TOURISTS HEAD TO JEJUDO ISLAND

[Anchor Lead]

As Korea slowly returns to normalcy, the resort island of Jeju is once again bustling with tourists. Let’s check out some tour packages promising a new start in the era of living with COVID-19.

[Pkg]

These people walk the trail at the foot of Hallasan Mountain that embodies scenes of both autumn and winter. They arrive at the entrance of the Gwaneumsa Temple trekking course. They change socks and check their gear before they start walking up the mountain. They are taking part in the “Zero Point Trail” program in which they walk the 31-kilometer course that leads up to the near 2,000-meter summit of Hallasan Mountain. The hikers started at sea level with a new resolve to live their lives to the fullest in the era of living with COVID-19.

[Soundbite] Min Gyeong-su(Inje-gun County Resident) : "I wanted to come see this after I finished military service. We were able to come for the first time in two years as Korea began Living with COVID-19."

A large container is set up on a pier adjacent to the vast sea surrounding Jeju. This is a pop-up exhibit about wind, one of Jeju Island’s most abundant resources.

[Soundbite] Jeong Ji-won(Jeju Tourism Organization) : "The exhibit’s goal was to put everyone’s wish in the wind of Jeju. Its theme is air pollution, an environmental issue related to wind."

Tourists get a chance to see the seriousness of air pollution and come up with their own solutions.

[Soundbite] Jo Seo-hui(Goyang resident) : "I saw the need to preserve the earth. I want COVID-19 to go away so I can go to school without a mask."

In this era of living with COVID-19, tour packages that focus on a new start and restoration are gaining attention.