Highlights
- Park Bo-gum is set to lead Korea’s latest tourism campaign through immersive cultural storytelling.
- The campaign taps everyday sounds and local experiences to offer a unique way of discovering Korea beyond famous places.
- As Hallyu expands globally, Seoul is looking at entertainment-led initiatives to create new economic pathways.
South Korea has appointed actor Park Bo-gum as the face of its latest global tourism campaign. By using one of the country’s most popular actors, the country aims to convert global interest in Korean content and culture into travel demand. Park rose to fame after he appeared in the 2015 hit K-drama Reply 1988. Since then, he has built a strong international fanbase in significant portions of Asia.
He steadily gained more global followers after he acted in a series of other popular Korean dramas like the historical romance Love in the Moonlight, the youth series Record of Youth, and the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, which is set against the landscapes and cultural heritage of Jeju Island. His growing international profile has made him a key figure in South Korea’s efforts to use entertainment personalities as cultural ambassadors.
Sound-Based Travel Reimagines Korea Experiences
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) launched the 2026 campaign, “Begin to Hear Korea,” on July 15 on @VISITKOREA, the authority’s official YouTube channel. The short-film-style promotional video featured Park traveling in Korea through sound and everyday experiences instead of traditional tourism imagery.
Park, who is currently serving his second consecutive year as Korea’s honorary tourism ambassador, portrays a “music director” in the campaign video. He travels across the country with Danish musician Ki to collect sounds from daily life and convert them into music. The campaign incorporates audio elements such as subway announcements, traditional markets, and wind chimes from hanok, Korea’s traditional houses.
The KTO said the initiative showcases the growing “dailycation” travel trend, which combines daily life and vacation by prompting visitors to experience local communities apart from key landmarks. The organization plans to distribute the campaign through digital platforms, smart TVs, and in-flight entertainment systems.
A follow-up event, “Korea Sound Journey,” will bring about 100 global participants to Seoul in October for a sound-based travel program featuring a city walk and a discussion session with Park. “This year’s campaign is a new attempt to expand travel to Korea from something visitors see to something they experience through sound,” said KTO President Park Sung-hyuk, noted by The Korea Times.
K-content Drives Korea’s Tourism and Cultural Economy
The campaign builds on South Korea’s wider strategy of using entertainment and cultural exports as drivers of tourism growth. Korean dramas, films, and music have progressively become gateways for international audiences to engage with the country.
The economic impact of Hallyu-driven tourism has grown beyond cultural influence. A Korea Citation Index survey found that Hallyu tourists make up 46.3% of foreign visitors, with average per capita spending estimated at $2,230 USD, emphasizing the sector's contribution to tourism revenue.
South Korea’s cultural exports have become a significantly important economic pillar. Content exports hit a record $14.9 billion USD in 2025, while foreign tourist arrivals rose to 18.9 million from 16.3 million a year earlier, as highlighted by government data. Also, South Korea’s tourism sector generated $16.45 billion USD in tourism revenue in 2024. Additionally, Seoul has set a target of growing the broader K-culture market to ₩400 trillion (~ $270.15 billion) by 2030.
Tourism Push Amid Korea’s Film Industry Slowdown
The tourism push comes alongside challenges in South Korea’s domestic film industry. While Korean films continue to perform worldwide, local cinema has been battling weaker investment and box-office pressures. The Korean Film Council reported a sharp 39.4% decline in domestic box office in 2025.
Korean film exports have reached $50.28M in 2025, rising nearly 20% year-on-year, highlighting the contrast between global cultural demand and domestic market difficulties. By pairing celebrity influence with experiential tourism, South Korea is trying to extend the reach of its cultural exports beyond screens, while turning global fandom into long-term economic activity.
