Pocheon-si Selected as 'Best City for Travel' at 2025 K-Brand Awards

Baek Young-hyun: "A Global Tourism City... The Center Leading New Growth Engines in Northern Gyeonggi"
Aiming for Sustainable Development Based on Pristine Nature and Tourism Industry

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) has been finally selected in the ‘Best City for Travel’ category at the 2025 K-Brand Awards.

Pocheon City has been finally selected in the 'Best City for Travel' category at the 2025 K-Brand Awards. Photo by Pocheon City

According to Pocheon City on the 20th, the city was recognized for its contribution to the development as a ‘unique themed tourism city’ by being selected as the best city for travel at the K-Brand Awards ceremony held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul on the 19th.

Located in the northeastern part of the Seoul metropolitan area, Pocheon is a major transportation hub with a well-established, accessible transportation network. It boasts excellent transportation convenience, being within one hour from Seoul.

The city possesses beautiful natural ecological landscapes, including first-class ecological areas, and pursues sustainable development based on abundant natural and human resources. Representative local specialties such as Pocheon Makgeolli, Idong Galbi, ginseng, apples, grapes, and mushrooms are loved nationwide.

In particular, it is famous as the top green healing tourism city in the metropolitan area where visitors can enjoy a comfortable rest in a pristine natural environment. More than 8 million tourists visit annually, attracted by various tourist spots and festivals such as Pocheon Art Valley, Baegun Valley, Sanjeong Lake Silver Grass Festival, and the Dongjanggun Festival.

The Hantangang Garden Festa has also established itself as a new tourism content in Pocheon. The Hantangang Garden Festa attracted 300,000 tourists, generating 1.2 billion KRW in non-tax revenue and 13 billion KRW in direct economic effects, contributing to the revitalization of Pocheon’s economy. On the same day, the country’s longest Y-shaped suspension bridge, which opened, was selected as an excellent structure by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE).

Moreover, the city is promoting the comprehensive development project of the Hantangang River, dividing it into five zones with a total project cost of 120 billion KRW to revitalize tourism along the Hantangang River. Additionally, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety selected the Hantangang Tourism Zone Themed Hub Facility Project as a new development project for border areas, securing 7 billion KRW in national funding.

To foster a stay-type tourism industry, the city is implementing nightscape improvement projects at Art Valley and Sanjeong Lake, and plans to invest 6 billion KRW to create a media art park along the Hantangang River area. By showcasing stunning natural scenery during the day and dazzling night views, Pocheon is expected to become an even more beloved city for tourists.

From an economic perspective, Pocheon boasts a high competitiveness with a regional gross domestic product (GRDP) per capita of 51.02 million KRW, ranking first among 10 cities and counties in northern Gyeonggi and seventh among all cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province. This competitiveness is based on the active operations of over 8,100 companies located in Pocheon, and the city plans to build a pleasant residential environment close to workplaces to promote mutual development between companies and workers.

Pocheon City is striving to establish a comprehensive transportation network. Starting with the opening of the Pocheon-Hwado Expressway in 2024, the city is focusing on expanding metropolitan transportation infrastructure that will play an important role not only in Pocheon’s economic growth but also in improving the quality of life for local residents, including ▲the groundbreaking of Pocheon’s first railway Line 7 ▲and efforts to attract the GTX-G line.

Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon said, “We will continue to make various efforts for sustainable development and aim for balanced growth in all areas including tourism, economy, and transportation,” adding, “Pocheon will now become a global tourism city based on nature and culture and will be the center leading new growth engines in northern Gyeonggi.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.