[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is launching a film-style overseas tourism promotion campaign featuring actor Park Bo-gum. Moving beyond conventional videos showcasing tourist attractions, this campaign uses audio to convey everyday life in Korea, such as subway announcements and the sounds of traditional markets.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 14th that they will release the 2026 overseas tourism promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea” on the 15th via the organization’s YouTube channel, “VISITKOREA.” This marks the first time the Korea Tourism Organization has produced an overseas promotional video in a cinematic format.

The video features Park Bo-gum, who has served as an Honorary Ambassador for Korean Tourism for two consecutive years, in the role of music director. It captures his journey with Danish musician “Ki” as they travel across Korea, collecting sounds from various regions and weaving them into a single piece of music.
Key elements include subway announcements, the voices of merchants in traditional markets, and the sound of wind chimes hanging from the eaves of hanok houses. Unlike previous national tourism advertisements that prominently featured famous tourist attractions or K-pop stars, this video is centered on everyday scenes that foreign tourists might encounter during their travels.
This reflects the growing trend of so-called “Dailycation”—where tourists seek to experience the daily lives of locals. The Korea Tourism Organization plans to expand its promotional approach, which previously focused on introducing visual landmarks, to include sensory experiences such as sound and music, thereby highlighting the unique appeal of traveling to Korea.

The agency is also diversifying its video distribution channels. It plans to expand overseas exposure not only through YouTube but also via over-the-top (OTT) services, smart TV channels, and in-flight entertainment systems on airlines. Previously, on the 10th, the agency released a trailer introducing the characters featured in the full video.
The organization is also organizing experiential events designed to convert ad viewership into actual travel demand. This October, the Korea Tourism Organization will host the “Korea Sound Journey,” a walking tour for approximately 100 foreign visitors to experience the sounds of Seoul. The event will consist of a sound walk through downtown Seoul and a tourism talk show featuring Park Bo-gum.
Participants will be selected via a random drawing from among those who take part in an online quiz held in conjunction with the video’s release. This initiative aims to go beyond mere video exposure by attracting campaign participants to Korea and connecting them with tourism products.

Park Seong-hyeok, President of the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “We designed this campaign to let people experience Korea’s daily life and atmosphere through sound,” adding, “We will expand the campaign so that interest in the sounds and places featured in the video leads to actual travel to Korea.”