Culture Ministry Hosts Exchange Meeting Inviting Japanese Educators to Promote Educational Trips to Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, it will host the 'Korea-Japan Educators Exchange Meeting' on August 8, with the participation of more than 170 educators from both countries. To mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, the Ministry and the Tourism Organization will continue to provide opportunities for exchange between the two countries until August 10, with the aim of revitalizing educational trips to Korea.

The exchange meeting will bring together about 120 participants from Japan, including educators from 103 schools, related organizations, and local government officials, as well as about 50 Korean educators. They will discuss ways to promote youth educational travel through expert lectures, case presentations on participation in educational travel support programs, and introductions to educational travel support systems.

First, Professor Kim Kyungil of Ajou University and travel writer Tae Wonjun will each give lectures on the topics of "Educational Travel and Cultural Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)" and "Travel Destinations in Seoul for Youth," respectively. This will be followed by case presentations from participants in educational travel support programs, providing firsthand accounts from the field. The Sejong City Foundation for Culture and Tourism will share the case of a joint exchange meeting between Chuo University Suginami High School in Japan and high schools in Sejong City, and a Korean university student who participated in the educational travel support program will share personal experiences and reflections, highlighting the significance of the program.

In addition, a pilot educational travel tour will be organized to allow Japanese educators to visit tourist attractions in the Chungcheong region. Participants will experience Korea's educational travel content by touring Sejong City, the administrative center of Korea; Buyeo, the heart of the Baekje kingdom and a historical hub of cultural exchange with Japan; and Cheongju Airport, which is emerging as a new gateway for Korea-Japan exchange due to the increasing number of direct flights to Japan.

Educational trips from Japan to Korea began in 1972 and, except for the period when overseas travel was impossible due to COVID-19, have continued steadily, serving as a central pillar of youth exchange between the two countries. With the recent rise in the popularity of K-culture, Korea is once again attracting attention as a travel destination for young Japanese people. The Ministry and the Tourism Organization are working to highlight Korea's appeal and enhance its competitiveness as an educational travel destination. They are developing youth-focused educational travel content and have held more than ten on-site information sessions in cities such as Tokyo and Nagasaki, striving to restore the educational travel network.

A policy official from the Ministry stated, "If young people have a positive impression of Korea through educational travel, it is equivalent to securing potential demand for repeat visits," adding, "We hope that through this exchange meeting, Korean and Japanese educators will actively share information and interact, leading to a tangible increase in demand for educational trips to Korea."