Gongju, Yeosu, Seongju Selected as 'Night Tourism Specialized Cities'

Receiving Annual National Funding of 300 Million Won for 4 Years

Gongju City in Chungnam Province, Yeosu City in Jeonnam Province, and Seongju County in Gyeongbuk Province have been selected as 'Night Tourism Specialized Cities.' On the 31st, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced that these three local governments scored higher than the other thirty-eight local governments in document screening, presentations, on-site evaluations, and comprehensive assessments. Park Jong-taek, Director of the Tourism Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "They demonstrated night tourism attractions differentiated from other regions," adding, "We will actively support the creation of related specialized business models and the development of diverse content." The Ministry will provide annual national funding of 300 million KRW (matched 1:1 by local governments) for four years until 2027.

Gongju Jemincheon

Gongju City will use the support funds to add night tourism content to existing tourist spots such as Jemincheon Stream and Gongsanseong Fortress. Around Jemincheon Stream, which is adjacent to the Gongju boarding house village, they will establish humanities and arts lectures and retro-style night culture experience facilities, and set up night camps where visitors can enjoy the night view of Gongsanseong Fortress. Yeosu City will develop new night view attractions representing Yeosu’s night, including Jeongdo, Gukdong Port, and Namsan Park. Additionally, they will offer special experiences such as performances showcasing the exploits of historical figures like Yi Sun-sin and Yu Tak, and a 'Night Sound Tour' that explores various sounds. Seongju County will present various night tourism programs, including the 'Seongbak Forest Night Race,' where participants joyfully run while viewing the sunset and night view of the chamoe melon fields, and the 'Chamoe Farm Night Farm Party,' which features barbecues and nighttime chamoe picking experiences. They will also prepare darkness-utilizing content such as the 'Gaya Tomb Night Exploration Team' and 'Starry Camping.'

Yeosu Night View

To ensure rapid establishment, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will provide step-by-step customized consulting, including specialized promotional marketing, content production, nightscape creation, and improvement of tourism conditions. An official stated, "Travel content experienced only at night increases the length of tourists’ stays in the region and helps revitalize the local economy," adding, "We will support residents in proactively managing night tourism content in various ways." Previously selected night tourism specialized cities include Incheon Metropolitan City, Tongyeong City in Gyeongnam Province, Daejeon Metropolitan City, Busan Metropolitan City, Gangneung City in Gangwon Province, Jeonju City in Jeonbuk Province, and Jinju City in Gyeongnam Province.