This discussion page is closed. If you want to discuss going to the Korean Grand Prix please go to the new discussion forum here: Going to the Korean Grand Prix
This area is for people who are attending or planning to attend the 2011 Korean Grand Prix at Jeonnam.
Use the comments below to share your thoughts on the race, where on the track you intend to watch from, how you’ll get to the track and more.
Been to the Korean International Circuit before? Tell us about it here: Korean International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
2011 Korean Grand Prix
Taken any pictures or video at the race?
If you’ve got any pictures or video from the race weekend you can share them with F1 Fanatic by uploading them to our drop.io, or you can arrange to email them in. Contributions are always welcome.
Chris Yu Rhee
5th January 2011, 6:12
Let’s hope that this year’s race goes off more smoothly. I will be visiting the track sometime in spring, so I’ll post a full report then. Right now it’s probably covered in snow like the rest of Korea!
Hint-get hotel reservations early!!!!
Chris Yu Rhee
9th August 2011, 10:45
We couldn’t get on the track during our vacation last week down south, so no info on the track’s condition…
Alan
15th March 2011, 19:03
Booked my hotel today, best I could really do was Gwangju so a bit of a commute to the race for me.
Annoyingly I have a suspicion that tickets will only go on sale to non-Koreans after the end of the month when prices go back to normal ¬_¬
Chris Yu Rhee
20th March 2011, 5:00
The traffic will be nightmarish. Try to get something closer…
drmikki
23rd April 2011, 14:58
Alan,
Tickets are on sale with 30% discount, in English. The website is bloody annoying – has taken me a week to get it to work! To get it to work I switched it to “Venue Pickup” and paid with MasterCard as Amex wouldn’t work (probably as it has one less number).
I am in Stand B, section 1, row 3 seat 9 if you are nearby! Where did you find a hotel?
Website for tickets:
http://ticket.interpark.com/Global/Play/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=11001306
Darren
28th April 2011, 1:30
Does anyone know what the support events are this year? I have seen a program with 3 support categories. I have heard from a driver in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia that they have a race 2 hours before the GP.
Who needs to buy tickets, become a volunteer motor sport official and you get even closer to the action!
Kelly
28th April 2011, 6:49
Hey!
You can book tickets on the official F1 website and there’s 18% discount up until the end of the month to buy tickets.
My question though is this: is there a camp site by the track? or how far away is it and how can we book it?
My friend and I were going to drive down and camp as it seems accommodation is not easy to get.
Any help would be great.
Cheers
Kelly
Alan
29th April 2011, 1:59
I got my ticket via Interpark too, via grandstand ‘R’.. Doesn’t really specify more than Block 12, Row 1. 24 – All I know is when I selected my seat on the picker it wasn’t far from the start/finish line in the upper stand. :)
As far as I know, Stand B is just after the first 2 turns (well a long hairpin), so we shouldn’t be far from each other.
I’m just hoping Interpark aren’t dodgy! :)
Kelly
29th April 2011, 5:28
Hey Alan,
I’ve ordered things from Interpark and have had no problem with them so also plan to book with them as the tickets are cheaper than on the official F1 website.
I’m currently trying to choose which ticket to buy and which spot to go with :)
drmikki
6th May 2011, 14:22
Interpark are one of (I think) about 3 suppliers listed on the official website, so I don’t think they are dodgy!
Lioneldude
5th May 2011, 7:09
Hi, i’ve booked my ticket through Interpark too! Booked Grandstand A, section 2 row 21. Will be staying at Holiday Inn Gwangju! As for the circuit transfer, I’m asking the hotel if they have shuttle services to the circuit.
Alan
22nd June 2011, 9:46
Did you get any feedback about shuttle services in the end? :)
James Butler
22nd June 2011, 4:30
Yeah, Interpark are fine, i have my tickets in hand now even!
Is there anywhere to camp near the circuit?
Alan
22nd June 2011, 9:45
How did you get your tickets already? All I got was an e-ticket that tells me to collect the tickets from the venue – which is why I felt a bit awkward as the e-ticket isn’t specific about where at the venue or what times tickets can be picked up.
drmikki
22nd June 2011, 10:15
I think it depends which ticket collection option you chose – I chose the “pick up at gate” as less chance of problems (I hope!!) but others may have paid the courier costs for tickets.
Alan
22nd June 2011, 11:45
Ah yes, forgot about that. I’m going to contact them for hopefully more info regarding the pick up. So I’ll let you know what I find out.
Chris Yu Rhee
11th July 2011, 7:07
Re camping;
We camp quite often in Korea, but have not seen anything YET in the Korean media about camping for the race.
There are a couple recent articles about the race in the English dailies here, but they are more “puff pieces” than real information…
here are the links:
Korea Herald
http://www.koreaherald.com/sports/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110710000280
JoongAng Daily
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938676
(the Korean version of this one is drastically different than the English. Hmmmm…)
As I see info on camping I’ll share it on this thread. A Min-bak is as low as I’d go-no love motels for me!
BTW-Interpark is definitely legit. They are a huge company, and will be my choice for tix, because I (hopefully) will be staying in my tent or in my trailer.
Waegook is good too, especially if you want a no-hassle package deal. He’s been here for a loooong time.
Alan
8th August 2011, 14:41
There’s a kind of English traffic/accomodation site available here http://f1lod.koreangp.kr/en/
It has bus times/routes for the free shuttle buses. I’m happy as it looks like it isn’t inconceivable to come from Gwanju (albeit with a 1.5 hour commute each way).
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 17:33
The website above isn’t working… The surprises keep coming.
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:48
Pretty brilliant thing to do right before a race. the ONLY reason I found out was I decided to allow pop-ups on the Old site to see if that might help me find out information on camping…
The new website is;
http://koreacircuit.kr/
Chris Yu Rhee
9th August 2011, 6:23
Well, the land of “the not quite right” strikes again! The ONLY channel (ESPN Star Sports) in Korea that broadcasts F1 races in English just disappeared from the local satellite providers without warning…
You would think since they spent about $300 million on a track and $20+ million a year to host the event that they would have a channel that shows the ENTIRE F1 season… The Korean channels will only show the Korean race. Sigh.
Chris Yu Rhee
9th August 2011, 10:43
I just verified (with the company that USED TO BE Star Sports in Korea) that the Korean broadcasters probably won’t even show the race live…
And my friends that were at last years race said that the stands they were in were scary. Remember KAVO’s comment about stands not being ready for last year’s race?
Sad.
It looks like this track is going to become another white elephant for Korea.
Olivia Liu
16th August 2011, 9:01
Hey guys! Anyone knows how to find a hotel/motel @ Mokpo, which could be booked online?
After surfing the Internet in the last couple of days , couldnt find one with an EMAIL address or a BOOKING buttom, ONLY bunch of phone numbers!
Me & my friends’re planing to travel to the circuit for this year’s race, but got stuck at solving the accommodation problem of mokpo….
Since we really dont wanna stay at Gwuangju for the F1 weekend, given the transit time being too long from Gwuangju to the circuit & there’s a bullet train, TKX, which could take us directly from Seoul to Mokpo, so trying to go from Gwuangju isnt really a good choice for us….
I saw people posting replys said they stayed at Mokpo last year for the race, anyone has any advise or clue??
REALLY APPRECIATED if someone could lend a hand by sharing some useful information regarding the accommodation at MOKPO~
F.L. Shanghai
16th August 2011, 18:31
Hi Olivia, booking a Motel in Mokpo online is almost impossible. Even trying by phone is very hard as most of motel owners do not speak English. You need to be helped by someone who can speak Korean or to book through these F1 travel agencies (very costly). I am working for the F1 Event and my company already booked a good quality motel in Mokpo where we were already staying last year and which we book with the help of our local assistant.
Olivia Liu
31st August 2011, 6:57
Hi F.L.Shanghai,
I coulnd’ help but notice that ur ID contains Shanghai, and me & my friends are from SHANGHAI!
What u said there is what i was worring.
We dont have any local contact,and through i can speak good English so as my friends, but this isn’t gonna work either and we’re ONLY a month and a half away from our planed departure day….
Is there a tiny little chance that u could help us? say maybe let us know ur local assistant so that we might reach out to him/her ourselves, or give us anything feasible/doable, since u said u r organizing F1 events and at least went to Mokpo last year.
i know it’s a lot to ask by a completely stranger, but if u would like to take the trouble, we’d REALLY be APPRECIATED!!!!!
Olivia Liu
31st August 2011, 7:02
Hi F.l.Shanghai, if u decide to give us any tips or advices, pls email me via yan88112@gmail.com! i’m all ears!
Thanks a lot~
Raj
18th August 2011, 5:18
Hey does anybody know how difficult it is to book a love motel on the spot in mokpo on the race weekend. I speak enough HANGUL to book a room but don’t know about availability if I just walk in that Friday.
Chris Yu Rhee
8th September 2011, 7:20
If you try to book something walk-in, you’ll be lucky to get anything under $300 US a night-if you can find something.
There is a link for accommodations on the Korean F1 website:
http://www.koreangp.kr/html/main.jsp
A description of the accommodations;
http://www.koreangp.kr/html/en/information/accommodation_info.jsp
With this one you can search for rooms;
http://f1lod.koreangp.kr/en/
Still nothing on camping that I’ve seen or heard in Korean(or English – I live here).
There is a lot of print advertising now, though, mostly in magazines and sports newspapers.
You’d think after last year’s debacle they would have things a little better covered in languages other than Korean… sigh
James Butler
10th October 2011, 8:20
I booked one on Saturday in Mokpo (7 days before the race weekend) for both Friday and Saturday for only $45 a night. Still plenty out there!
Iumi Gervasio
14th September 2011, 13:49
Hi!
Anyone here interested in buying 2 Main Grandstand Korean Grand Prix tickets. We had conflict in our schedule and will not be able to attend the race.
Please contact me @ iumibenjamine@yahoo.com. (Price is negotiable)
Thanks!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
16th September 2011, 15:04
Well, I finally found a ‘mention’ about camping for the race-nothing more.
A “cleaned-up” (as best I could) Google translation of the Korean that the JoongAng article, “No more nasty surprises for Korean F-1 GP”, was based on;
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/html/513/2941513.html?cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist2
Hangul news articles [Daily News]
F1 Grand Prix of Korea D-30, better prepared?
Formula One (F1) Grand Prix of Korea is coming in the next 30 days.
2011 Grand Prix season, the 16th tournament, Korea, Jeollanam-do, 14 to 16 October will be held at the Yeongam KIC (Korea International Circuit) The 14th will be practice runs twice, on the 15th will be qualifying, and on the the 16th the main race will be held at 3:00 pm.
The racetrack is expected, in terms of appearance seems to be better, and the operation(management?) will be the best, second only to the fun and the competition of last year’s race. Last year until just before the time to receive inspection, were they able to build proper facilities at the stadium. There were serious parking, accommodation, and transportation problems.
F1 organizing committee revisited the experiences of the previous year and has established policies for operational improvements. Simplified entry procedures, and operations has made measures to expect the unexpected. In particular, facilities at the Paddock Club, etc., were heavily bolstered (improved?). Jeollanam-do has placed advertisements and is building a new hall(what?).
Mia rental of goods and shelter, bank ATM machines, and general medical clinics, medical centers also have been installed. At the parking lot, the capacity has been improveded to 23,000 spaces to speed up the parking and the traffic.. Many corporations are helping to clean up the appearance of the region outside the circuit.
Accommodations last year were a problem. The maximum occupancy for one day over 69,000 accommodation requirements (rooms) is expected to be secured by over 120%. Hotel F1, F1, and F1-only dining facilities are open at 256 places: Hanok hotels, Hanok stays, homestay, temple stay, it is also possible to use the camping village. At tourism hotels the number of luxury rooms has been increased to more than 700 rooms*. The website is in four languages (http://f1lod.koreangp.kr) with accommodation and traffic information is operatioinal on the internet site..
Traffic problems were also improved. West Coast Highway and Mokpo-Gwangyang Expressway Route Alternate Route 2 will connect to the bypass road (bamboo JC ~ Western IC), also 49 local line (Yeongam IC ~ P3 parking lot), this temporary access road opening dwaeteumyeo Sandan Buddha was fully opened, so getting to the Speedway is possible without going through the crowded city of Mokpo.
Car parking in connection with the use of transfer by Shuttle is promoted as a convenience. The shuttle Speedway – Parking, Speedway – section 650 pay station Mokpo city is Gangnam Express Bus Terminal, and high-speed bus that connects the track in 15, the 16th races is open for two days and the KTX jeungpyeon Part 5, F1 event will operate additional trains. Also Part 3.Sf-Muan Airport has established additional aircraft for the two days of the event.
K-POP connections on the 15th day before the concert will be held. SNSD and Super Junior Idol star as part of a range of F1, this concert has free admission. When you buy F1 tickets, Jeollanam-do, Gwangju area, including discount, or you can watch for free.
Bakjunyoung F1 organizing committee of the “successful completed all the preparations for the tournament. Daegu International Athletics tournament by the end of the last remaining international sport now THX-send F1 Grand Prix expect a lot of encouragement,” he said.
*All of these “luxury” rooms were sold out months ago…
The article, as published in English, by the JoongAng Daily;
“With the second Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix only one month away, organizers said yesterday they have learned from their mistakes last year and are prepared to stage a better-managed race.
The F1 race will take place from Oct. 14 to 16 in Yeongam, a county some 400 kilometers south of Seoul in South Jeolla. The first day will include two practice runs, followed by the qualifying run the next day. The final race is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Oct. 16.
A series of hiccups last year eventually led to the dismissal of the top organizer in January.
The racing track in Yeongam was only completed two weeks prior to last year’s event and approved by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) just 10 days before the race.
Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO), the local organizer of the race, also came under fire for inadequate marketing and race operations.
Organizers gave away thousands of free tickets and offered a 50-percent discount on others to help fill seats. But they could not finish building the seating areas – other than the grandstands – on time and the safety of the temporary seating was called into question.
The situation prompted the Board of Audit and Inspection to launch a probe into KAVO in November. The company responded by dismissing Chung Young-cho as its chief executive in January, citing lax management.
Yesterday, organizers admitted they had little time to build proper facilities and to address transportation and accommodation problems, but vowed that things would nonetheless be different this year.
“Learning from last year, F1 organizers set out innovative ways of improving our management,” the organizing committee said in a statement.
“In terms of customer service, we expect this year’s F1 race to be much more satisfactory.”
Organizers said they have bolstered facilities for fans, such as first-aid centers and ATMs, and have opened more accessible entry gates from nearby highways into the circuit’s parking lot.
They said there will also be more rooms available for visiting fans and media. Tourists can stay at designated hotels, and may also sign up for temple stay programs in nearby Buddhist temples, organizers added.
A Web site providing information on accommodation – in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese – is up and running at f1lod.koreangp.kr.
South Jeolla governor Park Joon-young, who doubles as the head of the organizing committee, said his team is expecting a successful event.
“With the World Championships in Athletics already finished in Daegu, the F1 Grand Prix is the last major international sporting event left this year [in Korea],” Park said.
“Ticket holders for the race can enter other tourist attractions in our province for free, and I hope to see a lot of you in South Jeolla this October.”
Formula 1, the world’s most prestigious open-wheel circuit racing, attracts millions of fans and television viewers worldwide.
Of the 19 races this year, six remain, including three after the Korean GP in India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil – ultimately wrapping up at the end of November.
The Korean GP is under a seven-year deal with F1 plus a five-year option.
Fernando Alonso won the Korean grand prix last year but Sebastian Vettel of Germany was the overall winner, becoming the youngest champion ever.
He leads this year’s standings with eight wins from 13 races.”
They sure left out a lot of relevant info that was in the Korean version, didn’t they?
The road situation has improved dramatically so it will be better, but still expect a traffic jam…
If I find ANYTHING about camping, I’ll post it as soon as I can…
Alan
16th September 2011, 16:44
Thanks for the news, good to hear a little positive news about improvements even if it is spun.
A free KPOP concert sounds amazing (I’m a huge KPOP fan) so I hope that it is available for ticket holders.
victoryyyyyyy
25th September 2011, 12:24
Hi, I downloaded a map from koreangp.kr and on the very right hand side by C, there is a place called F1캠핑촌.
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 12:37
That’s F1 Camping Chone, or camping place. I’ll check it out.
Gougie (@gougie)
1st October 2011, 12:56
So it’s possible to camp then?
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 13:02
Who knows? I don’t, and trust me, I tried to find the info…
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
5th October 2011, 3:52
The websites for camping are;
campsite #1
http://f1lod/koreangp.kr/camping/campground
campsite #2
http://f1lod/koreangp.kr/camping/campground/index2.php
But guess what? they are on pop-up pages, and the (java?) scripts they use only let computers with Korean versions of Windows access them… I have both, but usually use the English-based computers.
Our Korean OS computers have no problem at all…
Sigh…
Let me know if ANYONE else can access these pages.
Gougie (@gougie)
5th October 2011, 11:00
Nope, can’t open either of them. I’m just gonna book with that link I put up earlier.
http://www.waegooktravel.com/
Seems much easier. Given up on camping! lol
Alan (@dogmop)
5th October 2011, 11:13
The domain in that link, f1lod looks like a LAN domain (note the lack of suffix) so presumably that is only for Korean ISPs DNS records…
The koreangp info link is f1lod.koreangp.kr though so if you replace the first / with a . it works – see http://f1lod.koreangp.kr/camping/campground/ and http://f1lod.koreangp.kr/camping/campground/index2.php
Gougie (@gougie)
5th October 2011, 11:37
Nah, they’re still not working for me like! lol
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
5th October 2011, 13:26
Alan, they aren’t working for me, either.
This is nuts. My wife keeps asking if I want to go. At this point, my confidence level is ZERO-and we live here and speak Korean…
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 12:58
I can’t find it in English OR Korean! Not surprised, though…
If you could post the exact link it would help a lot of people who are trying to find where the camping is.
I gave up trying to find out about the camping area and decided not to go this year either, even though I live in Korea.
Gougie (@gougie)
1st October 2011, 13:06
I’m shocked it’s this difficult to even find any information! Even for Koreans! Crazy!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 13:35
I’m not shocked or surprised because I’ve lived here for so long. They just published an article about how big a “white elephant” this race is going to be for Jeolla Province-around -$450 million over 7 years.
http://www.koreaherald.com/sports/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110928000895
If you go I hope you have fun. Hopefully victoryyyyy will post the link to the map he found, because I can’t find it!
victoryyyyyyy
3rd October 2011, 6:21
Here is the link to the map.
On the very right hand side by C.
I haven’t found any new on camping besides this map and maybe one or two other articles.
I had a friend of mine call one of the motels on the map to see if they could reserve a room for me. She said the motels were waiting for some kind of motel organization to come up with prices for the F1 weekend…or something along those lines.
If it comes down to it, I’m just going to be KTX-ing it back and forth. If it wasn’t for the concert, I would just go on Sunday and head back home the same night.
victoryyyyyyy
3rd October 2011, 6:22
Still new to this forum. Sorry for making my whole reply the link!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:49
Brilliant. they have a new website, but no camping info.
The new website is;
http://koreacircuit.kr/
Gougie (@gougie)
24th September 2011, 22:48
Was anyone there there last year and are able to advise where are good viewing spots. I’m going this year but are yet to buy tickets, not sure which grandstand to go for as obviously I have never been before.
Also I’m heading to Korea the monday before the race and are staying with my friend in Seoul for a couple of weeks, however, I want to go South and stay closer to the circuit for the race weekend. Does anyone know how I can find accommodation? That official link that people have posted doesn’t seem to be working.
victoryyyyyyy
25th September 2011, 9:55
I’m planning on going to the race this year and was wondering what the motel situation was like.
I don’t need anything fancy. I will just be staying on Sunday night and leaving Monday morning so a love motel will be fine. Would it be safe to assume that I could just come into Yeongam and Sunday and find a room? I’m hoping that most people won’t want to stay here.
Thank you!
victoryyyyyyy
25th September 2011, 10:07
Oh and where exactly will the concert be held? Now I have to decide if I want to go a day early or not…
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
25th September 2011, 16:09
Don’t count on anything being available… I wouldn’t.
Gougie (@gougie)
25th September 2011, 16:14
I can’t find anything over here about booking accommodation for the Grand Prix. Can anyone help? I don’t just want to turn up during the weekend with no where to stay, but literally can’t find anything.
drmikki (@drmikki)
1st October 2011, 9:33
Gougie, this close I would probably just ring the accomodation number on the website. I ended up looking for hours the last few weeks, as the accomodation I booked in January (!!!) which was still miles away in Gwangju suddenly ‘changed ownership and cannot honour your booking’.
As I am working there, the organisers are sorting me out for somewhere to stay, but they said even they were struggling.
Good luck! If I can’t work out how to cancel my tickets they are all yours…
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 12:41
His wife probably now ‘owns’ it.. LOL Just a ploy to break reservations booked at a low rate, I’d bet (I live here).
I bet they wanted a LOT more per night now, didn’t they? ‘Sa Gee Goon’ is how you describe people like this in Korean-it means “con man”.
I hope it all works out. Are you going to be a marshal?
drmikki (@drmikki)
1st October 2011, 12:53
Not sure about the change of ownership or the price to be honest, it was through a booking agency. The booking agency arranged something else at a similar price in Gwangju but I was in DPRK and had no internet access for 3 weeks so it was gone by the time I got back.
Medical team, should be good. I met Heikki in Singapore and told him I definitely don’t want to see him in Korea!
Gougie (@gougie)
1st October 2011, 13:01
I’ve been asking my friend who lives in Seoul for a while now to help me find something but I think he’s been too busy to look for anything. I have however been emailing a guy I came across from googling things, who seems to organise tours for expats in Korea. This is their site:
http://www.waegooktravel.com/koreanf1.htm
So if I can’t find anything else I might just go along with that.
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 13:30
DPRK???? Obviously not a yankee like me, then. Have a good time. You’re lucky. They have to find a place for you, and you’ll probably get to see a bit of the race.
I’ll in my lazy-boy drinking a diet coke…
drmikki (@drmikki)
1st October 2011, 13:40
I’ll have my Fanvision, but should be in the med centre so won’t see too much.
Americans are allowed in the DPRK – about half of our group were American, there are just slightly more of the ever-present illogical restrictions. For example, they had to fly in and out, whereas I left by train. The border guard examination was interesting – they wanted to look at the books we had. She didn’t care less about the propaganda biography of Kim Jong Il I had bought, but spent ages looking at my Formula One and Business management book, presumably trying to work out if I was trying to smuggle something out. I tried to explain F1 but I learnt that in a land with very few privately owned vehicles and few sealed roads, perhaps trying to explain motorracing and making car noises doesn’t translate!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
1st October 2011, 17:31
Will Fanvison work in Korea? I have never seen any mention of it here.
drmikki (@drmikki)
2nd October 2011, 8:43
Yes, they work at every race (they get FOM broadcast, team radio, public announcer and (thank god) BBC radio 5Live commentary) and many of the teams use them, particularly for corporate guests etc.
According to the email they sent me, there will be a single Fanvision kiosk site in Korea – it will be on the infield, in “F1 Village” just before the start/finish line.
drmikki (@drmikki)
3rd October 2011, 2:52
Finally worked out how to cancel my Interpark ticket, since I won’t be using it but will need the $$ – partly as the organisers haven’t told me how much accom will cost yet O_o
I decided that the chance of being able to scalp the ticket at the race was going to be slim to none!
If anyone is looking for a ticket close to the front of a grandstand, Side 1. Row 3. 9 , Grandstand B_3-Day Pass just became available :-P Interpark website
Gougie (@gougie)
3rd October 2011, 14:37
Did you check out the link I put up? Thought it might be useful! Think it’s what I’m going for!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
3rd October 2011, 17:09
Looks great! Thanks. There are still a ton of empty camping sites at the city ‘hall’ or wherever the camping is.
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:46
Wonder why the Korean F1 website doesn’t work? they changed the web address! Pretty brilliant thing to do right before a race. the ONLY reason I found out was I decided to allow pop-ups on the Old site to see if that might help me find out information on camping…
The new website is;
http://koreacircuit.kr/
Alan (@dogmop)
3rd October 2011, 15:11
Hotelwide might be worth a check, it’s where I booked my hotel though that was a long while ago, and I still have quite a commute to get to the circuit. Wondering if it’s worth renting a car and sitting in traffic or trying to rely on the public transport to get from Gwangju, the information site makes it look so easy but I can imagine it being quite a trek as what Chris has been saying.
Alan (@dogmop)
3rd October 2011, 15:12
Btw, the site randomly changed my name, I’ve been posting as Alan on this thread before :)
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
3rd October 2011, 17:09
You don’t sound like a dogmop to me… LOL
Gougie (@gougie)
3rd October 2011, 18:40
I’m guessing the upper section of the main grand stand will be better than the lower??
Gougie (@gougie)
4th October 2011, 15:48
Is the upper section the boxes at the top of the grandstand???
Alan (@dogmop)
4th October 2011, 16:27
I don’t think so, the stand looked two tiered to me, so it’s just the upper tier (that’s where my ticket is for anyway).
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:24
Wonder why the Korean F1 website doesn’t work? they changed the web address! Pretty brilliant thing to do right before a race. the ONLY reason I found out was I decided to allow pop-ups on the Old site to see if that might help me find out information on camping…
The new website is;
http://koreacircuit.kr/
Boneheads. That’s all I have to say (except disable your pop-up blocker)
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:27
As I dig further, it’s blatantly obvious they didn’t use an English-speaking proofreader when making the site…
This is getting (more) embarrasing by the minute.
Alan (@dogmop)
4th October 2011, 14:53
I saw on the guide when I was buying ticket originally, they had driver comments so obviously Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton and ‘Jackson Burton’…. wait who?
Alan (@dogmop)
5th October 2011, 10:26
Noticed it’s different on the English site now, still can’t spell Jenson though, Jensen Button… Closer at least.
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
4th October 2011, 13:31
Ahhh, phone number(s).
(061) 288-4201
(061) 288-4202
(061) 288-4203
(061) 288-4204
(061) 288-4205
(061) 288-4206
No, they don’t have rotary phone systems here…
from international;
011-82-61-288-4201~6
Alan (@dogmop)
4th October 2011, 14:56
I think maybe the site was down temporarily as http://www.koreangp.kr/html/main.jsp still works for me (which is the main url I had for it anyway).
Gougie (@gougie)
4th October 2011, 15:48
Both sites now work for me. I still however can not see anything about camping on either of them!
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
5th October 2011, 3:56
The info for camping is on the right-hand side, in the vertical menu under the checkered flag. It’s the first choice at the top. Disable your popup blocker first, though. It comes up in a new window.
Gougie (@gougie)
5th October 2011, 16:44
I presume Gootickets are fine? Can’t get the tickets I want on Interpark. …Leaving it all a bit last minute! lol
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
6th October 2011, 1:35
10 days to go until the 2011 race, and the media silence is deafening… and telling.
samuelchang
6th October 2011, 12:58
Hey guys, I’m going to the F1. But I also had a big problem finding a place to stay. Can someone help me out too? I really don’t want to do ktx every day of the event.
Thanks – email me at lets_Ride@hotmail.com, I will be in grandstand J… since i heard is a “good one” to stay at.
Alan (@dogmop)
10th October 2011, 10:35
Arrived in Seoul this afternoon, does seem to be some buzz for the race so that’s good. First time Seoul (heading down to the south coast on Friday), can anyone recommend a good place for a westerner to eat? :)
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
10th October 2011, 13:10
Glad to hear that there’s ‘buzz’ about the race there. I haven’t seen any where I live.
Where are you staying in Seoul? There are so many different areas of Seoul, and many different Western-style restaurants if you don’t want Korean food.
TGI Fridays, Bennigans, Outback Steakhouse, Domino’s pizza, Papa John’s pizza (the best pizza in Korea and California) are just a few.
Any Korean place that has English on the menu would be ok. Use your credit card-it’s easier as most restaurants don’t take foreign currency.
If you don’t like spicy, “Mepp-ddah?”, asked like a question is how to ask if it’s spicy. “Nay”, or “yeah” means yes, “Ahn knee yo” or “Ahn-knee” means no.
Rule of thumb-if it’s red, it’s spicy. “Chun-yang-go-chew” are green peppers that will make your tongue blister. They’ll be cut up in soups, etc. I love ’em. However, they sometimes serve whole mild green peppers as a side dish with mixed red pepper paste in a little bowl to dip them in. Those peppers are (almost always) not that spicy.
Non-spicy suggestions:
“Dole-soat-bee-bim-bap” (rice with meat, veggies, and egg in a VERY HOT bowl),
“cal-gook-soo” (flour noodle soup-you have to add salt and pepper to taste),
“bull-go-gee” (thinly sliced beef cooked in a stew-like fashion),
“maan-doo-gook” (meat wonton soup),
“duck-maan-doo-gook” (meat wonton soup with rice cakes),
“Kal-bee-taang” (beef rib soup-add salt and peeper to taste),
“wong-kal-bee” (pork you cook at your own table with lots of side dishes),
and “doan-kass” (fried pork cutlet with brown sauce) are not spicy.
It is common to cook your meat at your table. The “ahh-joo-ma” (waitresses) usually will help foreigners A LOT. :^)
“kim-pop” is the Korean equivalent of a sandwich. I love the spicy tuna “Chaam-chee-kim-pop” the best. The are kim-pop places everywhere, and they usually serve most of the foods listed above and are inexpensive.
The street vendors are usually very good, too. If you see a lot of people buying stuff, they’re ok. Bad food vendors don’t last long here.
The bread that is shaped like a fish has mildly-sweet red bean paste inside. If you find ones that sell the bread that looks like a really thick, small pancake, they’re great! It has melted brown sugar inside. Yummmm…
Don’t be fooled by Soju, the national drink. It’s only 20% alcohol, but it’s very, very sneaky!!!! ;^)
Have fun!!!
peter (@)
10th October 2011, 18:30
Hi Alan,
In Seoul, I recommend to take subway line No.2 (Green line) to visit usual Korean young people having night life. Some places recommeded in travel-guides are too much focused on foreign travelers.
If you are staying in city-hall area, ‘Sinchon’ or ‘Hongik Univ.’ stations are good.
If you are in south-eastern area, ‘Gangnam’ station is most crowded one.
And ‘Samseong (or Samsung)’ station is near to trade-center, then it’s convienient for foriegners.
As Chris recommended, you could go well known western restaurant brand to easy select. Or you could try Korean restaurant if they show pictures with English menu.
Anyway, I think I could see you on the race-day in Yeongam.
because my Sunday ticket is showing grandstand ‘R’.upper.block 12.row 6.seat 6.
Alan (@dogmop)
11th October 2011, 14:24
Thanks for the info guys, I ended up going to a BBQ chicken & beer place Daehangno on last night, was very filling since I hadn’t had anything since a small crappy breakfast on the flight! Loving CASS too. I brought quite a bit of Won with me so only had to use the credit card with shopping and cash in restaurants and 7-elevens. Street food vendors look very tempting for a lunchtime bite, they smell SO good.
I noticed they were showing a repeat of the Japanese GP today and MBC had an F1 countdown on the screen occasionally so it does seem they know what F1 is at least.
Chris I’m staying in Jongno, next to Insa-dong (nice area, I like the cafes there)
Looks like you’re in the same section as me Peter, I’ll be probably the only Williams fan in stand so probably easy to spot xD
Lioneldude
11th October 2011, 15:08
Hi fellas,
I will be staying at Gwangju and will transit to the track on Friday via KTX and on Sat/Sun with waegooktravel.
Any idea if 1.5 hours by KTX, followed by transit to KIC shuttle bus is sufficient? What is the pick up timings at the Mokpo KTX station?
peter (@)
12th October 2011, 11:21
Hi Lioneldude,
I guess you already checked following link for shuttle bus.
http://f1lod.koreangp.kr/en/traffic/shuttlebus/
Followings are organizer’s plan written in Korean Q&A board.
Calculate by yourself – how often they are departing.
Shuttle bus plan : Mokpo Station KIC Parking Lot P1
– Operation days : 2011.Oct.14th(Friday) ~ Oct.16th(Sunday)
– Number of buses : (Friday 10, Saturday 20 , Sunday 30)
– Number of departures : 5 times per day for each bus
– Distance : 17 Kilometers (35 minutes, might be delayed by traffic)
– Operation hours
– Morning : 09:00 ~ 13:30
– Afternoon : when race finishes ~ 19:30
I will arrive in Mokpo station at Sunday 11:30, and will take above shuttle bus.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th October 2011, 16:54
Hello everyone.
Thanks for joining in here to share your experiences of the Korean Grand Prix.
Please be aware that this discussion page will be closed after the forthcoming race.
This is because a new group has been set up with a dedicated forum for the Korean Grand Prix. I hope you will find this a useful step forward over the current system of just having a single page.
You can already join in and add comments to the new group here:
Going to the Korean Grand Prix at Korea International Circuit
Amy
13th October 2011, 5:51
Hi everyone,
I am sorted for entrance to the track on Saturday and Sunday but I don’t have a Friday ticket. Does anyone know if it is free entry or anything like they do in Malaysia? The only tickets available seem to be 3 day or Saturday or Sunday only, no Friday only tickets. If I do need a ticket will it be possible to just buy one at the entrance when I arrive?
Chris Yu Rhee (@chris-yu-rhee)
14th October 2011, 3:44
I’m not sure. I’d just show up and I’d bet they’ll let you in. It’s not going to be crowded, that’s for sure.
Alan (@dogmop)
14th October 2011, 4:21
is it just fp2 left today? I couldnt translate the schedule on the website. I might not bother heading there until tomorrow as would probably only arrive halfway through fp2
Amy
14th October 2011, 9:49
I showed up for fp2 and they didn’t sell one day tickets, and wouldn’t let me in, so I listened to the cars and watched Practice on my fanvision from the carpark. Really stupid to not sell one day tickets when there’s a) people wanting them and b) 10x as many staff as spectators
Alan (@dogmop)
14th October 2011, 17:47
I agree Amy, so silly. You didnt miss much at least.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
9th December 2011, 14:00
This discussion page is closed. If you want to discuss going to the Korean Grand Prix please go to the new discussion forum here: Going to the Korean Grand Prix