Patrick Conway works as an English instructor at The Republic of Korea Naval Academy in the port city of Jinhae, near Busan in South Korea. He mainly teaches conversational English to the midshipmen, who study there for four years. He is from Co Derry, but has been living in South Korea for 12 years. He married his wife, NJ Kim from Seoul, four years ago on “beautiful Jeju Island”.
Where is the first place you bring people when they visit Jinhae?
Jinhae has a prominent tower with a museum at the top of Jaehwangsan Park, a short walk from the bus station. From up there, you get a nice 360-degree view of the town, including coast and mountains. You can walk up some steep steps or take a cable car to get to the top of the park.
The top three things to do there, that don’t cost money are...
You can get to the top of Jinhae Tower without opening your wallet. Secondly, if you are lucky enough to visit Jinhae in early April, you can enjoy a citywide cherry blossom festival which includes live performances by military bands and a range of Korean singers. Finally, at any time of year, you can walk the Jinhae Dream Road; a scenic walking trail cutting through mountain and forest. You could spend a full day completing the route.
Where do you recommend for a great meal that gives a flavour of Jinhae?
Being a coastal city, having some raw fish in a nice restaurant down by the harbour seems apt. For a small dessert, you could buy some Cherry Blossom bread from the famous Jinhae Bakery.
Where can you go to get a sense of Jinhae’s place in history?
The Jinhae Museum up at the tower has plenty of good displays dating back through Jinhae's formation by the Japanese colonialists; there is not much information for English speakers, though. During the big festival the gates of the naval academy are swung open to the public. Inside you can board a navy ship and also enter the historically important Turtle Ship, used by Korea's greatest admiral, Yi Soon Shin. It has been meticulously recreated, with the symbolic dragon's head.
What should visitors save room for in their suitcase after a visit to Jinhae?
The aforementioned “Cherry Blossom” bread is pocket-sized and very light. Buying multiple packs for your loved ones won’t break the bank either. Not too sweet or filling, they are an ideal snack.. They have nice packaging too, which you can keep for the memories of your wonderful stay in Jinhae!
