○ The Sejong City Culture and Tourism Foundation is recruiting participants for the Hangeul Song Contest, one of the programs at the Sejong Hangeul Festival, which will be held from Oct. 9 to 11.
According to the Sejong City Culture and Tourism Foundation on the 25th, the Hangeul Song Contest is open to anyone who loves Hangeul, regardless of nationality, gender or age. In celebration of Hangeul Day, participants may rewrite the foreign-language lyrics of a song they want to sing into Hangeul and perform it. Applications can be submitted online until the 18th of next month, and eight teams or individuals will be selected for the final round after preliminary screening in September. The finalists will present their final stage performance before festival visitors on Oct. 9, Hangeul Day, the first day of the festival. Han Kyung-ah, head of the tourism business division at the Sejong City Culture and Tourism Foundation, said, "We will create a joyful festival where everyone becomes one through Hangeul with the participation of many people who love Hangeul."
○ Seoul and the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) announced on the 25th that they will expand nighttime operations of the Regional Tourism Antenna Shop, which showcases tourism, culture and cuisine from across the country.
According to STO, the Antenna Shop consists of the National Travel Hall on the basement level, the National Goods Shop on the first floor, and a 1,088-square-meter rooftop. Eight local governments are currently participating, including Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk, Andong, Gwangju-Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju and Chungnam. The rooftop operates from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday through Saturday. It is used as a meeting and departure point for nighttime walking tours, running crews, run trips and night tours, and it also provides information on nearby nighttime attractions such as Deoksugung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggyecheon Stream.
The departure point for the Jeong-dong and Deoksugung Palace courses of the Seoul Guided Walking Tour will also be moved to the Antenna Shop starting Oct. 1. The National Travel Hall and National Goods Shop will operate every Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. between August and October. By extending operating hours, the city aims to improve convenience for weekend evening visitors.
Local experience programs will also be open to Koreans. On the last Wednesday of every month, one-day classes using local characteristics will be held. In August, Gangwon coffee taste-finding will be offered; in September, South Jeolla green tea candle making; in October, Gyeonggi ceramic gardening; and in November, Jeju citrus stick making. Programs for domestic and foreign participants will each be held once a month, with 20 people accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for each session. A joint pop-up event involving seven local governments will also be held in October. For five days from Oct. 21 to 25, it will introduce tourism resources and local foods from each region. Tourism promotion booths and local gourmet brands from the participating local governments are expected to take part.
Cho Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "The Regional Tourism Antenna Shop is a gateway for tourists to discover new destinations across the country, and for local governments it is a link to promote their tourism resources in Seoul." He added, "We will continue developing it into a win-win tourism hub where visitors can experience Seoul's night views and local content from across the country together."
○ The Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation is recruiting the fourth group of resident artists for the Chungnam Creative Studio in Taean Enterprise City. According to the foundation on the 25th, applicants are open to all visual arts fields, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation and new media. Korean artists aged 20 or older as of the application date who have no previous residency experience at the Chungnam Creative Studio may apply. Applications will be accepted from Sept. 4 to Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. Selected resident artists will receive an independent creative space and a monthly creative grant of 500,000 won. They will also receive support for their artistic activities through curated exhibitions and various programs. The Chungnam Creative Studio is a specialized visual arts creation space established in Taean Enterprise City through cooperation between South Chungcheong Province and Hyundai Urban Development. It is operated by the Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation on commission from South Chungcheong Province.
Lee Ji-won, head of the foundation's arts and culture promotion division, said, "We will support the Chungnam Creative Studio so that it can become a space where artists can focus on their work and expand new creative possibilities."
○ Jeju Island has joined hands with local travel companies to develop experiential tourism products in a bid to attract visitors from Singapore. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO) and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Tourism Association said on the 25th that they participated in the tourism fair "NATAS Holidays 2026," held at Singapore Expo Hall from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, and introduced Jeju tourism products to local consumers and travel companies. Three Jeju Tourism Startup companies supported by JTO — Ggul Medal, Jeju Basalt and Jeju Aepongdang — took part in the fair. They promoted Jeju products to local consumers while also meeting with KOTRA's Singapore Trade Office to explore the possibility of entering the local market. They also met with Haenyeo Kitchen, a J-Startup that has entered Singapore, and shared experiences about the overseas expansion process and local business operations.
Sales efforts were also carried out to expand overseas distribution channels for Jeju tourism companies. Local tourism businesses, including Halla Rent-a-Car, Jeju Angel Rent-a-Car, Oreb Jeju, Bunker des Lumières, Snoopy Garden and Joyhour, participated and promoted tourism products and discount benefits to local consumers.
JTO plans to develop products using Jeju-specific content that matches the demand for travel centered on experiences, and to attract educational tour groups by leveraging UNESCO-related content and eco-friendly programs.
A JTO official said, "Based on cooperation among Jeju Island, the organization and association, and local tourism companies, we will continue to discover Jeju tourism products that reflect local market demand and global tourism trends, and we will strengthen the competitiveness of Jeju tourism through various promotional and sales activities."
Kim Se-hyung, Sportschosun fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
