Gil Kiyeon Reappointed as CEO of Seoul Tourism Organization

Expansion of Seoul Tourism through Hiking Tourism, Seoul Goods, and Gwanghwamun Market
Enhancing Global Competitiveness

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization announced on the 28th that they have confirmed the reappointment of CEO Gil Kiyeon, who began a new one-year term on the 26th.

Gil, who was appointed CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization in July 2021, was reappointed for the first time in July last year. With this latest reappointment, he will lead the organization for a total of five years.

Gi Kiyeon, CEO of Seoul Tourism Foundation. Asia Economy DB.

During his previous term, Gil reinterpreted Seoul’s unique resources as tourism content, expanding the scope of tourism in the city. His major achievements include planning and operating hiking tourism programs utilizing urban nature, developing Seoul My Soul merchandise for global city branding, and expanding night tourism through the Seoul Lantern Festival and the Gwanghwamun Market.

In particular, he successfully opened and operated three hiking tourism centers (Bukhansan, Bugaksan, and Gwanaksan) over four years, recently surpassing 100,000 visitors. The ‘Gwanghwamun Market,’ first introduced by Gil in 2022, achieved over 700 million won in sales last year and, together with the ‘Seoul Lantern Festival,’ attracted a record 5 million visitors.

This reappointment is seen as a strong indication of Seoul’s determination to maintain policy continuity by steadily pursuing current tourism initiatives into next year and to maximize the attraction of international tourists.

Gil Kiyeon stated, "For Seoul to rise as one of the world’s top five tourism cities, it is essential to discover the city’s unique charms and connect them to content that resonates globally." He added, "I will continue to do my best to transform the hidden values of Seoul’s culture, nature, and everyday life into tourism assets and to build a sustainable ecosystem."