled eel and herring sashimi.

Gyeonggi’s lovely coastal islands are often overlooked by non-Korean visitors, but many tourists book the popular motorcoach tours to northern Gyeonggi for a chance to peer across the border into North Korea. Tours to Panmunjom/DMZ, less than 40 miles from Seoul, are strictly regulated; they must be reserved in advance, and cancellations can occur if the political situation (or even weather conditions) change at the last minute. The Korea Tourism Organization’s website provides DMZ tour information.

Lodging

Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport

Close to the airport, this is a perfect base for exploring coastal islands; features include a pool, a fitness center, Internet access and eight restaurants. 2850-1 Woonseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, tel 82 32 745 1234, $$$$

Ibis Suwon Ambassador

The modern high-rise in Suwon’s financial and shopping district includes a fitness center and sauna, free WiFi, two excellent restaurants, a business center and on-site parking. 1132-12 Ingye-dong Paldal-gu, Suwon, tel 82 31 230 5000, $$

Miranda Hotel, Icheon

Located in Icheon, the “ceramic city” 36 miles southeast of Seoul, this deluxe, ultramodern property is next to the Miranda Hot Spring Spa. 408-1 Anhyung-dong, Icheon City, tel 82 31 639 5118, $$$

Dining

Gomijeong

Paper screens, lotus-patterned walls and floor seating enhance the ambience of this restaurant which claims to serve the best rice in the world. Near Ceramics Village, Icheon, tel 82 31 634 4811 $$

Murphy’s Terrace

This Western-style restaurant occupies the second floor of a rural home and gallery. In good weather, the Korean-style outdoor pork barbecue is a must. Ellen Kim Murphy Art Center, 148-4 Daesim-ri, Yanseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, tel 82 31 771 6040 $

Yeongjonghoesenta

Buy fresh fish, prawns or crabs at the Yeongjongdo Wharf Market, on the same island as Incheon Airport, and this restaurant will cook them for you. tel 82 32 746 0155 $–$$

Checkining Inin With Kim Myung Soo
CEO EO, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization

Are International Leisure And Business Travelers Scovering The Attractions Of Gyeonggi?

Gyeonggi-do is a great place for tourism and a key business-friendly province. Tourism facilities draw almost 35 percent of our international visitors, including the DMZ sites, Suwon’s Hwaseong Fortress and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (both UNES CO World Cultural Heritage sites), Korean Folk Village and the ceramics cities of Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju.

What Korean Companies Have Offices Or Factories In Gyeonggi?

Some of the best Korean companies are located in Gyeonggi. For instance, Samsung, the top semiconductor manufacturer in the world, is located in Suwon. Hyundai and Kia have their assembly lines and research institutes in the region. LG, one of the largest LCD makers, owns a factory in Paju, in cooperation with Philips. Approximately 3,600 foreign companies have also invested in Gyeonggi.

Why Are So Many High-Tech Companies Setting Up Offices In Gyeonggi?

Our location and labor force are the main reasons. It is a short distance to Incheon Airport or Seoul, and there are convenient highways and rail services to Gyeonggi, including the high-speed KTX train. In addition, we are just a few hours by air from the major trading cities in China, Japan, Russia and other areas of Northeast Asia. Our abundant labor force also attracts foreign investors, especially in the high-tech sector.

What Are Some Upcoming Development Projects For The Province?

The Universal Studio Korea Resort project will be equipped with a water park, shopping mall, hotel, condominiums and golf course and, when completed in 2014, will be the largest global theme park in Asia. We expect more than 15 million tourists to visit the resort. The expansion of Kintex, the largest exhibition and convention center in Korea, should bring even more business travelers to the region. We are also planning to invest almost $1 billion to establish a high-technology medical complex in Gwanggyo, to include a large medical research institute, a medical device development center and several clinics.