Official promotional poster for 2025 Korea Welcome Week (Visit Korea Committee)

By Margareth Theresia

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Visit Korea Committee on Oct. 23 launched Korea Welcome Week through Nov. 9 at key hubs of tourism and transportation nationwide like Incheon International Airport, Gyeongju Station in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Gimhae International Airport in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and Busan Port.

This event seeks to welcome foreign tourists to Korea and promote domestic tourism ahead of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and a peak tourism season in the country.

Over the event period, welcome booths at each location allow visitors to interact with traditional culture like trying on traditional props or transforming themselves into characters from folk paintings. Multilingual interpretation is also available as well as travel information on transportation, food and shopping.

In cooperation with relevant sectors, the booths offer benefits in shopping, interactive events, communication and payments.

Visitors can receive a welcoming package including a "welcome card" that introduces Korean tourism and culture. They can check related information in select languages via the QR code on the card.

In collaboration with Gyeongju City Hall, the ministry will also launch the "Silla Smile" campaign for foreign tourists.

More information is on the event's official website (https://koreawelcomeweek.com).

Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Dae-hyun said, "With the inbound tourism market rapidly expanding, we will continue Korea Welcome Week events to ensure safer and more enjoyable and convenient trips for foreign visitors."

margareth@korea.kr