The heat of summer can leave one feeling tired and enervated, but with the kids on vacation and the traveling season reaching its peak, why not take the opportunity to visit a foreign country and get a new perspective on life? The Republic of Korea is such a destination - with its numerous exciting events that will cool you down and re-energize your body and mind.

Korea not only offers fun music festivals, outdoor activities, and performing arts, but also offers cultural festivals that celebrate the history and traditional customs of the Korean people. With the wide variety of interests covered by these events, everyone is sure to find something suitable to their tastes and interests.

Summer in Korea Begins with Fun-filled Festivals

1) Daegu International Musical Festival

When: June 17 ~ July 7, 2008 Where: Main theaters and provisional stages downtown (The Daegu Opera House, Daegu Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu Suseong Artpia, Daegu Harmonia Art Hall), Daegu Website:http://www.dimf.or.kr/english/main/main.htm The Daegu International Musical Festival is the only international festival of its kind in Korea, and aims high at developing musical theater into an industry through which the beauty and joy of musicals can be enjoyed by international visitors and local residents alike. A total of 17 musicals will be presented, including six invitational works, three premiere homegrown musicals, and musicals performed by students.

2) Boryeong Mud Festival

When: July 12~July 20, 2008 (10am-10pm) Where: Daecheon Beach, Poryong City, Chungchongnam-do Province Kyung-ki-do Icheon-si Gwango-dong 69-1 Website:http://www.mudfestival.or.kr/lang/en/index.jsp Boryeong's Mud Festival, or "Mud Fest," on Daecheon Beach is one of the most popular summer destinations for foreigners visiting Korea. By day, Mud Fest is a family-friendly event with its live concerts, beach sports, games, and mud-painting stations. By night, however, Mud Fest is becomes party central with young adults enjoying the beach and bars that remain open until dawn. In addition to the fun festivities, the Mud Fest also celebrates the healing powers of Boryeong mud. Mud has long been considered a marvellous treatment for the skin, and Boryeong mud is known to contain important minerals that help reduce wrinkles and remove excess oil from the skin's surface. Mud baths are also said to improve blood circulation and stimulate the growth of new skin cells. In addition to all the fun and games, Boryeong's beach front also features many local fresh seafood restaurants.

3) Miryang Summer Performing Art Festival

When: July 20~August 5, 2008 Where: Yeongeuk-chon, Gasan-ri, Bubuk-myeon, Miryang-si, Sammun-dong Culture Sports Center Website: www.stt1986.com The Summer Performance Art Festival of Miryang features the only live theatre play directed by the world renowned producer Lee Yun-taek. This festival is beginning to gain recognition as a local performing art festival of Korea. Perks of the location include proximity to Eoreumgol (Ice Valley), Hobakso, and the valley of Pyochungsa, which is situated in the alps of Yongnam. Miryang boasts beautiful, natural scenery and visitors can also enjoy the cool waterfall of Guman. The festival also holds a performance at the forest theatre of the Miryang Love Play Community, which takes place outdoors in the evening and gives attendees a chance to marvel at the stars in the night sky. The festival also consists of a young directors exhibition, a family theatre, a university play exhibition, a children's theatre camp, an acting training workshop of Lee Yun-taek, and an East Asian theatre analyzing seminar

4) Jjokbae (Raft) Water Festival

When: July 27~August 15, 2008 Where: Bungoseom Island in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do Website: http://water.narafestival.com The Jjokbae Water Festival features creative rafts designed in unique shapes to decorate the lake of Bungoseom island. The Water Festival began in 2003 when people began to reproduce the images of boats used in the past to ship salt. The pinnacle of the festival is the Jjokbae building contest. There are no minimum or maximum requirements in size or design for participants, and the only rule is that the raft must sail manually and able to carry more than one person who helped in either designing or constructing the raft. In order to make the contest more enjoyable, the participants are encouraged to bear the annual theme of the festival when designing their rafts. In addition to the contest, the festival also features various water sports and cultural events.

5) 12th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival

When: July 18~27, 2008 Where: Boksagol Cultural Center 394-2 Sang 1-dong, Wonmi-gu Puchon, Gyenggi-do, 420-812 Website: http://www.pifan.com The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival is an annual festival encompassing the film genres of fantasy, horror, science fiction, romance and many others. Venues in which the screenings take place include the Main Hall at Puchon Civic Center, the Grad Ballroom at Puchon City Hall, and the Art Hall at Boksagol Cultural Center. More than 200 films from 33 countries bombard Puchon and fill up the eight festival categories which include Puchon Choice, World Fantastic Cinema, Fantastic Short Films and Family Fanta. Love, fantasy, and adventure are the thrilling themes for this year's festival. A self-proclaimed "festival for the masses" since 1997, the event concentrates on new directors and filmmaking innovation, as well as providing an international platform for the Korean cinema industry. It's also a meeting ground for industry professionals, filmmakers, the media and cinema audiences. With Korean cinema making more waves than ever on an international scale, the film festival is an excellent showcase for Korea's booming film industry.

6) 2008 Hi-Seoul Festival (Han River Festival)

When: July 25~August 3, 2008 Where: Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Han River, Seoul Website:http://www.hiseoulfest.org The Hi Seoul Festival, started in 2003 by Seoul Metropolitan Goverment, used to take place annually in May. However, starting in 2008, the event restructured itself into four seasonal sub-festivals, making the Hi Seoul Festival a year-round event. In the fall is the Art Festival, the Light Festival in the winter, the Palace festival in the spring, and the Han River Festival in the summer. Visitors gather at the Han River in the summer to partake in water sports, live concerts, art displays, and other cultural events.

7) 2008 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival

When: July 25~27, 2008 Where: Songdo Daewoo Motors Field, Incheon City. Website: http://www.pentaportrock.com Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is held annually in Incheon, Korea for three days at the end of July. It is considered to be one of the biggest live music events in Korea. The festival covers various genres of music, but mainly showcases rock and electronic music. The festival includes live performances by The music, The Ratios, DJ Shao, The Moonshiners, Superkid, Travis, Feeder and others. Tickets can be purchased online or by telephone.