Why foreign tourists are trading palaces for peaks in Korea

The Korea Tourism Organization has observed a growing trend among foreign tourists who are opting for mountain peaks over traditional historic palaces in Korea. This shift was recently highlighted when a group of 11 French hikers, including members of the Fédération Française de la Randonnée, along with Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young and renowned climber Um Hong-gil, explored Bukhansan National Park.

This group is part of a larger cohort of about 40 association members who are currently touring Korea for three separate 11-day hiking trips, visiting various landmarks such as Hahoe Folk Village, Mount Nam, Mount Geumjeong, Suncheon Bay, and Hwaeom Temple near Mount Jiri. The Korea Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Korea National Park Service, initiated this hiking initiative as part of its marketing strategy to promote walking tourism in Korean national parks.

The campaign, launched in July, aims to attract a combined 3 million visitors to national parks by 2028, offering free access to hiking boots and trekking poles for foreign tourists and providing a keychain souvenir at participating parks to encourage participation.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.