Get on the K-drama express — fans are taking tours to South Korea that are tailor-made for people who can't miss an episode of shows such as "Secret Lovers." Tour itineraries include visits to network studios where K-dramas are filmed. The trips also are a chance for travelers to immerse themselves in Korean culture.

The best information source for tours to South Korea is www.tour2korea.com. Run by the Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO), the Web site features a section on "move and drama filming location" tours.

A fan of "Summer Scent"? On the Web site, you'll find the cast and all of the series' film locations — Boseong Tea Garden and Deogyusan National Park, for example.

The nonprofit KNTO has a Hawai'i branch office (it shares space with KBFD). For brochures on Korean tours, call Michael Yim at 521-8067.

Yim said two local travel agencies are now offering drama and film location tours to South Korea: New Asia Travel (951-8244) and Orient Travel (944-3949).

If a K-drama tour appeals to you, it's good to know that U.S. citizens with a valid passport no longer need a visa to visit South Korea. Stays are limited to 30 days — if you plan a longer visit, call the South Korean Consulate at 595-6109 for more information.

Seoul has been Korea's center of politics, culture, economy and transportation since 1394, when King Taejo moved the capital there.

Running through the city is the Han River (Hangang in Korean), which is to Seoul dwellers what mauka and makai, diamondhead and 'ewa are to Honolulu residents. The river is how people refer to their locale. For example, north of the Hangang is often referred to as Gangbuk (north of river) and south of the Hangang is referred to as Gangnam (south of river).

The new part of town, gleaming Gangnam, is where hip restaurants crowd the streets. Historic palaces and other cultural sites are found in well-preserved Gangbuk.

South Korea has four distinct seasons, and my favorite times to visit are spring (late March to May) and fall (October and November). That's when the temperature is brisk, ranging from 55 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

During the humid summer months, even if you are sitting in the shade, it can get pretty sticky. Trust me — there are no trade winds in Korea.

One winter highlight is the Yong Pyong Resort — where the famous TV drama "Winter Sonata" (aka "Winter Ballad") was filmed.

Won is the South Korean currency. At the end of the week, the exchange rate was 1,031.30 won to the dollar. For a dollar, you can make a 14-minute local call, buy a stick of oden at a street food cart, take a ride on the well-networked subway system or take a bus.

THIS WEEK ON KBFD: FAMILY DRAMA, LOVE

‘A Farewell to Tears’ Episodes 21 and 22

Tonight at 7: Sung-jae’s family is thrown into confusion after meeting Hae-sun. Sung-jae tells Jung-woo that Hae-sun is the loan shark who took their restaurant from them. Hae-sun wonders if Jung-woo could be her son. Jung-woo meets Hae-sun to make a deal.

Tonight at 8: Sun-ok is conflicted over whether she should tell Hae-sun the truth about Jung-woo. After hearing about Il-ho’s mistreatment of Sung-hae’s family, Hae-sun suggests Sung-jae start the family business again. Seo-young goes to Jung-woo’s house to find out why he broke up with her.

‘Secret Lovers’ Episode 11 and 12

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Do-kyung asks Ah-mi to dinner. After she agrees, he rents an expensive suit, promising the store owner to bring it back by midnight. The two go to dinner, dancing and to the beach. He asks her to be his girlfriend, but she rejects him. The publisher rejects Young-jee’s stories, but she hears the news that her mother is now a successful entrepreneur on Jeju Island.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Young-jee and her siblings fly to Jeju Island in anticipation of meeting their now-wealthy mother. Do-kyung hears about this and tells Joon-woo about it. Joon-woo goes to Jeju as well, and he and Young-jee share a kiss. However, the woman turns out not to be Young-jee’s mother, and she and her siblings come back to Seoul dejected.

‘Rebirth’ Episodes 19 and 20

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Chief Kyung regains consciousness, but Ha-eun still pretends to be Shin-hyeok in front him. Tae-joon and In-chul continue their search to find out who placed a missing persons ad for Min Soo-yeon. Gang-joo finds out Sang-gook was involved in the suicide case from 20 years ago. Chief Kyung is moved to a secret hide-out where Dong-chan can’t find him.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Tae-joon and Sang-gook are overcome with fear when they find out Chief Kyung is gone from the hospital. Dong-chan breaks his leg when he’s assaulted by Sang-cheol’s lackeys. Jin-woo tells Eun-hae he’d never give her up, but Eun-hae rejects him. Shin-young accidentally finds Ha-eun’s bracelet.

‘Lovers in Prague’ Episodes 7 and 8

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Jae-hee officially asks Sang-hyun out, but his response is lukewarm. Jae-hee stays up all night in front of Sang-hyun’s place, but he ignores her. Young-woo asks Sang-hyun to find Hae-joo. Mistaking Young-woo for Hae-joo’s baby’s father, Sang-hyun confronts Young-woo.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Young-woo shows up alone after Jae-hee’s puppet show. Yeon-soo finds Sang-hyun drunk and calls Jae-hee. Jae-hee takes Sang-hyun to his house and meets his aunt. Hae-joo comes clean about her relationship with Chairman Ji to Sang-hyun, but he turns her away cold.