Andong, Venue of Korea-Japan Summit, to Be Promoted as a Top Japanese Tourist Destination

Ministry Intensifies Marketing for Andong, Venue of the Korea-Japan Summit

Premium Experiences Featuring Seonyu Julbulnori, Hahoe Village, and Hanok Stays

Familiarization Tour for Japanese Travel Agencies Scheduled in June

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is intensively promoting Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, the venue of the Korea-Japan summit, as a regional tourism destination for Japanese visitors. The ministry plans to launch premium experiential packages that combine traditional cultural activities such as the Seonyu Julbulnori fire play, Hahoe Village, and Andong Jjimdak, and will expand local media, broadcasting, and online marketing efforts in Japan.

President Lee Jae-myung is watching the Seonyu Julbulnori at the ferry wharf of Hahoe Village in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, his hometown, in the afternoon of the 19th with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Blue House

On the 20th, the ministry announced that, taking the Korea-Japan summit held on the 19th as an opportunity, it will focus on showcasing the appeal of Korean regional tourism—including Andong—to the Japanese market and will strengthen marketing efforts to attract Japanese tourists.

Since 2023, Korea and Japan have been each other's most frequented destinations. Last year, of the 14.73 million Japanese outbound travelers, 3.65 million—25%—visited Korea. Meanwhile, out of 29.55 million Korean outbound travelers, 9.46 million—32%—visited Japan.

During this year’s Golden Week holidays, 110,000 Japanese tourists visited Korea, up 53% from the same period last year. Since the start of the year, the number of Japanese visitors to Korea has also increased by more than 20% year-on-year.

The ministry believes that the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit to Andong will further boost Japanese interest in regional tourism in Korea. Andong is a historical and cultural city with four UNESCO World Heritage sites: Hahoe Village, Bongjeongsa Temple, Dosan Seowon, and Byeongsan Seowon. It is also home to traditional cultural attractions such as Woryeonggyo Bridge at night, Gosanjeong Pavilion, the Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori fire play, and the Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori mask dance performance.

Last year, there were 265,000 visits by foreigners to Andong, of which about 16,000 were made by Japanese visitors.

Since this year, the ministry has been working together with the Japan Association of Travel Agents to include Andong in the “Top 30 Small Cities of Korea” and is supporting the development and marketing of travel packages targeting Japanese tourists. Since April, seminars for the travel industry have also been held in major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai, and Sapporo.

Special packages linked to the Korea-Japan summit are also being launched. In cooperation with Japanese travel agencies, the ministry will introduce Korea travel packages that include the Andong Seonyu Julbulnori event. The Seonyu Julbulnori performances scheduled for October 3 and 17 are key attractions. Some packages offer a 4-day, 3-night itinerary that also includes the Haman Nakhwa Nori firework event and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Lantern Festival.

These special packages will be available from the end of May through major Japanese travel agencies such as HIS, Hankyu Travel International, and Yomiuri Travel. In June, the ministry will organize a familiarization tour for representatives of major Japanese travel agencies, aiming to develop comprehensive packages that combine visits to Hahoe Village, hanok accommodation, and local specialties like Andong Jjimdak.

Local marketing efforts in Japan will also be expanded. Special features on Andong and advertisements for travel packages will be placed in the Asahi Shimbun and Nishinippon Shimbun newspapers, while popular TV programs on TV Asahi and TBS will showcase Andong’s tourist attractions. Starting in June, the ministry will promote Andong travel packages in partnership with major Japanese online travel agencies such as Rakuten Travel and Expedia, connecting flights to Daegu Airport.

On social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, promotional videos produced in collaboration with local Japanese content creators will be posted. In October, a “Daegu-Andong Medical Wellness Talk Show” featuring Japanese celebrity Mitsuru Matsuoka will also be held.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, “This Korea-Japan summit is an excellent opportunity to widely introduce Andong’s unique traditional culture, cuisine, and hanok charm to the Japanese market. Through special packages that allow travelers to experience the leaders’ itinerary and culinary highlights, as well as comprehensive local marketing, we will strive to establish Andong as a beloved tourist destination for Japanese visitors.”

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