Korea Grand Sale 2015 to kick off next week

Dozens of Korean restaurants will offer discounts during the Korea Grand Sale 2015 from Dec. 1 through Feb. 22 so foreign visitors can experience Korean food, along with shopping centers, theaters and hotels. / Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

By Kim Rahn

The Korea Grand Sale 2015 will open next Monday for an 84-day run through Feb. 22.

The annual sales event, which marks its fifth year, will provide attractive deals at major shopping, dining, lodging and cultural establishments. Some 28,000 outlets owned by 135 companies are participating in the event, according to the Visit Korea Committee, the event organizer.

Discounts of up to 70 percent will be available at the participating hotels, department stores, shopping malls, duty free shops and performance halls in Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island and the Gyeonggi, Gangwon, North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces.

This year’s event will run longer compared to those of previous years, which ran for only 45 days between January and February.

The event will provide various activities and promotions to attract travelers.

On the first day on Dec. 1, a welcome event will be held at six international airports nationwide _ Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae, Yangyang, Cheongju and Jeju. Volunteers in hanbok will provide Korea Grand Sale brochures to overseas visitors.

Various events and promotions are available both online and offline during the Korea Grand Sale 2015.

The Lucky Box event is scheduled every Saturday and Sunday in December. Overseas visitors who make more than 300,000 won in purchases will have a chance to win a lottery by presenting their receipts at an event booth in Myeong-dong. Each day, 30 people can win prizes, which include keys made of gold, red ginseng products and cosmetics.

The committee will also run an online event, Luxury Shopping Pass, on the Korea Grand Sale website through Dec. 31. A total of 100 people who create their own online shopping coupon lists will receive gifts, including round-trip tickets from Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air and Jeju Air; Lotte Hotel accommodation vouchers; duty free shop vouchers; and K-pop concert tickets.

In another online event, 888, visitors who download eight coupons from the website and post a photo of themselves at the event booth on their social networking services will have a chance to win prizes. Winners will be announced on Dec. 8, 18 and 28; Jan. 8, 18 and 28; and Feb. 8 and 18.

Those with a MasterCard, the official sponsor of the event, will receive additional discounts at the Dongwha Duty Free Shop and Etude House cosmetics outlets. The discount rates increase according to the amount of purchase.

Some traditional markets will also offer special services for visitors. For example, Yeongcheon Market in central Seoul will offer an interpretation service.

From January, the event will be divided into three periods, with the benefits increasing in each successive period.

During the Must-See period from Jan. 9 to 23, buy one, get one free tickets will be available for nonverbal performances, including “Sachoom,” “Bibap” and “Jump.”

During the Must-Do period from Jan. 24 to Feb. 7, admission to theme parks, including Everland, One Mount and Woongjin Play Doci, will be available at a 50-percent discount.

During the Must-Buy period from Feb. 8 to 22, which includes the Lunar New Year holiday, various promotions and discounts will be offered at major department stores and shopping malls.

“The Korea Grand Sale 2015 will offer festive, diverse events. We hope that overseas visitors can experience not only good shopping deals but also Korea’s various cultural and tourist contents,” Han Kyung-ah, secretary-general of the committee, said.

For more information on the event, visit www.koreagrandsale.co.kr.