SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - The Korea Tourism Organization has launched a regional food tourism campaign with 33 overseas influencers as South Korea seeks to turn growing interest in Korean food into travel beyond Seoul.
The state tourism agency, led by President Park Sung-hyuk, held a launch event for "K-Local Food Hunters 33" at Samcheonggak in Seoul on Monday. Through Thursday, the program will send participants to different regions to taste, film and share local dishes with audiences back home.
Food and travel influencers from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas are taking part, with their combined following reaching about 21.3 million, according to the agency.
The campaign is aimed at promoting regional Korean food and ingredients, with food remaining one of the biggest draws for foreign visitors to South Korea.
On Monday in Seoul, the group took a Korean cooking class to recreate dishes seen in Korean dramas, visited a traditional tea house in Bukchon and tried Korean fried chicken at a branded chicken restaurant.
The influencers then split into three groups for tours of Gangwon, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces.
The Gangwon route centers on dishes shaped by mountains and coastline, such as chodang soft tofu, cold raw fish soup and spicy stir-fried chicken.
In Jeolla, the focus shifts to tradition and fermentation, with stops for Jeonju bibimbap, fermented skate with pork and kimchi, Sunchang red pepper paste, Damyang grilled short rib patties and Gwangju-style pan-fried beef.
The Gyeongsang leg covers regional staples including Andong braised chicken, Andong soju, Daegu-style raw beef and Busan pork soup.
Each route also takes in nearby sights, from Jeonju Hanok Village to Andong Hahoe Village and Haeundae Blue Line Park in Busan.
Participants are expected to post content from the tour on their own channels in real time, then continue introducing Korean regional food to their followers after they return home.
"To turn interest in K-food into actual visits to Korea, we need specific content that helps travelers plan their routes," said Min Byung-sun, head of the tourism industry division at the Korea Tourism Organization. "We will promote attractive food tourism content by connecting regional Korean dishes with travel."
The tour draws on the agency's "33 K-Local Gourmet Trips," a list curated in 2024 with input from experts including cartoonist Huh Young-man.
The agency said it is using the list to push the image of Korean food beyond familiar staples like kimchi and bulgogi, spotlighting regional specialties instead.
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