Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, has demonstrated its national tourism competitiveness with 1,032 attractions recognized as 'Representative Attractions of Korea.' Four locations, including Suncheon Bay National Garden and Damyang Juknokwon, ranked among the top 10 in a nationwide public vote.
The Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on August 25 that 1,032 local attractions were selected as part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's '100×100 Representative Attractions of Korea' project.
This places Gwangju fourth among South Korea's provinces and cities, following Seoul with 1,261 attractions, North Gyeongsang Province with 1,088, and Gangwon Province with 1,058.
The '100×100 Representative Attractions of Korea' project involved travel experts recommending 100 attractions for each of 100 themes, followed by a public vote to select representative tourist sites.
From June to July, over 40,000 citizens participated in the voting, casting more than 1.53 million votes, resulting in 9,883 attractions being selected as representative sites nationwide.
Gwangju not only excelled in quantity but also in public preference.
In the overall voting results, Suncheon Bay National Garden ranked sixth nationally, followed by Damyang Juknokwon in seventh, Suncheon Bay Wetland in eighth, and Damyang Metasequoia Road in ninth. This means that four of the top 10 attractions in the country are located in Gwangju.
The top-ranked attraction nationwide was Seongsan Ilchulbong in Jeju, followed by the National Museum of Korea, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, and Seongsimdang. Jeonju Hanok Village secured the tenth spot after Gwangju's four attractions.
The selected local attractions span various fields.
In the ecological, leisure, and culinary sectors, attractions include Mudeungsan National Park, Haenam Ttangkkeut Village, Boseong Green Tea Fields, Shinan Purple Island, Mokpo Maritime Cable Car, Gurye Jirisan Paragliding, and Muan Nakji Street.
In the cultural and artistic sector, notable sites include Jeonil Building 245, Gwangju Yangrim Modern History and Culture Village, Mokpo Modern History Museum, and Suncheon Naganeupseong.
The Gwangju Metropolitan City plans to expand stay-type tourism products by linking well-known attractions with relatively lesser-known local sites following this recognition.
Oh Mi-kyung, head of the tourism department at Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated, “We will develop various travel products that connect the 1,032 representative attractions with hidden gems that are not yet widely known, to attract more domestic and international tourists to Gwangju.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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