Models wearing costumes of the king and queen of Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) parade Monday through the airside duty-free area in Incheon International Airport. / Korea Times photos by Shim Hyun-chul

By Shim Hyun-chul

Waiting for boarding is no longer boring at Incheon International Airport. Instead of reading books or blankly staring at television screens, passengers can indulge in various cultural performances to be held over 5,000 times a year.

To break away from the stiff image, Incheon International Airport offers diverse cultural events ranging from classic to traditional Korean performances from June.

There is the Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Center at the airport where passengers can play Korean traditional instruments such as "gayageum" and "janggu," or try handicraft such as kite and fan making. The experience is free for foreigners.

Travellers can also try on "hanbok," or traditional Korean costume, and appreciate and purchase craftworks including famed Korean ceramics.

The airport also holds the "Walk of the Royal Family" parade, which reenacts a stroll by the king and queen of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), at the passenger terminal.

Incheon International Airport is one of the leading travel hubs and has topped the Airport Service Quality conducted by Airports Council International for seven years in a row for its outstanding services.

For more information, visit www.airport.kr.