5 stories
A new report from the Hyundai Research Institute argues that K-Beauty and K-Food must be developed into Korea's "second pillar" export industries if the country wants to reach $1 trillion in annual exports — a goal currently held back by over-reliance on semiconductors.
Gangwon Province brought its full tourism pitch to Taipei this week, while back in Seoul, a new Korea Kimbap Promotion Institute made its debut at the Korea Seafood Show — two signs that Korean regions are aggressively courting global attention in 2026.
Seoul's historic Gwangjang Market, long famous for traditional food and textiles, is undergoing a quiet transformation as major K-fashion brands like Matin Kim and Satur open stores inside the market to capture the booming international tourist trade.
Female tourists now account for nearly 60% of all foreign visitors to South Korea, driven by hallyu-fueled interest in K-beauty and K-food — and Korea is pulling out all the stops to keep the momentum going.
From a train ride to the North Korean border to a 300-year-old aristocratic estate and a steel sculpture closing in on 4 million visitors, Korea's regional tourism destinations are offering experiences that go well beyond the usual itinerary.