‘Squid Game,' Park Bo-gum and K-pop: Korea continues to attract tourists with K-content
SEOUL – Clad in the iconic green tracksuit from 'Squid Game,' Ria dashes through South Korean landmarks, pursued by guards in pink jumpsuits. But this isn't a teaser for a new season of the global Netflix sensation — it's a tourism promotion video that has racked up more than 11 million views since its release on July 3.
In another campaign leveraging the popularity of 'All of Us Are Dead,' two high school students and Jason, a friend turning into a zombie, take viewers through major tourist attractions, blending the show's zombie survival theme with explorations of scenic spots.
The videos are part of a broader strategy that taps into the global appeal of Korean pop culture to attract international visitors.
'Escape to Korea' (KTO)
Park Bo-gum, who recently starred in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' appears in three separate tourism videos, including a music video for 'On My Way.'
Performed by Park, 'On My Way' is the result of a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the K-pop industry. The track was composed by Kenzie, Andrew Choi, No2zcat, JSONG (Oceancave) and Kim Yoohyun. Kenzie, who also wrote the lyrics, is a prolific K-pop producer behind dozens of hits, while Andrew Choi provided vocals as Jinwoo, a member of the fictional idol group Saja Boys in Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters.'
Park said that one of his favorite places is the area surrounding Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung. 'But I hope you'll also explore regions outside of Seoul. I'd especially recommend Busan, where I recently filmed 'Good Boy,' he added.
He also recommended Seoul's public bike-sharing service, Seoul Bike, officially known as Ddareungi. 'I love riding a Ddareungi along the Han River,' the actor said. 'If you haven't tried it yet, I'd really like to introduce you to it.'
Official music video for 'On My Way' (KTO)
This year's campaign also includes two videos promoting Korea's regional charm — one spotlighting the Gyeongsang region and another focused on the Jeolla provinces.
The video on Gyeongsang captures the energy and cultural richness of the North and South Gyeongsang provinces through a modern reinterpretation of the traditional sword dance, 'geommu.' Meanwhile, the video on Jeolla provinces showcases the region's serene natural beauty through 'seungmu,' a meditative and graceful dance. Both videos are set to a fusion of traditional and modern music.
Through these new videos, the campaign aims to showcase the regions' cultural and scenic appeal while highlighting areas still healing from hardship, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
A promotional video for the Gyeongsang provinces, 'Echoes of Korea – Gyeongsang' (KTO)
These two regions were the sites of tragic incidents last year: wildfires that lasted for 10 days in South Gyeongsang Province in March and a plane crash in Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, in December that killed all but two on board.
A promotional video for the Jeolla provinces, 'Echoes of Korea – Jeolla' (KTO)
First launched in 2015, South Korea's tourism promotional videos, featuring top celebrities such as BTS, Lee Jung-jae and NewJeans, have drawn increasing global attention, particularly following the breakout success of the 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' series in 2020. The series has since become a cultural phenomenon, with its videos collectively amassing over 240 million views across multiple platforms.
BTS also appeared on several 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' videos in 2022, which reached over 230 million views on YouTube less than three weeks after their release.
Last year, South Korea welcomed approximately 16.37 million overseas visitors, a 48.4 percent increase from the previous year and reaching 94 percent of the pre‑COVID‑19 peak of around 17.5 million in 2019, according to the KTO.
The country aims to attract 18.5 million overseas visitors this year, up 13 percent from 2024. By 2027, Korea hopes to welcome 30 million international visitors annually by expanding cultural exports and enhancing tourism infrastructure across the country.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
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