IT IS easy to understand why Singaporeans, sweltering on a tropical island, are inclined to make holiday plans to visit countries like South Korea where snow and skiing beckon them.

Indeed, many of those who go there head for the snow-clad ski resorts.

But South Korea, a temperate country famous for its kimchi and ginseng, is also known for its huge all-day shopping centres,as well as its health and beauty spas. Its many theme parks and the amethyst industry have also caught tourist attention.

South Korea can please every imaginable shopping type. Take the recently opened Yeoju Premium Outlet Shopping Centre, a sprawling mall 58km south-east of Seoul.

This is where you can find designer brands, including Burberry, Coach, A Testoni, Brooks Brothers, Armani, Anna Sui, Callaway Golf, Diesel, Polo Ralph Lauren and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Yeoju also carries Korean brands such as Kuho, Kim Young Joo and Hazzys.

Explore the numerous antique stores at Insadong, Seoul.

If upscale apparel brands are not your fancy, there can be no better shopping lure than Dongdaemun Market in Seoul. This wholesale and retail market is huge and it operates all day and night.

Dongdaemun is really part of a sprawling district which comprises 26 shopping malls, 30,000 specialty shops and 50,000 manufacturers. Here you can shop till you drop for clothes, electronic products, shoes, toys, cameras and more. Across the street is another area selling textiles, wedding apparel, bedding, silverware and children's clothes.

If you plan to go there, put aside other plans for the day unless you just want to breeze through this shopping haven, which even has retail activity in underground malls.

If you have an evening free, head for Sinchon-dong, a university district in nearby Incheon city. As can be expected, youths rule here. Expect an air of liveliness as well-dressed teenagers and those in their 20s fill the pubs, rock cafes and restaurants during their night out. There are also boutiques, shoe stores and beauty salons which cater mainly to undergraduates from Ewha Women's University, one of three tertiary institutions there.

Remember to visit The Face Shop at its outlet in the bustling Myongdong district. This well-known international South Korean company deals in health and beauty products for women and men. Two of its selling points are its comparatively low prices and the natural ingredients it uses for its products - from facial masks and cleansers to face creams and hair conditioners. This company has spread far and wide outside South Korea since 2003.

You cannot leave Korea without making an acquaintance with its three famous products - kimchi, ginseng and amethyst, a transparent purple gemstone of the quartz family.

Dongdaemun, a sprawling shopping district in Seoul, is open 24 hours a day.

The tour desk in your hotel should be able to tell you where to buy good kimchi. At Korea House, you can witness the making of kimchi. For the more adventurous, make your own kimchi at Dae Jang Geum Kimchi School.

The Ginseng Monopoly Showroom is the most popular place to buy this health-promoting root. Another place is Ginseng Centre. As for amethyst, the purple-coloured gemstone that Korea is famous for, visit the Amethyst Factory which is on every Korean tour itinerary.

There are also many other attractions such as hot springs, national parks, theme parks like the Yong In Everland in Seoul, temples, palaces, museums, casinos, hills and waterfalls. So pick the destinations which interest you and make it an enjoyable vacation.

Photos: Korea Tourism Organisation