Turning alleyways into attractions: Korea launches urban stamp tour

A nighttime view of Haebangchon glowing at the foot of Mount Nam, with the Yeouido skyline rising in the distance, April 12, 2022 / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

A government stamp tour is turning renovated markets, neighborhood cafes and other urban sites into stops on a nationwide summer-to-fall itinerary beginning Tuesday.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said its Urban Regeneration Stamp Tour will run through Nov. 15 across 13 cities and 52 designated sites.

The program is designed to encourage people to experience the results of urban regeneration firsthand, while bringing more visitors and spending to local businesses.

Last year, the tour drew 1,526 participants across 40 sites in 10 regions, while this year's program expands the program to 52 sites.

Participants can download the Stamp Tour app and automatically collect location-based stamps when they arrive at designated sites, with rewards available as they reach successive milestones.

Visitors who collect four stamps will enter a monthly drawing for a 30,000 won ($22) Kakao Makers gift certificate, with 500 winners selected each month for a total of 1,500 winners.

Higher milestones offer additional rewards, including gift certificates worth 50,000 won, 70,000 won and 100,000 won, while one participant who collects at least 32 stamps will have a chance to win a new smartphone.

The tour spans diverse cultural stops across the country, from historic markets and riverside pavilions along the east coast in Samcheok to vibrant mural villages near Suwon's UNESCO-listed fortress, as well as bustling local bazaars in the southern city of Gyeongsan.

Other participating sites include Millak Waterside Park in Busan, Nambu Market in Jeonju, Seomun Market's samgyeopsal street in Cheongju and Mokpo Modern History Museum 1 in Mokpo.

The tour also covers Gongju, Suncheon, Gyeongju, Jeju, Daejeon and Seoul's Yongsan District, with four designated sites in each participating area.

The ministry is also offering a receipt-verification event to encourage spending at local businesses, with participants who spend at least 10,000 won at a business in a participating district eligible for a monthly drawing.

One hundred winners each month will receive a gift certificate worth 30,000 won, according to the ministry.

“We hope many citizens will take part in the stamp tour to walk through and enjoy these alleyways and traditional markets transformed by urban regeneration,” said Lee Ki-bong, director general of urban policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. “Every single step taken by visitors will serve as a welcome boost to local business districts.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.