In March this year, Incheon International Airport was selected as the Best Airport Worldwide in the annual Airport Service Quality Awards for the year 2010. The airport has been crowned the world’s best among some 1,700 airports, in the award program conducted by the Airport Council International (ACI), for six years in a row, setting a new record in the award's history. The airport was first crowned in 2005, only just a few years after its March 2001 opening.
Incheon International Airport is reputed for its prompt immigration processes backed by its IT-based passenger advance notice system, as well as its cleanliness and ease of transfer. Not only does it serve as one of the leading logistics and transportation hubs in Asia, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, but it also offers diverse programs tailored to the needs of foreign visitors interested in knowing more about the country’s traditional culture.
Incheon International Airport offers a wide array of cultural and leisure activities: (left) traditional Korean music performance; (right) Indoor ice-skating rink (Photos courtesy of the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation [left] and Incheon International Airport Corporation [right]). |
Experiencing traditional Korean culture at the last minute before leaving Korea
On the third floor of the passenger terminal, alongside a plethora of high-end brand shops, two Traditional Korean Cultural Experience Zones and two Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Centers are located in each wing. The spaces, run by the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, aim at promoting Korea’s traditional culture to a global audience of world travelers.
Foreign travelers experience different kinds of traditional Korean cultural activities (Photos courtesy of the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation). |
Another popular event that one should not miss is a reenactment of the royal march of the king and queen consort of the Joseon Dynasty accompanied by several dozen gentlemen in traditional outfits. The promenade of the royal family takes place twice a day at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
(left) The Traditional Craft Gallery, Korea House; (right) Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Center activities (Photos courtesy of the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation) |
Built inside the new concourse in the transfer lounge (4F) is the Korean Culture Museum. The museum showcases some of Korea’s national treasures and traditional art pieces in close collaboration with the National Museum of Korea. If you missed a visit to the National Museum of Korea during your stay in Seoul, be sure to swing by. The museum is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A variety of leisure facilities
Haven’t checked your email? Go to the Internet Lounge available at a number of spots around the passenger terminal and concourse. Access to the Internet is complimentary. Wireless internet is also available for laptop holders.
Spa on Air, selected as one of the nine hidden venues at Incheon airport by CNN (click here to read the full article) offers body massages and a 24-hour sauna. A perfect location to rest and freshen up in between connecting flights, Spa on Air can be found on the basement floor of the passenger terminal.
If you have more free time left over even after a relaxing sauna, a visit to Airstar Terrace on the fourth floor of the passenger terminal can be nice. The airport observatory deck, which opens from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., offers a panoramic view towards the airstrip outside and dazzling vistas of the endless take-offs and landings, especially at night time.
Incheon Airport opened its indoor ice-skating rink on August 20 this year (Photo courtesy of Incheon International Airport Corporation). |
Incheon International Airport keeps pushing its boundaries, creating new paradigms on what an airport should be. A multiplex movie theater is set to open by the end of this year, providing a more varied choice for passengers. For more information, please visit the official website at: www.airport.kr/eng (Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese).
By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer