○The Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) has completely revamped Visit Seoul, the city’s tourism platform for foreign visitors. The new service improves travel convenience by offering not only tourist information but also real-time weather, air quality, and public transit directions on a single screen.
According to STO, Visit Seoul is the official platform for Seoul tourism information in seven languages, including English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese in simplified and traditional scripts, Russian, and Malay. Last year, the site recorded more than 8 million visits. In the redesign, the user interface was overhauled to reflect feedback from foreign users. Tourist categories and key information were arranged more intuitively to improve readability, and sharing options were expanded to include LINE and Weibo in addition to Facebook, X, and KakaoTalk. The platform also supports the default sharing function on mobile devices, making it easier to send content to other apps.
Real-time travel information has also been added to each tourist attraction page. Users can now check current weather, daily highs and lows, fine dust and ultrafine dust levels, and the integrated air quality index at a glance. When heat waves, cold snaps, typhoons, or other weather alerts are issued, related safety guidance is also provided. Public transit directions have been strengthened as well. By tapping the 'Public Transit Directions' button on a detail page, the attraction currently being viewed is automatically set as the destination, allowing users to check routes immediately. Nearby attractions, shopping spots, and festival or event information can also be recommended. In the second half of the year, STO plans to sequentially revamp the frequently used 'Transport' page and the 'Before You Go' page, which provides travel preparation information, further developing Visit Seoul into a digital tourism platform for the city. Kim Jeong-hyeon, head of STO's digital marketing team, said, "Visit Seoul provides accurate and reliable Seoul tourism information and continues to attract steady use," adding, "Building on the milestone of surpassing 10 million foreign visitors to Korea in the first half of the year, we will strengthen Visit Seoul's role as Seoul's flagship tourism platform for even more foreign visitors."
○Uljin County will operate resident patrol teams for the second half of 2026 through December 31 to ensure systematic protection and sustainable management of the Wangpicheon basin.
According to Uljin County, the second-half resident patrol team will consist of 40 people and will be assigned across seven monitoring posts within the ecological and landscape conservation area. The patrol members will work on the front line of ecosystem protection by monitoring illegal activities in the conservation area, reporting environmental damage, carrying out cleanup efforts, and guiding and educating visitors. Made up of local residents, the patrol team will maintain close cooperation with relevant agencies and respond quickly to various illegal acts.
Uljin County expects the patrol program to help systematically preserve the basin's outstanding ecological environment, provide stable jobs for local residents, and raise environmental awareness in the community. Hwang Yi-ju, the county governor, said, "The Wangpicheon basin is the nation's largest ecological and landscape conservation area and a precious natural heritage that must be passed on intact to future generations," adding, "Together with the resident patrol teams, we will continue monitoring and protection efforts, do our utmost to preserve the ecosystem, and take the lead in creating a sustainable environment where people and nature coexist."
○Jeonbuk State Government will operate an 'Open Governor's Office,' where the governor and residents can meet directly to discuss local issues and policy matters. The initiative was introduced to realize the 'people's sovereignty' principle and open administration that define the 9th popularly elected local government term.
According to Jeonbuk State Government, the pilot program for the Open Governor's Office will begin at 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 in the open communication space on the first floor of the provincial government building. In the Open Governor's Office, residents will directly explain policy proposals, daily inconveniences, and local issues, while the governor listens and responds in conversation. Applications are open until Aug. 7. Residents can apply online through the Jeonbuk State Government website, and any resident with an address in Jeonbuk may apply.
Jeonbuk State Government will review applications and select about 15 participants. Eligible topics include policy proposals, institutional improvements, local issues, and everyday inconveniences related to provincial administration. Requests for personal gain, such as job favors or contracts and permits, as well as matters under trial or investigation, simple criticism, or political claims, will be excluded. Based on the pilot results, the state government also plans to refine the operating method and consider making the Open Governor's Office a regular program.
Kim Seon-gyeong, head of the communication planning division at Jeonbuk State Government, said, "We will strengthen follow-up management so that residents' opinions can lead to actual policies."
Kim Se-hyung, Reporter fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
