Tourism Organization Hosts Event Inviting Japanese Journalists to APEC Summit in Gyeongju

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 31st that it invited about 50 prominent Japanese media journalists from April 27 to 30 to showcase diverse regional tourism content in Gyeongju and Busan, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

The event was attended not only by journalists from major local Japanese daily newspapers such as Yomiuri Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun but also by Japan-based influencers specializing in "Korean travel."

The Tourism Organization focused on introducing new tourism content in Gyeongju, the host city of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Under the theme "First Time Visiting Gyeongju," the itinerary provided Japanese visitors with the still unfamiliar experience of wearing Silla hanbok, introduced photo zones at Daereungwon, Hwangridan-gil, and other new tourist spots favored by Korea's MZ generation. Additionally, as content that could lead to extended stays, they showcased Gyeongju's representative night view spots selected in the "Korea Night Night 100" list, such as Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Woljeonggyo Bridge, and a drone show in Busan.

Many food contents favored most by Japanese tourists, such as Yukhoe Bibimbap and Nakgopsae, representative dishes of the Gyeongsang region listed in the "Top 30 Korean Regional Gourmet Foods," were also introduced. In particular, the Makgeolli experience at the Boksundoga brewery in Ulsan, which has also expanded into the Japanese market, received great acclaim.

Jung Geun-hee, head of the Japan team at the Tourism Organization, said, "This event was organized to introduce Gyeongju, which is attracting attention due to the APEC summit, to the Japanese media in order to alleviate the concentration of tourists in Seoul." He added, "Starting with this familiarization tour, we will hold roadshows in major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka in April to maximize demand for visits to Korea during Golden Week, Japan's largest peak season."

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