K-stars Park Bo-gum, Blackpink's Jennie named South Korea's tourism ambassadors for 2025
Actor Park Bo-gum (left) was named the honorary ambassador for 2025 Korea Tourism, while singer Jennie was tapped as the honorary ambassador to promote tourism in Seoul.
SEOUL - South Korean actor Park Bo-gum has been officially named the honorary ambassador for 2025 Korea Tourism at a ceremony in Seoul on July 29.
The 32-year-old, who recently starred in the hit K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025), appears in three separate tourism videos, including a music video for On My Way.
Performed by Park, the original song is the result of a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO), South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the K-pop industry.
Park said at the event that one of his favourite places is the area surrounding Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung.
'But I hope you'll also explore regions outside of Seoul. I'd especially recommend Busan, where I recently filmed (TV series) Good Boy,' he added.
He also recommended Seoul's public bike-sharing service, Seoul Bike, officially known as Ddareungi.
'I love riding a Ddareungi along the Han River,' the star said. 'If you haven't tried it yet, I'd really like to introduce you to it.'
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First launched in 2015, South Korea's tourism promotional videos, featuring celebrities such as boy band BTS, actor Lee Jung-jae and girl group NewJeans, have drawn increasing global attention, particularly following the breakout success of the Feel The Rhythm Of Korea series in 2020.
It has since become a cultural phenomenon, with its videos collectively amassing over 240 million views across multiple platforms.
BTS also appeared in several Feel The Rhythm Of Korea videos in 2022, which reached over 230 million views on YouTube less than three weeks after their release.
Meanwhile, Jennie of K-pop girl group Blackpink will lend her star power to Seoul, the Seoul Tourism Organisation announced on July 29.
The South Korean singer was tapped as the honorary ambassador to promote tourism in the capital city in 2025, and a campaign video featuring the 29-year-old will be unveiled on July 31.
Under the catchphrase 'Absolutely in Seoul', the first promotional video - Daltokki - will follow Jennie as she explores spots in Seoul from Gyeongbokgung to Seongsu-dong.
The second video will incorporate her song Seoul City (2025), from her first solo full-length album Ruby, released in March.
In 2024, South Korea welcomed approximately 16.37 million overseas visitors, a 48.4 per cent increase from the previous year and reaching 94 per cent of the pre‑Covid‑19 peak of around 17.5 million in 2019, according to the KTO.
The country aims to attract 18.5 million overseas visitors in 2025. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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