One of South Korea's largest annual shopping events is going online for 2021. The Korea Grand Sale 2021 launches on January 14, and will begin with a free live concert by K-pop stars Oh My Girl.
The seven-strong girl band known for their quirky songwriting and hits like Windy Day and Secret Garden will be performing on YouTube at 3pm local time (10am UAE-time) on the first day of the festival.
They're also set to be joined by K-pop star Eric Nam. He'll be releasing a weekly video giving viewers tips on the best parts of the festival to visit and discussing all things K-food, K-pop, K-heritage and more.
As part of the festival, viewers can also take an online cultural tour around Korea, visiting the world heritage sites in places like Gyeongsangbuk-do and Jeju
And instead of hitting the country's malls, shoppers can avail of online discounts for K-beauty products, fashion and food. There's also authentic Korean recipes to be found, courtesy of the home-grown luxury hotel chain Lotte. Find out how to whip up tasty bibimbap or a full feast of Gujeolpan.
Any travellers thinking of visiting Korea in the future can take part in the pre-purchase promotion running. This offers discounted tickets to some of the country's most-visited attractions, meaning tourists can get cut-price entry to places like The Korean Folk Village, LotteWorld, Gwangmyeong Cave and the National Museum of Korea. Organisers hope it will encourage people to visit South Korea again when the global pandemic is under control.
Taking place every winter to attract tourists during what is typically the off-season, the Korea Grand Sale will run for six weeks, until Sunday, February 28; www.koreagrandsale.co.kr
It's the second major Korean festival to go online in recent months. In November, the eighth annual Korea Festival went digital with a virtual art exhibition, streamed K-pop concerts, workshops, lectures and film screenings.
