The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister KANG Do Hyung, MOF), in collaboration with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (Governor OH Young Hun, Jeju) announced that Gangjeong Port in Jeju will officially begin operations as a “semi-home port[1]” from May this year. Enabling passengers to board cruise vessels departing directly overseas, the initiative is a core element of the “Cruise Tourism Revitalization Plan” announced in June last year, and specifically aligns with its key strategy: “Proactive Development of Domestic Home and Semi-home Port Cruise Packages”.

Until now, Korea’s cruise tourism industry has been primarily structured around port-of-call tourism, which restricts shore time for domestic and international passengers. This has curtailed spending, limiting the boost to local economies.

To address this, MCST and MOF are proactively developing cruise home and semi-home port travel packages, to provide ample time for tourists to explore domestic destinations, both before departure and after arrival.  This strategy aims to encourage tourist spending within Korea and to revitalize local economies. To support this goal, streamlined immigration procedures and enhanced traveler conveniences are planned, including automated immigration kiosks, prior coordination with CIQ[2] authorities, and the development of new tourism programs.

Semi-home port operations will begin with a pilot program[3] at Gangjeong Port in Jeju, with plans to expand to other domestic cruise ports, including Jeju Port.

Meanwhile, MCST and MOF have strategically exchanged department-level personnel (the Director of the Domestic Tourism Promotion Division at MCST and the Director of the Marine Leisure Tourism Division at MOF/ February 29 and March 14, 2024, respectively)—to foster the marine tourism industry, including the cruise sector, which integrates marine transport and travel. Furthermore, the two ministries continue to closely collaborate with local governments, the Korea Tourism Organization, port authorities, and other stakeholders to promote marine tourism.

In particular, MCST is working to identify unique marine tourism resources [with a draft tour theme selected in December 2024],  across eight regions[4] in Korea, including Jeju, and to promote extended-stay tourism by developing travel packages[5].

Minister YU stated, “Marine recreation and travel, including cruises, are key drivers of regional tourism revitalization. We will actively collaborate with relevant ministries and local governments to identify and develop coastal tourism offerings — such as expanding port-of-call experiences and introducing themed programs — that contribute to local economic growth.”.

Minister KANG of MOF added, “Expanding semi-home ports will drive increased local spending and support the sustainable growth of Korea’s cruise industry. We will continue to collaborate closely with related agencies to ensure cruise tourism becomes a new growth engine for regional economies.”