Water parks, hotels, DJ parties: Summer events to check out across Korea

Food & Travel

Published: 28 Jun. 2024, 08:00 Updated: 28 Jun. 2024, 15:27

Water parks, hotels, DJ parties: Summer events to check out across Korea

Visitors to Ocean World in Hongcheon, Gangwon, enjoy the water park's 180-meter water slide [JOONGANG ILBO]

As early heat waves sweep Korea, locals are looking for places to beat the hot weather in style.

Beaches are dropping in popularity. The number of people who visited regional seasides in 2019 was nearly slashed by half in 2023, from 71.57 million to 37.40 million, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries report last week.

Water parks and outdoor pools, meanwhile, are seeing a boom.

Caribbean Bay in Yongin, Gyeonggi, opened its outdoor attractions three weeks earlier than the year prior. As temperatures rose to a high of 36 degrees Celsius, the park’s visitor count doubled between the first and second weeks of June, according to its press release on June 20. Over 100,000 people have reportedly visited the park so far this summer.

Locals take part in a water gun fight hosted by Ocean World [JOONGANG ILBO]

Gmarket, a local e-commerce platform, announced Wednesday that it is selling early-bird passes to Ocean World in Hongcheon, Gangwon, and it is expecting an easy sellout.

“In light of the early June heat, the demand for water parks is spiking,” said Gmarket’s travel department head Lee Jae-ho. “We’ve begun early-bird promotions with large discounts and expect that they will be selling out very quickly.”

Six outdoor pools by the Han River opened last week as well, and hotels across the city are hosting poolside parties with gourmet food and live music. Some are hoping to stand out this season through collaborations and pop-ups.

The Korea JoongAng Daily compiled a list of water parks and hotel pool events that have opened this season.

Water parks

Caribbean Bay is currently operating most of its water attractions, including the Adventure Pool that dumps 2.4 tons of water over people and an artificial wave pool for surfing. It plans to open all its summer attractions by early July. The water park is also holding a slew of events, including a treasure hunt through August that is open to all visitors to Carribean Bay. Twenty treasure finders every day will be awarded various coupons and priority tickets to rides at the water park. Carribean Bay is also slated to stage live poolside performances from its in-house band, Caribe Summer Pop Band, every day starting July 5.

The water park’s sister theme park, Everland, is hosting its annual summer event “Water Stellar,” which will be ongoing through Aug. 25. The event is comprised of various water-related programs and parades, including an all-day water gun fight.

Adventure Pool at Caribbean Bay in Yongin, Gyeonggi [JOONGANG ILBO]

Ocean World inside Vivaldi Resort is operating most of its indoor and outdoor attractions. All seasonal attractions, minus the Family Pool, will be open between July 27 and Aug. 18.

Legoland in Chuncheon, Gangwon, has been transformed into a pirate's treasure island for the summer and opened its Water Maze last week. The maze opens three times each week for 90 minutes. Legoland is currently offering a 20 percent discount on tickets to the Water Maze in an early bird sale, available for purchase through Legoland’s official website. The theme park will also hold an open “Go! Go! Pirates Party” featuring the pirate Bronze Hook and his crew with 15 water cannons and music. Photo booths and food trucks with summer desserts and snacks will be available on-site as well, according to Legoland.

Legoland Korea in Chuncheon, Gyeonggi, has been transformed into a pirate treasure island for the summer. [LEGOLANG KOREA]

Phoenix Pyeongchang Resort’s Blue Canyon water park in Gangwon Province is hosting a 2024 Phoenix Kids Pool Party through Aug. 18. Targeting families with children, the event includes EDM DJ performances, bubble parties and water gun and balloon fights. The resort is also offering an overnight promotional package that includes water park passes. Prices start at 280,000 won ($202).

Hotel pools and parties

The Oasis pool at Banyan Tree Club & Spa in Jung District, central Seoul [BANYAN TREE CLUB & SPA]

Banyan Tree Club & Spa is hosting a weekly poolside party with gym wear brand Up Lounge from July 13 to Aug. 31. Dubbed UpLounge Club Pool Party, the event invites different musical acts and DJs each week, including Dynamic Duo and Ash-B.

Banyan Tree’s outdoor pool, The Oasis, overlooking Mount Namsan is currently open as well. The pool area includes separate adult and children’s pools, jacuzzis, a sand playground and 23 private cabanas. The resort is running the Oasis Cabana Package promotion, which includes a one-night stay, daytime cabana access, a food and beverage set including champagne and fruit, breakfast for two and access to the fitness center and the indoor pool. It runs through Oct. 6 from Monday to Friday with prices starting at 1.22 million won. The Oasis Poolside BBQ Buffet promotion also offers resort guests unlimited beer and barbecue, including sirloin, lamb ribs and lobster, as well as other dishes such as fried rice, chicken curry, various salads and ice cream. The barbecue, held Thursday to Sunday through Sept. 15, can be enjoyed with live performances on Thursdays and Fridays. Prices are 160,000 won for adults and 80,000 won for children.

Poolside barbecue at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Resort in Jung District, central Seoul [BANYAN TREE CLUB & SPA RESORT]

Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan District, central Seoul, has decorated its outdoor pool with a Bottega Veneta theme as part of the Italian fashion brand’s ongoing 2024 Summer Solstice campaign. The bottom of the pool is adorned with the brand’s signature tulip color, which stands for freedom and hope. Drinks and freshly crafted snacks by the hotel’s chefs are available for swimmers and poolside guests. Grand Hyatt Seoul’s outdoor pool is open for free for overnight guests through Sept. 22.

Grand Hyatt Seoul's pool features Bottega Veneta logo [GRAND HYATT SEOUL]

Seoul Dragon City Sky Kingdom in Yongsan District is slated to host a weekly rooftop pool party from July 6. The hotel reportedly attracted some 2,000 people through the event last year. This year, it said that it plans to upgrade its parties by holding them in different themes each week: marine, neon, bubble foam and fire. There will also be live DJ performances featuring artists such as Day Walker, DJ AJ and Godo. The hotel hopes to add more fun through participatory events like bikini contests and “muscle king” competitions. The parties occur every Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. the following day. Tickets are exclusively available on the local reservation platform CatchTable for 50,000 won per person.

Urban Island pool at The Shilla Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul [THE SHILLA SEOUL]

The Shilla Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul, is hosting a slew of parties at its outdoor pool, Urban Island, from July 5 to Nov. 16. They are divided into five “seasons,” each with a different theme and a lineup of DJs. Open to both the hotel’s overnight guests and non-guests, tickets open by season on The Shilla Seoul’s official website and retail platform Prizm. The hotel also offers overnight packages that include tickets to the pool party with prices starting at 790,000 won.

Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan District opened its outdoor Altitude Pool and Lounge. The space is open to non-overnight stayers with an entry fee that is currently 75,000 won until Aug. 18 and 50,000 won from Aug. 19 to Sept. 29. The fees include a welcome drink. The Altitude Lounge offers poolside bites and cocktails with spaces that can seat up to six people. This season, the hotel collaborates with local sunglass brand Carin through a pop-up booth by the pool. Visitors can rent sunglasses at the pool and take pictures against tropically designed photo walls. Altitude Pool and Lounge is also hosting DJ parties and booze pop-ups every other Saturday.