Topics Discussed
Nami Island’s origins, General Nami and the false tomb, Korea’s domestic tourism boom, Winter Sonata and the early Korean Wave, K-drama tourism, artist Kang Woo-hyon’s transformation of the island, the Republic of Naminara, tourism marketing, Gapyeong attractions, Instagram tourism, overtourism, and whether Nami Island is actually worth visiting.
Useful Timestamps
Tourist Season summer replay introduction
Why are we talking about Nami Island?
Nami Island wasn’t originally an island
General Nami and the false tomb
The Bukhangang “land of tourist traps”
Winter Sonata changes everything
How Winter Sonata helped launch the Korean Wave
K-dramas as tourism marketing
The artist who reinvented Nami Island
~ The Republic of Naminara and its tourism gimmicks
~ What Nami Island is actually like to visit
~ Other Gapyeong tourist attractions
Who should actually visit Nami Island?
The contradiction of “eco-tourism” and mass tourism
Instagram, influencers, and manufactured destinations
Closing and Dark Side of Seoul tours
Final travel advice
Mentioned During the Episode
Nami Island / Republic of Naminara, Winter Sonata, Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo, Korean Tourism Organization, Bukhangang, Cheongpyeong Dam, General Nami, Gapyeong, Petite France, K-drama filming locations, the Korean Wave, Korean domestic tourism, Instagram tourism, Dark Side of Seoul tours, and ZenKimchi Experiences.
Links
Dark Side of Seoul:
darksideofseoul.com
ZenKimchi Experiences:
zenkimchi.com
YouTube:
Dark Side of Seoul on YouTube
Patreon:
Dark Side of Seoul Patreon
About The Dark Side of Seoul
The Dark Side of Seoul explores the strange, hidden, and occasionally disturbing sides of Korean history, folklore, culture, crime, and travel. Hosted by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show draws on decades of experience living, researching, writing, and guiding in Korea.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
