Visit Korea: The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025 🔊 Calling out to all photo enthusiasts 📸! Korea Plaza, KTO Malaysia is back with The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025 🇰🇷✨! Got stunning photos from your recent Korea trip? 🌸🌤️🍁☃️ Don’t just let them sit in your gallery, share them with us and take us on a virtual journey through your lens 😁. We’re looking for your best shots captured in Korea between 1 January, 2024 – 30 June, 2025! If you’ve visited Korea within this period and snapped some amazing moments, don’t miss this chance to win exciting prizes 🎁. 📅 Submission Period: 7 July 2025 ~ 27 July 2025 📌 Eligibility : Open to all Malaysian & Bruneian citizens residing in the respective countries. 📸 Maximum of 2 photos per person, don’t forget to include the date the photo was taken! 💸 No participation fee, just your best Korea shots! 🔗 Submission Link: https://forms.gle/JLMgAHMfUsDriMou8 ‼️ IMPORTANT ‼️ Kindly read our Terms & Conditions below before applying. Contest overview, selection criteria, rules & regulations, and copyright details are all listed there. Don’t miss this chance to win a return flight ticket to Korea 😆! Join Now 🤩! Visit Korea: The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025: Terms and Conditions 1. General The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025 is organised by the KTO Malaysia. 2. Eligibility Entry is open to all Malaysians and Brunei citizens living in the respective country. 3. Contest Overview 3.1 KTO Malaysia : The Korea Tourism Organization, Kuala Lumpur Office. 3.2 Entry : All submissions of photos that participate in The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025. 3.3 First Round : The submitted photo that has been reviewed on its format and also the shooting information. 3.4 Final Round : The period of exhibition of selected 30 photos will be displayed and will be voted to determine the final winner. 3.5 Finalist : The selected 30 photos from the submission that meet the criteria through selection by KTO Malaysia internal evaluation. 3.6 Winner : Winner is the top three (3) finalists. 4. Contest Timeline 4.1. Application Period: 7th July, 2025 (Monday) ~ 27th July, 2025 (Sunday) 4.1.1. Contestants can submit a maximum of two (2) photos (optional) but must submit AT LEAST one (1) photo for the contest. 4.2. Announcement of Finalist 11th August, 2025 (Monday) 4.2.1. 30 photos will be selected to proceed to the Final Round. 4.2.2. The announcement for the Finalist will be posted on KTO Malaysia Official Instagram and Facebook. 4.3. Exhibition Period 11th August, 2025 (Monday) ~ 12th September, 2025 (Friday) 4.3.1. Exhibition will be held at Korea Plaza, Ground Floor, Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur. 4.3.2. During the exhibition, public voting will be conducted in two (2) ways: - Online Voting: Google form will be posted on KTO official social media for the public to vote. - Offline Voting: Offline voting mechanism will be used for the public to come and view the printed version of the finalist picture. They also will do the voting physically. 4.4. Announcement of the Winners To be announced later 4.4.1. The Winners will be announced on KTO Malaysia Official Facebook and Instagram and will be having an award ceremony (will be announced at a later date). 4.4.2. The Award Winning Works will be also presented on the KTO Malaysia Official Facebook and Instagram (notified). It will be posted and will be notified individually by personal email registered when the work is received. (Not acceptable by email under someone else's name) Notes: All details and dates are subject to change depending on KTO Malaysia and will be announced on KTO Malaysia Official Facebook and Instagram. 5. Selection Criteria 5.1. Criteria for evaluation: Publicity, subject suitability, and workability. *Photos that showcase unique overall photos theme and creative style will receive additional points. 5.2. First Round: First Round criteria is based on the internal evaluation from KTO Malaysia. During this stage, a panel of judges will carefully review each photograph, considering aspects such as originality, technical excellence, and adherence to the contest theme. 5.3. Final Round: Final Round will be entirely based on voting from the public and also the internal evaluation from KTO Malaysia. 6. Rules 6.1. No participation fee is required to enter the contest. 6.2. All photo(s) that are submitted must be captured in South Korea by yourself within 1st January, 2024 until 30th June, 2025. 6.3. Every photo(s) submitted for this contest has to be taken by the contestant who submitted this contest. Submissions featuring photo(s) taken by someone else, including those downloaded from the internet or taken by third parties, will be disqualified. 6.4. Every photo(s) submitted for this contest must be not previously submitted to any publication or used to win in any photo contest within or outside of Malaysia. 6.5. Entries must be limited to a maximum of two (2) photos per person. 6.6. Contestants may use photo(s) that have been captured by any type of camera (including smartphones). 6.7. Photo(s) must be in .jpeg / .jpg / .png / .tiff / .tif / .heic / .heif format with long-side length a minimum 3,000 Pixel (meta information required). Any submission that failed to follow the format will be rejected. 6.8. For the entry, contestants are allowed to digitally touch-up their photos using computer software. However, photo manipulation such as montage, superimpose, photography tricks, etc. are strictly not allowed. 6.9. Photo(s) that are snapped by using filters are acceptable if they can still submit the Meta Information. 6.10. Contestants that are eligible to the Final Round will be contacted by KTO Malaysia after the First Round Selection. 6.11. Finalists are required to provide the original Meta Information (EXIF data) of each submitted photo(s), indicating when and where the photo(s) was taken, to verify its authenticity. 6.12. Finalists whose Meta Information has been manipulated or if all types of shooting information, such as shooting date and shooting device, cannot be confirmed (including cases where only part of it can be confirmed), the applicant will be excluded from the finalists. 6.13. The contest form, along with the entries, may be submitted through a dedicated link. 6.14. By submitting a photo(s), the contestant is deemed to have read, understood, and accepted all terms and conditions outlined in this contest. For entries featuring identifiable individuals, the contestant is also considered to have obtained the necessary consent for portrait rights. 6.15. Panel judges’ decision is final and any correspondence will not be entertained. 6.16. All winners will be informed by KTO Malaysia. Announcement of the winners will be carried out at a later date determined by KTO Malaysia. 7. Copyright 7.1. Finalists have to agree to transfer ownership of your submitted photo(s) if you are selected to become 30 finalists for the Final Round. 7.2. If you do not agree to provide the copyright for the photo(s) for a work that has entered the finals, you may request withdrawal, which means that the work will be excluded from the Final Round. If a withdrawal request is made after receiving an award, this applies from the time of the withdrawal request, the use of KTO Malaysia prior to the request is deemed to have been consented to, and the prize received from KTO Malaysia must be returned. 7.3. The KTO Malaysia will own full copyright on the photos selected for the Final Round in this contest. The photos cannot be used by the contestant for any other commercial activity or used to enter any other photo contest. 7.4. The KTO Malaysia shall not acquire any rights to photos that do not qualify for the Final Round, and the submitted photos are used solely for the purpose of the contest entry. 7.5. In case there are people's faces, gestures and body in that photo, the KTO Malaysia has the right to use the photo(s) without permission after the agreement. 8. Results and Announcement of Final Round Finalists of the ‘The 3rd Visit Korea Photo Contest 2025’ will be contacted through the personal contact that has been provided when submitting photos. Contestants who do not receive any contacts/email/messages/announcements from KTO Malaysia after 11th August, 2025 (Monday) are considered unselected for the Final Round. In case of results sent via email, contestants are required to check their spam mails frequently. 9. Rejection The KTO Malaysia reserves the right to reject any entry that does not comply with the stipulated terms and conditions. KTO Malaysia also reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions as deemed necessary. Entries that are found to violate the terms and conditions will be disqualified immediately and the winning entry will be declared null and void if the violation is detected after the announcement of winners.

Solo in Seoul: Finding Freedom in Familiar Streets 💫 Travel writer Wahida Asrani opens up about her journey from hesitant overthinker to confident solo traveler in Seoul. Despite visiting Korea 16 times, it wasn’t until recently that she found the courage to explore the city alone. What started as a spontaneous decision became her personal form of "me time" therapy. From sipping matcha lattes in Instagram-worthy cafés to joining guided day trips to hidden gems like Pocheon, Wahida shows that solo travel in Seoul, especially for women, can be both safe and soul-refreshing. With the help of apps like Naver Map and KakaoMap, plus a trusty tripod, she’s documenting her adventures and encouraging others to take the leap. Planning your first solo trip? Let Wahida’s experience be your guide, Seoul might just be the perfect place to start. ✨ 👉 Ready to travel on your own terms? Find inspiration in Wahida’s solo journey! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Out of my 16 visits to Korea so far, I have only traveled solo there three times. Some have said I should have started earlier since I’ve been returning to the country so frequently. However, having the guts to do so wasn’t easy for me, even though I can confidently say that I’m quite familiar with many areas in Korea (particularly Seoul) after several visits. I would say that I wasn’t confident enough to travel alone because I tend to overthink. Would I be safe? What if this happens? What if that happens?—all these questions kept popping into my mind whenever the idea of going alone crossed my mind. I have always been amazed by those solo travelers (especially females) who can go to many countries alone, yet manage to explore many areas while they are there. I started my solo journey back to Seoul last year during summer. It was a short trip as I had no confidence to stay longer there since I was just a ‘newbie’ solo traveler. The idea to start exploring Korea alone came out of the blue, when I had just come back from my recent trip with friends a week earlier (which was at the end of the spring season). Yes, it was so random that I just went ahead and purchased the flight tickets for the following month and booked the accommodation. Before I knew it, I was already boarding the flight to Korea as a solo traveller for the first time. The writer during her first solo trip to Seoul From being an overthinker, I started to feel the excitement of traveling alone. It’s not just because Seoul is a familiar city to me, but also because the freedom of going anywhere at my own pace is something I truly treasure during my solo trips. Of course, I still love traveling with friends, but I believe that sometimes, you need your 'me-time' too. And I think the best place to start your solo journey is somewhere you’re already familiar with. I’m sure some readers have been doing this often, as they’ve been traveling solo to other countries for a while. However, for those who are considering going to Seoul alone—especially females!—I hope some of my insights here will be helpful to you. Is Seoul a safe city for solo female travelers? I’m sure this question is on the minds of many solo female travelers, whether you’re considering Seoul for your next solo trip or you're a returning visitor looking to explore the city (or other parts of the country) alone for the first time. You’ve probably done some Googling, and many solo travelers have highlighted that Seoul is one of the safest cities to travel alone. I also came across articles mentioning that the city has a low crime rate, but I won’t go into detail on this, as safety can be quite a subjective topic. For me, it doesn’t matter which country or city we go to; safety is always the priority. As a solo female traveler, I will ensure that the areas I plan to visit are considered “solo-friendly places,” which means I can freely walk around without having to worry about my safety. Not sure whether you will agree with me on this or not, but personally, I always feel that some places I go naturally give me the ‘vibe’ that they are safe. Being a solo female traveler shouldn’t limit your Seoul adventure, as you can always research places to visit beforehand If it’s your first solo trip to Seoul, I advise you to avoid exploring less crowded areas at night and make sure the places you plan to visit are easily accessible by public transportation like subways and buses. I wrote in my previous article in April about useful apps like Naver Map and KakaoMap, which can assist travelers in moving around Seoul and other cities easily using public transportation. So, make sure you install any of the apps (yes, it can be both too) before traveling to Korea. Another thing you should take note of as a solo female traveler is to find a “safe” accommodation too. There are quite a number of female-friendly accommodations (such as guesthouses, Airbnb, and hotels) in Seoul that you can Google, which are affordable as well. In fact, many affordable accommodations can be found in central areas of Seoul, such as Myeongdong and Dongdaemun. Worry not, these areas are definitely safe for solo female travelers as they are also tourist spots. Just make sure that if you stay in a dorm with other travelers, you keep your belongings safe! As for me, whenever I travel alone, I normally like to stay in hotels that I’ve never tried before with friends, preferably in areas that are easily accessible by public transportation, even if they are not located in central areas. I prefer a single room just for myself because I have to admit that I’m the type of person who doesn’t travel ‘lightly’ even for a short trip. And yes, a not-so-extroverted person like me may be more suited to staying in a private room rather than a shared one. Whatever it is, it depends on your travel preference (and your budget too, of course) because there are plenty of accommodation options around Seoul to choose from anyway. Traveling solo in Seoul has become part of the writer’s 'me time' therapy these days, but of course, she still loves coming back with friends too Enjoying solo experience in Seoul So, what’s good in Seoul if you travel alone? Rather than me listing down places to visit as a solo traveler (which you can definitely include common tourist spots or refer to my previous articles for other spots to visit 😊 ), I prefer to share my experiences of exploring the city at my own pace. Perhaps as a returning traveler, it is somehow an advantage for me as I don’t have to worry much about which places to go and how to reach them. However, for first-timers too, it won’t be that difficult to roam around the city alone because you will definitely do some research as well. Plus, with the help of the apps that I mentioned earlier, you will be fine. I’m sure many solo travellers may agree with me that at times, enjoying our own company is a satisfying experience. As someone who loves to travel with friends to Seoul, I can’t deny that solo trips did give me a sense of 'freedom,' especially on days when I just feel like wandering around the city and seeing where I would end up, which most of the time might be hard to do with a big group of friends. My routine whenever I go back to Seoul alone is just to explore the city without a specific itinerary. And of course, one of my favourite activities is visiting Instagrammable cafes—sipping my favourite matcha latte and eating a slice of cake or any pastry while watching people walk outside the café from the window are true Zen moments for me. As a solo traveler, whether it's street food, café pastries and drinks, or a famous brand of beverage, just enjoy whatever you like at your own leisure I would also try to go for at least a day trip tour out of Seoul, which I think is quite an interesting activity not only for solo travelers but also for those traveling in groups. This is especially great if you’ve already covered a lot of places in the city and want to explore areas outside Seoul that are harder to reach by public transportation or take longer to get to. Last winter, I went to Pocheon, where I visited Baegun Ice Valley, Herb Island, and Sanjeong Lake and I tell you, these places offer absolutely stunning views! If you are concerned about reaching areas like this as a solo female traveler (since they’re quite far from Seoul), opting for a day-trip tour can be a good option. You can check travel sites like Klook and Trazy, which offer many day-trip packages from Seoul (and even from cities like Busan) at affordable prices. At least this way, you won’t have to worry much about transportation or language barriers since the tour guide can speak English. In fact, you might even make new friends through this kind of tour. That’s how I met my Korean chingu , Chloe, who was the guide for my Pocheon trip and whom I still keep in touch with until now. I have also started documenting my journeys in Seoul through simple vlogs after my first solo trip last year. Of course, all this while, I have been uploading photos and videos on my Instagram, but after experiencing the difficulties of taking photos alone, I bought a selfie stick and tripod. That’s how I started developing an interest in producing short reels and videos of my Seoul journeys (although so far, I am only confident enough to upload the content on my personal Instagram). It’s a new interest I never thought I would have—recording myself with a selfie stick and tripod alone in the middle of streets, in cafés, and even while donning a Hanbok at Gyeongbokgung Palace. At least I’ve built up my confidence in this area; perhaps I just need more training to produce better-quality videos next time J. For the writer, exploring Seoul isn't hard for a solo traveler because all you need are just basic Korean words and relevant navigation apps. You will definitely experience and learn something new if you embark on a solo trip because, when you’re alone, you need to be independent. That’s when having at least some basic 'survival skills' becomes important, especially if you’ve never traveled alone to Korea before. Trust me, exploring Seoul alone isn’t that hard. Learning simple Korean words and familiarizing yourself with navigation apps are enough to help you get around the city. So, start planning your first solo adventure (if you haven't done so yet) and make it one of your most memorable trips. Have fun in Seoul in advance! *The writer’s colleagues gifted her a new tripod for her 43rd birthday earlier this year. The reason? They wanted her to document her solo journeys in Seoul properly without struggling to set up her 'amateur' tripod whenever she explored the city alone 🙂. A thoughtful gesture and perhaps a sign for the writer to take more solo trips in the future! *Kawan-Kawan, if you'd like to share your own Korea travel stories, we'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at [email protected].