"K-pop's Economic Impact Is Powerful"... Nol Universe Steps Up Efforts to Attract Foreign Tourists (Comprehensive)

Scheduled for October 17–18 at KINTEX in Goyang
100,000 Expected to Attend; "Korea's Largest Indoor Festival"
Sujin Lee of Yanolja: "Transforming Korea into a Playground"

"Many foreign tourists are visiting Korea because of K-pop. These visitors are staying not just for a day or two, but for several days, engaging in accommodation, dining, and shopping, resulting in significant related economic activity." - Chulwoong Lee, CEO of Nol Universe

Nol Universe will host "NOL FESTIVAL," the largest domestic music festival in Korea, this October. By organizing its own K-pop performances, the company aims to provide an experience where the entire travel process—including tickets, flights, transportation, and accommodations—can be handled on a single platform. The travel industry is now actively leveraging K-pop and K-content, which have become central to revitalizing tourism in Korea.

Soojin Lee, CEO of Yanolja, is speaking at the 'Nol Festival Media Day' held on the 19th at Blue Square WooRi WON Banking Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Provided by Nol Universe

Enthusiasm for Lineup Featuring K-pop Artists like god, WOODZ, and NMIXX

Nol Universe officially announced the launch of the NOL Festival during the "NOL Festival Media Day" held on the 19th at Blue Square WooRi WON Banking Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The festival is scheduled for October 17–18 this year at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Nol Universe explained that about 100,000 people are expected to participate over two days, making it the largest indoor festival in Korea.

The NOL Festival will feature three simultaneous stage concepts: the "Super Live Stage," which transcends generations and genres; the "K-pop Stage," together with global fandom; and the "EDM Stage," offering explosive sound and energy.

The first lineup, revealed on this day, includes top-tier domestic and international artists. The legendary group god and the emotive band NELL will perform live, while singers Lee Mujin and WOODZ will add to the festival's atmosphere with their unique musical colors and dynamic performances. In addition, global K-pop artists such as Ha Sung-woon, NMIXX, and Hearts2Hearts will further heat up the venue with their performances. Global EDM star Alan Walker and the energetic duo Kim Haon & NowIamyoung will also take the stage.

Nol Universe announced on the 19th that it will hold 'Nol Festival,' the largest music festival in Korea, this October. Photo by Nol Universe

Nol Universe will operate this festival primarily as a free invitation event for Nol customers. Attendees can obtain entry tickets by participating in missions or using services. Additionally, some stages will be available through paid tickets. While the basic premise is free entry, Nol Universe explained that paid tickets are intended for those customers who wish to attend the performances even by purchasing admission. Methods for applying and booking tickets will be released on June 8 through the official website and social networking services (SNS).

Designed as an open festival, NOL Festival will enable customers to immerse themselves as participants in creating the event. Nol Universe stated that it has designed an organic experience flow across entry, booking, on-site programs, and experiential elements. The company also added that special programs will allow direct interaction with major artists.

Sujin Lee, CEO of Yanolja, said, "Yanolja Group and Nol Universe are evolving to create a world where customers can enjoy leisure and cultural activities ten times more easily and conveniently than before, going beyond travel. We prepared NOL Festival to transform Korea into a joyful playground."

"At Least 10% of 100,000 Attendees Expected to Be Foreigners" ... Anticipating the K-pop Effect

Nol Universe is hosting this event with the goal of enabling all aspects of the festival to be managed within a single application. The company plans to make it easy for customers to book accommodations and transportation while enjoying the performances at the NOL Festival.

Chulwoong Lee, CEO of Nol Universe (center in the photo), and Donghui Choi, Nol Festival Task Force (TF) Leader (far right), are responding to questions and answers at the 'Nol Festival Media Day' held on the 19th at Blue Square Woori WON Banking Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Provided by Nol Universe

Chulwoong Lee, CEO of Nol Universe, said, "After connecting various forms of entertainment such as travel, performances, leisure, and flights in the online space, we now want to expand that value by organizing a festival where we can meet customers directly and share experiences together. Through NOL Festival, we aim to create a new play culture that anyone can enjoy with peace of mind and to become a brand that connects with customers in the most vivid way." He emphasized, "It has been about a year since the Nol brand was rebranded, and in the process of delivering the true joy of play, we are working to provide a platform where customers can experience the brand with all their senses by linking the various services offered by the app."

The company also targets foreign tourists who are interested in K-pop and K-content, want to experience them firsthand in Korea, and wish to stay and enjoy them. Nol Universe expects that more than 10% of the 100,000 attendees at the festival will be foreigners. Lee said, "Foreign tourists who visit Korea for K-pop not only attend performances but often revisit multiple times to see their favorite artists. We believe that the value of K-pop is creating a trickle-down effect not only for us but also for the related industries. We aim to further expand and lead these opportunities."

In fact, the popularity of K-pop and K-content has led to a sharp increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of inbound foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year reached 4.76 million, the highest ever for a single quarter. In March alone, the number of inbound foreign tourists reached 2.06 million, setting a new monthly record.

As a result, local governments and the travel industry nationwide are prominently featuring K-pop and K-content in their related events and services. For example, Busan City will host a month-long series of festivals leading up to the "BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) World Tour Arirang IN Busan" concert scheduled for June 12–13, showcasing large-scale tourism content. Airbnb, in collaboration with major domestic agency HYBE since early this month, is offering accommodation discount coupons to members of SEVENTEEN's official fan club, Carat, via the global superfans platform Weverse.

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