Latest news with #SportsandTourism
Asia News Network
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Asia News Network
‘Squid Game,' Park Bo-gum and K-pop: Korea continues to attract tourists with K-content
July 30, 2025 SEOUL – Clad in the iconic green tracksuit from 'Squid Game,' Ria dashes through South Korean landmarks, pursued by guards in pink jumpsuits. But this isn't a teaser for a new season of the global Netflix sensation — it's a tourism promotion video that has racked up more than 11 million views since its release on July 3. In another campaign leveraging the popularity of 'All of Us Are Dead,' two high school students and Jason, a friend turning into a zombie, take viewers through major tourist attractions, blending the show's zombie survival theme with explorations of scenic spots. The videos are part of a broader strategy that taps into the global appeal of Korean pop culture to attract international visitors. 'Escape to Korea' (KTO) Park Bo-gum, who recently starred in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' appears in three separate tourism videos, including a music video for 'On My Way.' Performed by Park, 'On My Way' is the result of a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the K-pop industry. The track was composed by Kenzie, Andrew Choi, No2zcat, JSONG (Oceancave) and Kim Yoohyun. Kenzie, who also wrote the lyrics, is a prolific K-pop producer behind dozens of hits, while Andrew Choi provided vocals as Jinwoo, a member of the fictional idol group Saja Boys in Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters.' Park said that one of his favorite 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 '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 actor said. 'If you haven't tried it yet, I'd really like to introduce you to it.' Official music video for 'On My Way' (KTO) This year's campaign also includes two videos promoting Korea's regional charm — one spotlighting the Gyeongsang region and another focused on the Jeolla provinces. The video on Gyeongsang captures the energy and cultural richness of the North and South Gyeongsang provinces through a modern reinterpretation of the traditional sword dance, 'geommu.' Meanwhile, the video on Jeolla provinces showcases the region's serene natural beauty through 'seungmu,' a meditative and graceful dance. Both videos are set to a fusion of traditional and modern music. Through these new videos, the campaign aims to showcase the regions' cultural and scenic appeal while highlighting areas still healing from hardship, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A promotional video for the Gyeongsang provinces, 'Echoes of Korea – Gyeongsang' (KTO) These two regions were the sites of tragic incidents last year: wildfires that lasted for 10 days in South Gyeongsang Province in March and a plane crash in Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, in December that killed all but two on board. A promotional video for the Jeolla provinces, 'Echoes of Korea – Jeolla' (KTO) First launched in 2015, South Korea's tourism promotional videos, featuring top celebrities such as BTS, Lee Jung-jae and NewJeans, have drawn increasing global attention, particularly following the breakout success of the 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' series in 2020. The series has since become a cultural phenomenon, with its videos collectively amassing over 240 million views across multiple platforms. BTS also appeared on several 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' videos in 2022, which reached over 230 million views on YouTube less than three weeks after their release. Last year, South Korea welcomed approximately 16.37 million overseas visitors, a 48.4 percent increase from the previous year and reaching 94 percent 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 this year, up 13 percent from 2024. By 2027, Korea hopes to welcome 30 million international visitors annually by expanding cultural exports and enhancing tourism infrastructure across the country. gypark@
HKFP
14 hours ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong Stadium suffered loss of HK$35 million over past 2 years
The Hong Kong Stadium suffered a loss of nearly HK$35 million over the past two fiscal years, the government has said, adding that it welcomes suggestions for 'making good use' of the major sports venue. Rosanna Law, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, said on Wednesday in response to a lawmaker that the Hong Kong Stadium saw HK$57.2 million in expenses during the 2024/25 fiscal year and an income of HK$37.4 million, resulting in a deficit of nearly HK$20 million. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, when the city's borders had just reopened after the pandemic, the Hong Kong Stadium recorded a deficit of HK$15 million. Opened in 1952 and redeveloped in 1994, the Hong Kong Stadium is located in Causeway Bay and has 40,000 seats. It was the largest stadium in Hong Kong until March, when the Kai Tak Sports Park – featuring the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium – opened. In 2019, while the Kai Tak Sports Park was being developed, the government proposed redeveloping the Hong Kong Stadium into a public sports ground with sports facilities for booking. The government also suggested allowing runners to use the sports ground for free, according to local media outlets. Last year, the city's leader John Lee said during his policy address that authorities would conduct a review of the redevelopment plan to ensure the Hong Kong Stadium's 'synergy' with the Kai Tak Sports Park. Law said on Wednesday that the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau 'will make reference' to the operation of the Kai Tak Sports Park to further assess the role of the Hong Kong Stadium. 'At present, [the Hong Kong Stadium] continues to serve as a major venue for large-scale events,' she added. The Hong Kong Stadium hosted 39 ball games and 10 'other events' over the past three years, Law said.
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Squid Game,' Park Bo-gum and K-pop: Korea continues to attract tourists with K-content
SEOUL: Clad in the iconic green tracksuit from 'Squid Game,' Ria dashes through South Korean landmarks, pursued by guards in pink jumpsuits. But this isn't a teaser for a new season of the global Netflix sensation — it's a tourism promotion video that has racked up more than 11 million views since its release on July 3. In another campaign leveraging the popularity of 'All of Us Are Dead,' two high school students and Jason, a friend turning into a zombie, take viewers through major tourist attractions, blending the show's zombie survival theme with explorations of scenic spots. The videos are part of a broader strategy that taps into the global appeal of Korean pop culture to attract international visitors. Park Bo-gum (pic), who recently starred in "When Life Gives You Tangerines," appears in three separate tourism videos, including a music video for 'On My Way.' Performed by Park, 'On My Way' is the result of a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the K-pop industry. The track was composed by Kenzie, Andrew Choi, No2zcat, JSONG (Oceancave) and Kim Yoohyun. Kenzie, who also wrote the lyrics, is a prolific K-pop producer behind dozens of hits, while Andrew Choi provided vocals as Jinwoo, a member of the fictional idol group Saja Boys in Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters." Park said 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 '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 actor said. 'If you haven't tried it yet, I'd really like to introduce you to it.' This year's campaign also includes two videos promoting Korea's regional charm — one spotlighting the Gyeongsang region and another focused on the Jeolla provinces. The video on Gyeongsang captures the energy and cultural richness of the North and South Gyeongsang provinces through a modern reinterpretation of the traditional sword dance, "geommu." Meanwhile, the video on Jeolla provinces showcases the region's serene natural beauty through "seungmu," a meditative and graceful dance. Both videos are set to a fusion of traditional and modern music. Through these new videos, the campaign aims to showcase the regions' cultural and scenic appeal while highlighting areas still healing from hardship, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. These two regions were the sites of tragic incidents last year: wildfires that lasted for 10 days in South Gyeongsang Province in March and a plane crash in Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, in December that killed all but two on board. First launched in 2015, South Korea's tourism promotional videos, featuring top celebrities such as BTS, Lee Jung-jae and NewJeans, have drawn increasing global attention, particularly following the breakout success of the "Feel the Rhythm of Korea" series in 2020. The series has since become a cultural phenomenon, with its videos collectively amassing over 240 million views across multiple platforms. BTS also appeared on several 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' videos in 2022, which reached over 230 million views on YouTube less than three weeks after their release. Last year, 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 this year, up 13 per cent from 2024. By 2027, Korea hopes to welcome 30 million international visitors annually by expanding cultural exports and enhancing tourism infrastructure across the country. - The Korea Herald/ANN
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Culture Minister nominee eyes 'W300tr K-culture market'
Tech and media expert Chae Hwi-young emphasizes use of AI Chae Hwi-young, who would be the first private sector expert to lead the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism if appointed, said Tuesday that he hopes to grow the market for Korean culture to 300 trillion won ($215.4 billion). The 61-year-old tech platform expert highlighted the Korean content industry's growing economic impact, citing K-pop, K-dramas, games, webtoons and publishing. Together, these markets generated 154 trillion won in revenue and $13.3 billion in exports in 2023, growing at an annual rate of 5-6 percent. 'These are now core national industries,' he said during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning. 'While I take great pride in the accomplishments of Korean culture, I also believe we must reflect deeply on whether we're truly maximizing this unprecedented opportunity. We need to consider how to further strengthen the foundation of our cultural power. Being nominated at such a critical juncture fills me with a deep sense of responsibility,' he said. As for how he plans to achieve these goals, Chae emphasized the role of artificial intelligence, drawing on his personal experience navigating the profound shift from the analog 20th century to the AI-driven era of today. 'Now, generative AI is becoming a part of daily life, signaling yet another transformation. We must approach every cultural field -- arts, sports and tourism included -- with a new perspective fit for this evolving era,' he said. 'We will establish an innovation strategy for AI content creation, production and distribution and support the development of AI training datasets that incorporate Korean history and culture," he added. After working as a journalist at Yonhap News Agency and YTN, he joined Yahoo Korea. In 2002, he became CEO of NHN, leading the growth of the search portal Naver. In 2016, he founded Triple, a hyper-personalized travel platform. After Triple's merger with Interpark in 2022, he served as CEO, and in late 2024, led the launch of Nol Universe through a merger with Yanolja Platform. In the tourism sector, Chae pledged to draw 30 million international visitors to Korea by creating compelling content and modernizing the industry. As part of that effort, he emphasized improving convenience throughout the travel experience -- from arrival to departure -- while pushing innovation in travel services. 'We will build an innovative tourism ecosystem by supporting the digital and AI transformation of tourism businesses and streamlining outdated regulations,' he said. In addition to these pledges, Chae outlined a broader cultural vision that includes strengthening the foundation of Korea's cultural and artistic infrastructure, making access to culture, sports and travel a basic right in everyday life and enhancing investment in professional sports to reflect Korea's global standing. gypark@
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Squid Game,' Park Bo-gum and K-pop: Korea continues to attract tourists with K-content
Government collaborates with Netflix and K-pop creators in its push to reach 30 million visitors by 2027 Clad in the iconic green tracksuit from 'Squid Game,' Ria dashes through South Korean landmarks, pursued by guards in pink jumpsuits. But this isn't a teaser for a new season of the global Netflix sensation — it's a tourism promotion video that has racked up more than 11 million views since its release on July 3. In another campaign leveraging the popularity of 'All of Us Are Dead,' two high school students and Jason, a friend turning into a zombie, take viewers through major tourist attractions, blending the show's zombie survival theme with explorations of scenic spots. The videos are part of a broader strategy that taps into the global appeal of Korean pop culture to attract international visitors. Park Bo-gum, who recently starred in "When Life Gives You Tangerines," appears in three separate tourism videos, including a music video for 'On My Way.' Performed by Park, 'On My Way' is the result of a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the K-pop industry. The track was composed by Kenzie, Andrew Choi, No2zcat, JSONG (Oceancave) and Kim Yoohyun. Kenzie, who also wrote the lyrics, is a prolific K-pop producer behind dozens of hits, while Andrew Choi provided vocals as Jinwoo, a member of the fictional idol group Saja Boys in Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters." Park said that one of his favorite 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 '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 actor said. 'If you haven't tried it yet, I'd really like to introduce you to it.' This year's campaign also includes two videos promoting Korea's regional charm — one spotlighting the Gyeongsang region and another focused on the Jeolla provinces. The video on Gyeongsang captures the energy and cultural richness of the North and South Gyeongsang provinces through a modern reinterpretation of the traditional sword dance, "geommu." Meanwhile, the video on Jeolla provinces showcases the region's serene natural beauty through "seungmu," a meditative and graceful dance. Both videos are set to a fusion of traditional and modern music. Through these new videos, the campaign aims to showcase the regions' cultural and scenic appeal while highlighting areas still healing from hardship, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. These two regions were the sites of tragic incidents last year: wildfires that lasted for 10 days in South Gyeongsang Province in March and a plane crash in Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, in December that killed all but two on board. First launched in 2015, South Korea's tourism promotional videos, featuring top celebrities such as BTS, Lee Jung-jae and NewJeans, have drawn increasing global attention, particularly following the breakout success of the "Feel the Rhythm of Korea" series in 2020. The series has since become a cultural phenomenon, with its videos collectively amassing over 240 million views across multiple platforms. BTS also appeared on several 'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' videos in 2022, which reached over 230 million views on YouTube less than three weeks after their release. Last year, South Korea welcomed approximately 16.37 million overseas visitors, a 48.4 percent increase from the previous year and reaching 94 percent 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 this year, up 13 percent from 2024. By 2027, Korea hopes to welcome 30 million international visitors annually by expanding cultural exports and enhancing tourism infrastructure across the country.
