korea national tourism organization

It took six months to make the clip, using cutting-edge digital technologies. This involved training the generative AI over 80,000 times for each piece, ensuring a seamless and natural representation within the distinct style of each featured painter.

Moreover, three regional tourism promotional clips draw inspiration from popular global K-contents: “ Live Squid Game ” showcases a squid-catching game set on Ulleungdo Island; “ Queendom: Korean Archery ” unfolds as a chase game within the historic Suwon Hwaseong Fortress; and “ Guardian's Fireworks ” captures the enchanting and romantic ambiance of Haman Nakhwanori. These clips are designed to immerse visitors in the distinctive and appealing tourism offerings of each respective region.

The final clip, “ Korea Never Forgets ,” was produced based on the heartwarming true story of the Campagna couple, who went above and beyond to assist Korean tourists stranded in a snowstorm in the United States last winter. It captures the Campagna couple's trip to Korea in a documentary format, and conveys the touching message that “Korea never forgets gratitude.”

The five Korea tourism promotional clips are available for viewing on KTO’s official YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@imagineyourkorea ). The remarkable success of these promotional clips has resulted in a substantial increase in KTO's YouTube subscribers. The current count has surged by over 150,000 from the previous year, reaching an impressive 820,000 subscribers. This accomplishment solidifies KTO's position with the highest number of subscribers among all national tourism organization YouTube channels.

About Korea Tourism Organization

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is an organization of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST). KTO serves the interests of Korea’s tourism economy by marketing the country as an all-season visitor destination. Fascinating history, rich culture, amazing food, and friendly people combine to make South Korea one of the most visited countries. The Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 campaign promoting K-Culture includes events involving K-pop concerts, e-sports, Korean food, cultural heritages, K-Travel Road Shows packages, and promotions all year round to boost visitors to Korea. Located in East Asia, South Korea is a country of contrasts, with tourist attractions ranging from ancient mountaintop Buddhist temples such as Bulguksa Temple to the ultra-modern skyscrapers as Lotte World Tower in Seoul.

Patrice Henry & Haeri Choi [email protected] | [email protected] Korea Tourism Organization 201.585.0909

Release Summary

Korea Tourism Organization's promotional clips are a resounding success.

Korea Tourism Organization News

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Various projects for the development of tourism.

Purpose of Establishment and Vision

Service Site

A leading tourism organization

Tourist guide.

South Korea: Reinventing Business

From cutting-edge culture hubs to activity-filled resorts, South Korea has a diverse mix of conference options. Coupled with the country’s advanced digital capabilities, South Korea is a prime location to do business.

International conferencing is in a state of transformation. The global pandemic has accelerated digitalization as more companies and organizations adopt technology to do business. This was illustrated by the recently concluded Korea International Travel Expo (KITE) 2021 that saw a tech-driven event.

Korea has a well-equipped ICT infrastructure. That includes the world’s highest broadband penetration rate, the fastest internet connection speeds, and the most numerous free Wi-Fi zones. Moon Sangho, director of MICE Marketing Team, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)

Furthermore, South Korea’s strategic response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been highly regarded  internationally  and is providing further confidence that it is a trusted place to do business. The country has played host to notable international conferences such as the 19 th  International Anti-Corruption Conference in 2020, the International Diabetes Federation Congress in 2019, and African Development Bank Annual Meeting in 2018. 

South Korea’s ideal location for business is supported by Incheon International Airport, which has consistently ranked in the Top 10 of the world’s best airports.  Terminal 2  at Incheon International Airport was named World’s Best Airport Terminal in 2020. At the recently concluded KITE event, organizers showcased both online and offline components seamlessly: from impressive virtual exhibition halls to holograms, media facades, and robots.

Despite the digitalization of conferencing, the success of these offline components proves that physical locations still matter. Cutting-edge facilities, including state-of-the-art auditoriums, and practical seminar rooms, continue to be key to an event’s success. Safe team-building exercises and face-to-face networking activities will be the new standard and definitive of a collaborative event.  When it’s safe to travel again, South Korea has a wide choice of conference destinations to get excited about. KTO and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have put together a special collection of venues – Korea Unique Venues – that will deliver the needs of MICE events while providing an immersive cultural experience. These venues offer plenty to look forward to after the work is done, from lively city streets offering exciting after-hours activities to rich cultural sites and a serene countryside granting relaxation opportunities.

Conferencing in the capital

The National Museum of Korea is a celebration of the country’s history and art, and an iconic architectural landmark. The emblematic atrium, which can host up to 3000 guests, was highlighted during the Seoul G20 Summit in 2010, along with expansive auditoriums and meeting rooms with views of the verdant surroundings. Due to its central location and Seoul’s comprehensive metro system, the city’s legendary nightlife spots, from glitzy Gangnam to funky Itaewon, are just a few stops away.

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A few kilometers north of the National Museum sits Korea House , with a cluster of meeting rooms, some cozy enough for two and others roomy enough for 200, all set within manicured gardens and inside traditional-style buildings. With optional add-ons like royal court dinners and live folk music, Korea House offers an intimate conference experience that invites attendees to get familiar with the local culture.

Escape to the countryside

For a full cultural immersion, the Korean Folk Village takes conferencing to the countryside. Set within 245 acres of rolling tree-studded hills that change color with the seasons: an outdoor pavilion and an indoor convention center, each with capacity for a few hundred people. In the vicinity are heritage houses that have been transported from other parts of South Korea and restored to former glory and tranquil lakes for moments of quiet reflection.

Nami Island , with its serene natural setting and green credentials, may just spark creativity and inspire discussions on sustainability. Tree-lined walking trails, rope bridges, and cycle-friendly lanes lend themselves to team-building activities. Meanwhile, the various convention centers, such as the imaginatively named Magic Hall, have become favorable conference venues for international embassies.

Cutting-edge culture hubs

The world-renowned Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) demonstrates that the unofficial capital of the south can also handle large-scale events, with the Busan Cinema Center at the festival’s heart. The center also doubles as an impressive events venue, with an outdoor theatre that can seat up to 6000 people. The building is a piece of architectural ingenuity, with spectacular LED displays on the world’s largest cantilever roof.

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In the neighboring city of Daegu, a smaller metropolis that places a similar emphasis on the arts sits the Daegu Art Factory . The result of an urban renewal project, this cutting-edge art center is housed within a repurposed cigarette factory, and it provides a space for artistic creation and experimentation. For conferences that require a little inspiration, there’s a handful of seminar rooms and a sizeable auditorium.

Demonstrating unique value

Moon Sangho, director of MICE Marketing Team at KTO, is optimistic about South Korea’s future. He believes that South Korea’s diversity of destinations and its advanced connectivity and technology paints a bright picture for the industry.

We anticipate the future Korean MICE industry will be competitive on an international level and demonstrate our unique value to the world. Moon Sangho, director of MICE Marketing Team at KTO

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A flight information display system shows the departure time to cities overseas at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korean travelers are becoming dissatisfied with trips to countries that use the U.S. dollar due to rising travel expenses from fluctuating exchange rates, a survey showed Thursday.

According to an annual report by Consumer Insight on Koreans' satisfaction with traveling overseas, dollar-using destinations such as the U.S. and Saipan experienced significant drops in satisfaction scores.

The survey interviewed 9,375 Koreans who traveled abroad between September 2022 and August 2023 and collected satisfaction scores on a scale of 1,000 points.

Hawaii (738 points), the continental United States (708 points) and Saipan (706 points) each saw declines of 61, 57 and 73 points, with only Hawaii going over the average score of 735 points for the 27 destinations surveyed.

Notably, Japan jumped to sixth place with 767 points, up 18 places from the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The figure is the highest since the annual study began in 2018.

The surge is "largely due to the fading of the 'No Japan' campaign and cheaper prices due to the impact of the weaker yen," the study noted.

Travel costs were a key factor behind fluctuations in rankings and scores among mid-ranking destinations, according to the study.

The importance of prices, among six factors of the pleasantness of the travel environment — prices, transportation, cleanliness, convenience, safety and language — increased from 2019's 14 percent to last year's 19 percent, while those of other factors either decreased or remained unchanged.

Specifically, airfares are the primary factor contributing to cost increases, and air travel costs to North American destinations jumped 42 percent from 2019 to 2023.

However, satisfaction rate notably increased in Asia, where cost increases were relatively lower than those of the North American destinations, the report said.

It found that respondents were more satisfied with overseas destinations than domestic travel, which could spur growth of the outbound tourism market.

Korea already made a 79.1 percent recovery of its pre-pandemic record high in the number of overseas travelers with 22.7 million outbound tourists in 2023.

About a third of them visited Japan, considering that over 6.95 million Koreans visited Japan last year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization's statistics.

Meanwhile, Switzerland and Spain scored 833 points and 810 points, respectively, becoming the top two countries on the list. Rounding out the top 10 were Australia with 799 points, Italy with 778 points, New Zealand with 775 points, Japan with 767 points, Portugal with 764 points, Singapore with 763 points and Guam with 752 points.

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