12
PHOTO GALLERY
Photo Gallery

20
WARMING UP
The country of the Uzbeks

28
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
You see as much as you know

32
LANGUAGE
Speaking Uzbek

34
BEST ROUTE
Best travel routes

40
PEOPLE
Names to remember

46
OLD&NEW
Tashkent, the gateway to travel

54
ESCAPE
City Escape, Tashkent Oblast

60
TASTE
Table of Abundance

70
TRIP
Polar opposites - Termiz vs. Samarkand

84
ESSAY
Two Times Blooming on the Sand - Bukhara vs. Khiva

100
GALLERY
A place where I want to live with people with clear eyes

104
INTERVIEW
Uzbekistan is such a country!

110
TRAVEL TIPS
Serious travel advice

116
COLUMN
Koryo-saram, the history of strong Koreans

122
RECIPE
Carrot kimchi

126
CULTURE TALK
cotton and silk

132
SOUVENIR
souvenir

138
DISCOVERY
Cheorwon, the place you don't know

First, comfortable prices and solid travel infrastructure.
Uzbekistan is a great value for money travel destination.
The tourist infrastructure there is excellent.
This is thanks to the Uzbek government's investment in infrastructure, which has long been seen as a driving force for national growth.
Transportation between major cities is very convenient, with dense connections via air, high-speed rail, and railway, and the Afrosiab, Uzbekistan's equivalent of KTX, connects major cities in a short time.
A place where you can travel on a budget without feeling uncomfortable – that’s Uzbekistan now.

Second, the overwhelming beauty that can be enjoyed to the fullest.
Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are all UNESCO-designated living historic cities.
Uzbekistan's architecture is very different from that of Europe.
Traces of Islam, Persia, Mongolia, and the Soviet Union are layered upon layer, and its beauty is overwhelming.
The texture of these heritages is deeper and more exotic than that of any European city.
What's even better is that there aren't too many people there yet.
Even in places that are still famous, you can still take pictures alone.
But this time won't last long.

Third, a pure country on the threshold of change
Uzbekistan is now facing enormous changes.
Since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in 2017, the country has been rapidly transforming as policies on tourism, diplomacy, and economic openness have been implemented one after another.
In particular, our relationship with Korea is historically special.
Descendants of Koreans are widespread, and Korean companies and educational institutions have actively entered the area.
Thanks to this, the perception of Korean travelers is also favorable.
Walking in Uzbekistan now is like walking through a door that is about to close, or a landscape that is about to open.
Here remains the last trace of innocence that cities display before undergoing great change.
In particular, what Uzbek travelers remember most is the people.
Meeting the locals with their pure eyes is more moving than visiting the historical sites.
The spirit of welcoming strangers and making guests friends is the true Uzbekistan that travelers capture in their memories.

If not now, it's too late.
Uzbekistan is a jewelry box that has not yet been unpacked.
But quietly, the infrastructure is growing rapidly, and the footsteps of discerning people are flocking there.
The atmosphere of commercialization is gradually spreading through the influx of international brand hotels, large travel agencies, and foreign capital.
Soon, Samarkand may be as bustling as Rome or Florence, there may be a Starbucks in Bukhara, and there may be an Aman or Banyan Tree resort in Khiva.
Of course, it is also good to see it developed and internationalized.
But before that happens, there is only time to experience the breath, texture, and unfinished beauty of this country.
Now is the best time, when it's not inconvenient but not commercial either.

Uzbekistan beckons us to come now.
A keen-eyed traveler will discover this country before anyone else.
We hope that our readers will enjoy such good fortune.

Editor-in-Chief Jo Eun-young