HOLIDAY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

[Anchor Lead]

It's peak vacation season in Korea. For those who don't want to travel to crowded destinations, there's the option of experiencing slow life in a rural community.

[Pkg]

Children are amazed at the sight of a beehive.

[Soundbite] "There are guard bees and nanny bees. They work at different times."

Children watch how the bees gather honey from flowers and learn that the bees play a big role in pollinating fruits.

[Soundbite] "There are so many fruits. Who do you think were here? Honeybees. That's right."

Now they try their hands at being beekeepers. They look nervous but don't hold back from handling a beehive box.

[Soundbite] Kang Na-yun(Rural Experience Program Participant) : "I thought there was honey inside the beehive. But there were bee larvae and they were being fed."

They actually pick up a male bee and gather honey to learn about the bee's importance.

[Soundbite] Yun Sang-bok(Manager, Honeybee Farm) : "Bees are dying and vanishing. So I opened an educational farm program to teach them how important the bees are to agriculture."

There are other interesting and enriching programs in rural communities. Visitors can share the vegetables they picked themselves, make pottery, and even do yoga in the middle of the woods. Since such programs offer special experiences in a peaceful environment, they are gaining attention as enticing vacation spots.

[Soundbite] Ryu Gyeong-min(Rural Experience Program Participant) : "We can play in nature and feel the earth. I wanted a safe environment to do that and I found it right here."

Roughly 250 such rural experience schools have been certified so far. The Rural Development Administration recommends on its website eight places where people can enjoy an overnight stay with their families.