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K-pop idol Bae Jinyoung on what he loves about winter in South Korea

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787494466061bae jin young graced the korea travel fiesta 2026 at sm mall of asia.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Bae Jinyoung at the Korea Travel Fiesta 2026 | Photo courtesy of SM Mall of Asia</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>K-Pop idol <strong>Bae Jinyoung</strong>, formerly of Wanna One and CIX, graced the <strong>Korea Travel Fiesta 2026</strong>, held at <strong>SM Mall of Asia</strong> on August 22. </p><p>With the theme &quot;<strong>Your Winter Playground</strong>,&quot; the two-day event (August 22 and 23), presented by <strong>Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Manila</strong>, invited Filipinos to discover the many experiences Korea has to offer—from winter getaways and ski holidays to K-Culture, K-Beauty, and K-Food. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787495211889korea travel fiesta 2026.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Korea Travel Fiesta 2026: Your Winter Playground Opening Ceremony with (from left): Representative from NANTA; K-Creator CJ Galsim; Honorary Ambassador for Korea Family Tourism in the Philippines, Melai Cantiveros-Francisco; Director of Korea Tourism Organization Manila Office, Park Young Hee; Director of the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, Kim Myeongjin; Executive Vice President for Marketing of SM Supermalls, Joaquin San Agustin; Bae Jin-young; and Representative from Korea Taekwondo Association</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>An initiative geared towards strengthening the growing travel ties between Korea and the Philippines, Korea Travel Fiesta 2026 also gathered Korean and Filipino guests and performers, alongside content creators, to not only entertain the mallgoers but also give them travel tips and ideas for that perfect wintry escape. </p><p>According to a press release from SM Supermalls, more than 30,000 visitors gathered at SM Mall of Asia to check out Korea Travel Fiesta 2026 at the mall&#x27;s Music Hall and Central Atrium. Since there is no winter in the Philippines, there&#x27;s even more interest in experiencing this season in South Korea, and the turnout of this event is solid proof. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787501766066bae jinyoung korea travel fiesta 2026 C.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787501834660bae jinyoung korea travel fiesta 2026 D.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787501851499bae jinyoung korea travel fiesta 2026 E.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>Aside from performing, Bae Jinyoung also participated in a Q&amp;A session with host Ai dela Cruz, who asked the Korean star about his travel recommendations. </p><p>To kick things off, Ai asked Bae Jinyoung about the first word that comes to mind when he thinks of winter in Korea. The singer gave a short reply that needed no translation for the Filipino crowd to understand: &quot;Sarang,&quot; which means love. </p><p>&quot;Because during winter in Korea, it snows, right? And when it snows, it kind of brings the vibe to be more romantic,&quot; he explained. </p><p>Bae Jinyoung talked about how much he enjoys <strong>skiing</strong> when asked about his favorite winter activities in Korea. He said, &quot;Ever since I was young, I was able to have a lot of good and precious memories while skiing in the skiing area. If my fans ever get a chance to visit Korea, I would definitely recommend them to visit the skiing area.&quot;</p><p>He added, &quot;I have so many good and precious memories about skiing. So, ever since I was little, my dad would come to my room at dawn, in the morning, and he would ask me to go skiing with him. So, even until now, whenever it&#x27;s the winter season, when somebody wakes me up early in the morning, I kind of think, &#x27;Oh, is it time for skiing?&#x27;&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787494636992bae jin young korea travel fiesta 2026 A.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Although he said he&#x27;s really not the adventurous type and prefers staying at home, he thinks popular tourist spots like <strong>Myeongdong</strong>, a well-known shopping district, are worth visiting when it&#x27;s winter season. Indeed, walking around the store-lined streets of Myeongdong on a cold winter day sounds like a great idea. </p><p style="text-align:left">Ai told him that in the Philippines, Filipinos typically love having hot soup when it&#x27;s cold. So, she asked him about his go-to comfort food during winter. To which he replied, &quot;So, there are actually three foods that are coming to mind right now. First is <strong><em>bungeoppang</em></strong>, which is a fish-shaped red bean bread. Second one is <strong><em>hotteok</em></strong>. And then the third one is <strong>fish cake soup</strong>.&quot;</p><p>Now, if he were to create an itinerary for and with his fans during winter in Korea, here are the activities he thinks would be fun to squeeze in a day: skiing, sledding, ice fishing, and then cooking the fish they caught for dinner.</p><p>Lastly, he encouraged everyone to visit Korea during winter, saying, &quot;I have visited several countries in my life, but winter in Korea has something special because when it snows, it becomes very romantic, and people become very warm to each other... At the same time, the activities you can enjoy during winter are varied.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787502688088EUJ07787.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>Korea Travel Fiesta 2026 was also graced by acclaimed hip-hop dance crew <strong>BANK TWO BROTHERS</strong>, known for their powerful performances and choreography; Filipino singer <strong>Gwyn Dorado </strong>from South Korea&#x27;s <em>Sing Again 4</em>; the <strong>Korea Taekwondo Association</strong>,<strong></strong> which<strong></strong> <strong></strong>impressed audiences with an exciting demonstration of the country&#x27;s iconic martial art; and the internationally acclaimed Korean performance <strong>NANTA</strong>, which<strong></strong> brought its signature combination of comedy, music, rhythm, and high-energy entertainment to the stage.</p><p>Filipino television personality and host <strong>Melai Cantiveros-Francisco</strong>, actor <strong>Jason Francisco</strong>, and their children Mela and Stella—KTO&#x27;s Honorary Ambassador for Korea Family Tourism in the Philippines—also joined the festivities and shared in the celebration of Korea&#x27;s appeal as a destination for Filipino families and travelers.<em></em><strong></strong><br/></p><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Photos courtesy of<strong> SM Mall of Asia</strong></p>

<p>Planning a winter trip in Korea? Here are some travel recommendations from Bae Jinyoung. </p>

Planning a winter trip in Korea? Here are some travel recommendations from Bae Jinyoung.

K-Pop Idol Bae Jinyoung Shares His Favorite Winter Activities in Korea

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K-Pop Idol Bae Jinyoung Shares His Favorite Winter Activities in Korea

Grace Libero

Published August 23, 2026 11:00 PM PHT

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Updated August 24, 2026 12:49 AM PHT

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Korea Travel Fiesta 2026

Bae Jinyoung

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