"Visit Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea, to Explore World Cultural Heritage"... Governor Lee Cheol-woo Promotes Tourism in Malaysia

Gyeongbuk Province took its first full step to attract foreign tourists by holding a tourism exchange fair in Malaysia, a key Southeast Asian country, to secure early demand for international tourism that had been halted due to COVID-19.

On the 27th, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Datuk Tan Kok Liang, Chairman of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), and Kim Seong-jo, President of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Cultural Tourism Corporation, attended a business agreement ceremony to strengthen cooperation in attracting Malaysian tourists to Korea and developing tourism products.

Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, who is visiting Malaysia to attract Malaysian tourists to Gyeongbuk, is holding a meeting by inviting Korean residents in Kuala Lumpur.

Following this, a promotional briefing session for Gyeongbuk tourism was held by inviting over 100 representatives and officials from local outbound travel agencies, aiming to convert global recognition and favorability based on K-culture into demand for Gyeongbuk tourism and encourage visits.

Additionally, through interviews with local media, Gyeongbuk actively promoted its seasonal tourist attractions, Hallyu filming locations, and historical tourist sites, imprinting the presence of ‘REAL KOREA? Gyeongbuk’.

Centered around UNESCO cultural heritage sites and regional tourist spots such as Gyeongju (UNESCO cultural heritage, Gyeongju World Expo Park, Gyeongju World, Bomun Complex, Hwangridan-gil), Pohang (Space Walk, Yeongildae Beach, Homigot, Cheongha Market, Sabang Memorial Park, Guryongpo), Andong (Hahoe Village, Byeongsan Seowon, Dosan Seowon, Manhyujeong, Wolryeonggyo), and Mungyeong (Mungyeong Saejae, Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, Ominara, Hangong Land, Zipline, Rail Bike), the event introduced UNESCO-designated cultural heritage tourist sites and regional attractions, drawing great interest.

On the afternoon of the 27th, a ‘K-Gyeongbuk Food Promotion and Gyeongbuk Agricultural Products Sales Event’ was held at a local hotel and large supermarket, attended by Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Ambassador Yeo Seung-bae to Malaysia, Jang Jae-hyung, Head of the Malaysia branch of aT (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation), Lee Ma-tae, Chairman of KMT, Malaysia’s largest Korean agricultural food importer, and the head of CHLOE CTG, Malaysia’s largest distribution company.

The event highlighted the excellence of Gyeongbuk agricultural products such as Korean melons, apples, and grapes, which are very popular locally, and provided opportunities to taste processed foods like Hangwa (traditional Korean sweets), Korean melon bread, and ginger syrup sold by Gyeongbuk Tourism Dure businesses, actively promoting the charm of K-Gyeongbuk food tourism.

Furthermore, a meeting with local Korean residents was held to strengthen cooperation in promoting Gyeongbuk food and tourism exchange.

Through this promotional event, Gyeongbuk Province confirmed strong local interest and demand for its excellent agricultural products and plans to vigorously attract Malaysian tourists by linking these products with Gyeongbuk’s unique tourism offerings and conducting various online and offline marketing activities.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk said, “Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1960, Korea and Malaysia have actively exchanged in various fields, with over one million people exchanging annually. This Malaysia tourism exchange fair is a great opportunity to showcase the charm of Gyeongbuk, a tourism city full of K-content. We will actively develop tourism products linked with various Hallyu products such as K-dramas, K-foods, and K-pops, which are sweeping Southeast Asia, and strive to lead Gyeongbuk in the global tourism market.”