Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
New tourism task force aims to harness global reach of K-culture
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the K-tourism innovation task force in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
By Lee Hae-rin
Korea on Wednesday launched a new public-private task force aimed at transforming the nation’s tourism industry amid rising global interest in Korean culture.
The K-tourism innovation task force was inaugurated at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, with more than 20 officials, scholars and industry leaders in attendance.
The task force represents the first major tourism initiative under the Lee Jae Myung administration and aims to harness the global momentum of K-culture, transforming it into sustained industry growth.
“Ten years ago, the number of inbound tourists coming to Korea was higher than that of Japan. But in recent years, Japan has overtaken us by double. Although K-culture is enjoying enormous global influence, we need to carefully examine what Japan has done well over the past decade,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young said during his opening speech.
According to the ministry, the group will hold bimonthly meetings and act as a collaborative platform that brings together government agencies, academics, cultural experts and private businesses to strengthen policy execution and industry competitiveness.
Chaired by Chae, the task force involves related government bodies and major institutions such as the Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Airports Corp., Korea Railroad Corp. and Korea Transport Institute.
The task force also includes a broad mix of expertise.
Professors specializing in tourism, regional development and marketing will contribute academic insight, while leading industry figures will share perspectives of digital innovation and consumer experience. Cultural creators, travel writers and international voices, including Italian-born TV celebrity Alberto Mondi, will ensure that traveler psychology and global perspectives are reflected.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young, front row center, poses with members of the K-tourism innovation task force during its inauguration ceremony in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The group will focus on four priority areas: expanding inbound tourism, improving visitor infrastructure, revitalizing regional tourism and enhancing industry competitiveness. Key measures will include regional consultations, on-the-ground policy experiments and the development of a nationwide innovation road map.
At the inauguration event, presentations highlighted both challenges and opportunities facing Korean tourism, with experts calling for strategies to sustain visitor growth, diversify tourism experiences and encourage longer stays.
“There is a severe imbalance caused by an excessive concentration of travel demand in the Seoul metropolitan area,” Professor Choi Kyu-wan of Kyung Hee University said, adding that in Japan, domestic carriers operate flights to 30 different airports, while Japanese carriers only land at Incheon and Gimpo airports in Korea due to lack of market expansion strategy and consequent decline in regional demand.
The professor also pointed out the failure of Korea's regions to capture distinctive local characteristics and develop them into tourism assets.
Chae emphasized the strategic role of tourism in revitalizing both the nation’s economy and its regions.
“Tourism is a core industry that can break through slow growth and counter regional decline,” the minister said, “With the K-tourism innovation task force, we will move beyond Seoul and ensure that communities across the country share in the benefits of a thriving tourism ecosystem.”