The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will invite 32 groups comprising 50 “real fans” of Korea from around the world to visit the country from May 20 to 24 in celebration of “Visit Korea Year 2024” and promotion of K-culture and K-tourism.

In this event titled “KOREA invites U,” MCST and KTO invite foreigners living overseas who like Korea or have a special relationship with the country for various reasons such as K-pop, dramas, sports, the Korean language, and traditional culture to Korea for a 5-day trip. Participants were selected through recommendations from overseas KTO offices and an open call for applications. Individuals submitted their stories from March 19 to April 19, and a total of 77,224 submissions from 185 countries were received, confirming their strong interest in K-culture and tourism. The applications underwent 4 rounds of screening to select individuals who sincerely love Korea and hope to visit the country, including those who overcame personal trials through Taekwondo and enrolled in a Korean studies department at a college later in life because of a keen interest in K-drama, culture, history, and language.

Support for customized K-tourism in Seoul, Busan, Jeonju, etc., including K-culture, regional travel, and wellness

The selected participants will arrive on May 20 and start their tour on May 21, when they will take a city tour bus to visit major tourist attractions in Seoul and attend an exchange meeting and welcome event at Samcheonggak. The welcome event includes an introduction to travel destinations in Korea and fun quizzes, including its traditional culture, regions, and music, to learn about the country’s many appeals. The participants will also have opportunities to experience K-culture. Reflecting their strong interest in K-pop, K-pop dance classes will be held at 1MILLION Dance Studio in Seoul, with a chance to enjoy Korean chicken and beer at Kyochon Pilbang.

For the tour program on May 22 and 23, the participants were divided into 5 groups based on their preferences and characteristics. Participants will enjoy Korea’s attractions and food, including K-culture, wellness, and regional travel to Seoul, Busan, and Jeonju. The entire event will be specially recorded and produced as an exclusive TV program that will be broadcasted worldwide through the KBS WORLD channel.

PARK Jong Taek, Director-General of the MCST Tourism Policy Bureau, said, “Many foreigners love Korea for various reasons across diverse areas such as K-pop, dramas, sports, traditional culture, and the Korean language. Through this event, we hope that participants will directly experience Korean culture and tourism and become public relations ambassadors in the private sector to spread the word about Korea’s appeals.” He added, “MCST will celebrate the second year of Visit Korea Year with diverse events designed to increase the attractiveness of K-tourism, such as the Korea Beauty Festival in June and the K-Wave Tourism Festival in October.”