Living the 'April Snow' Experience
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Asian Tourists Travel to Locations Where Bae Yong-joon's New Film Was Made
By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter
It's been months since actor Bae Yong-joon and the rest of the crew of the movie "April Snow" wrapped up and left Samchok, Kangwon Province, but the west shore city is still caught up in the tornado the star left behind.
Fans, with cameras hanging from wrists and maps clutched in hands, now roam the streets of Samchok today. Traveling from one locale to the next, they stop to examine the backdrops of scenes from "April Snow" starring Bae, known as "Yonsama" to his many Japanese fans.
One popular stop is the hospital where In-su, the character played by Bae, and Seo-young, played by Son Ye-jin, rush to after being notified that their spouses had been victims of a near-fatal car accident, and eventually learn that they had both been deceived by their unconscious spouses.
The pharmacy where the sleep-deprived In-su and Seo-young go for pills and run into each other is also a popular scene with the tourists.
The Palace Seafood Restaurant, where Seo-young abruptly suggests that they too should begin an affair of their own and one of the places Bae is said to have dined during his stay in Samchok has added the Yonsama Sashimi Special to the menu after finding itself to have become a major tourist attraction.
"The Yonsama Sashimi Special is a sliced fish dish that was particularly enjoyed by Bae", Jung Hye-won, Palace Seafood Restaurant says. "Do I need to say _ fans of Bae are enjoying it as well".
Jung says while they enjoy the food they seem to have even more fun taking photos and talking about their favorite Hallyu star.
"It's not only the fact that this was the backdrop to the movie starring their favorite actor that fascinates them but the experience itself, doing what he did and going where he went," said Choi Bon, who heads Jam Tour, one of many travel agencies that has developed packages to take fans on a tour of the "April Snow" locations.
This is perhaps why the Sae-eunhye Diner, a restaurant that never appears in the movie but was a place Bae frequently visited on his own for home-style cooking, is one of the most visited attractions.
The Sae-eunhye Diner has since February been offering the "Bae Yong-joon Meal", a special course meal made up of 22 of Bae's favorite side dishes.
Owner Choi Mo-kyeon says the menu is something fans first coming to the diner all try but faithful fans, who become regulars, often opt for other dishes on following visits.
"I think their interest in a Korean actor leads them to have more of an interest in his culture", Choi says.
"By looking at the scribbling on the walls, I'm almost sure of this. You see, more and more fans are leaving messages in Korean", she adds.
The Samhung Motel, where In-su and Son Seo-young in the midst of dealing with their anger, sense their feelings escalate, is where Jam Tour arranges accommodation for its customers and ensures that they are able to visit the room where In-su stayed.
If you pass by the motel's parking lot, you will witness fans trying to place the exact spot where Seo-young comes upon a frustrated In-su who is throwing snowballs.
Samchok City estimates that 210,000 tourists coming everywhere from Japan and China to the Southeastern Asian countries of Singapore and Malaysia have visited this year alone.
The city is expecting the number of inbound tourists to double by year's end since "April Snow" recently opened. It was released in local theaters Sept. 9 and in seven other Asian countries, respectively.
Ryu Jae-ho, director of the city's tourism development division, says that the city has benefited in many ways from the movie.
"It has definitely helped boost the city's image," Ryu said. "We're seeing the economic effect to be over 3 billion won and growing."
And with winter soon to come, Ryu expects even more tourists to visit as the majority of the movie was filmed in the cold snowy season.
"In addition to the fact that the visitors would experience the same conditions the stars experienced, the backdrop would be the same as that of the movie. What more could you ask for to get you in the mood?" Ryu said.
By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter
It's been months since actor Bae Yong-joon and the rest of the crew of the movie "April Snow" wrapped up and left Samchok, Kangwon Province, but the west shore city is still caught up in the tornado the star left behind.
Fans, with cameras hanging from wrists and maps clutched in hands, now roam the streets of Samchok today. Traveling from one locale to the next, they stop to examine the backdrops of scenes from "April Snow" starring Bae, known as "Yonsama" to his many Japanese fans.
One popular stop is the hospital where In-su, the character played by Bae, and Seo-young, played by Son Ye-jin, rush to after being notified that their spouses had been victims of a near-fatal car accident, and eventually learn that they had both been deceived by their unconscious spouses.
The pharmacy where the sleep-deprived In-su and Seo-young go for pills and run into each other is also a popular scene with the tourists.
The Palace Seafood Restaurant, where Seo-young abruptly suggests that they too should begin an affair of their own and one of the places Bae is said to have dined during his stay in Samchok has added the Yonsama Sashimi Special to the menu after finding itself to have become a major tourist attraction.
"The Yonsama Sashimi Special is a sliced fish dish that was particularly enjoyed by Bae", Jung Hye-won, Palace Seafood Restaurant says. "Do I need to say _ fans of Bae are enjoying it as well".
Jung says while they enjoy the food they seem to have even more fun taking photos and talking about their favorite Hallyu star.
"It's not only the fact that this was the backdrop to the movie starring their favorite actor that fascinates them but the experience itself, doing what he did and going where he went," said Choi Bon, who heads Jam Tour, one of many travel agencies that has developed packages to take fans on a tour of the "April Snow" locations.
This is perhaps why the Sae-eunhye Diner, a restaurant that never appears in the movie but was a place Bae frequently visited on his own for home-style cooking, is one of the most visited attractions.
The Sae-eunhye Diner has since February been offering the "Bae Yong-joon Meal", a special course meal made up of 22 of Bae's favorite side dishes.
Owner Choi Mo-kyeon says the menu is something fans first coming to the diner all try but faithful fans, who become regulars, often opt for other dishes on following visits.
"I think their interest in a Korean actor leads them to have more of an interest in his culture", Choi says.
"By looking at the scribbling on the walls, I'm almost sure of this. You see, more and more fans are leaving messages in Korean", she adds.
The Samhung Motel, where In-su and Son Seo-young in the midst of dealing with their anger, sense their feelings escalate, is where Jam Tour arranges accommodation for its customers and ensures that they are able to visit the room where In-su stayed.
If you pass by the motel's parking lot, you will witness fans trying to place the exact spot where Seo-young comes upon a frustrated In-su who is throwing snowballs.
Samchok City estimates that 210,000 tourists coming everywhere from Japan and China to the Southeastern Asian countries of Singapore and Malaysia have visited this year alone.
The city is expecting the number of inbound tourists to double by year's end since "April Snow" recently opened. It was released in local theaters Sept. 9 and in seven other Asian countries, respectively.
Ryu Jae-ho, director of the city's tourism development division, says that the city has benefited in many ways from the movie.
"It has definitely helped boost the city's image," Ryu said. "We're seeing the economic effect to be over 3 billion won and growing."
And with winter soon to come, Ryu expects even more tourists to visit as the majority of the movie was filmed in the cold snowy season.
"In addition to the fact that the visitors would experience the same conditions the stars experienced, the backdrop would be the same as that of the movie. What more could you ask for to get you in the mood?" Ryu said.
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