Korea Tourism Organization holds ‘Korea Sound Journey’ with Park Bo-gum in Seoul
Version 2: A second business outlet, Asia Economy, added programme detail from the organisers: participants were chosen from about 2,300 entrants to a YouTube sound quiz, the first part split them into eight sound-walking groups with professional sound walkers, ten foreign influencers joined, and the second part at Hwigyeomjae included a sound quiz with Park Bo-gum, a balance game and a behind-the-scenes talk.
In short
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said the “Korea Sound Journey” event was held on Oct. 2 at Changgyeonggung Palace and the nearby hanok Hwigyeomjae in Seoul, with about 100 foreign tourists from more than 20 countries and global influencers taking part alongside honorary ambassador Park Bo-gum. Participants walked the palace in eight groups with professional sound walkers, recording its sounds, then joined a “Sound Talk & Share” session hosted by Park. The organisers said the event extended the message of the July overseas promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea” into an actual travel experience.
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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on Oct. 6 that the “Korea Sound Journey” event was held on Oct. 2 at Changgyeonggung Palace and the nearby hanok Hwigyeomjae in Seoul. More than 100 foreign tourists from more than 20 countries, including China, Japan, the United States and Thailand, took part together with global influencers, the organisers said. Participants listened to and recorded the sounds of the palace and of daily life alongside Park Bo-gum, who is serving his second consecutive year as Korea Tourism honorary ambassador, according to Yonhap. [ 1 , 3 ]
Asia Economy reported that participants were selected from about 2,300 entrants to a “Sound Quiz: Where in Korea?” event run on the KTO’s YouTube channel VISITKOREA. In the first part, called “Sound Walking”, participants split into eight groups and walked the palace with professional sound walkers, recording surrounding sounds rather than only viewing the site. Ten foreign influencers also joined and planned to produce social media content from the sounds and experiences they collected on site. [ 3 ]
The second part, “Sound Talk & Share”, was held at Hwigyeomjae, a hanok near the palace. Park Bo-gum and participants listened to the sounds recorded in the first part and tried to guess where they had been collected in a sound quiz, followed by a Korea tourism balance game and a behind-the-scenes talk about the filming of the promotional video, according to Asia Economy. [ 3 ]
The organisers said the event was intended to extend the message of the Korea tourism overseas promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea”, released in July, into an actual travel experience. Yonhap said the video shows Park Bo-gum travelling with a Danish musician to find sounds around Korea, promoting the appeal of “hearing and feeling Korea” beyond “seeing Korea”. Newsis reported the event largely through photo captions of Park with participants and with KTO President Park Sung-hyuk. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Park Sung-hyuk, president of the Korea Tourism Organization, said the organisation arranged the event so that foreign participants could experience Korea’s daily life and sensibility with their own eyes and ears. He said it would continue to present new travel experiences in which people can experience and remember Korea’s sounds, atmosphere and people’s daily lives, going a step beyond simply seeing tourist destinations. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The event is part of an official effort to promote Korean tourism abroad through a celebrity ambassador and a promotional video, and it shows the tourism body moving from visual marketing toward experience-based programmes for foreign visitors. The coverage rests mainly on the organisers’ announcement, and no independent assessment of the event’s effect is offered.
Key facts
- The “Korea Sound Journey” event was held on Oct. 2 at Changgyeonggung Palace and the nearby hanok Hwigyeomjae in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- About 100 foreign tourists from more than 20 countries, including China, Japan, the United States and Thailand, took part, along with global influencers. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Park Bo-gum took part as Korea Tourism honorary ambassador, a role he has held for two consecutive years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Participants were selected from about 2,300 entrants to the “Sound Quiz: Where in Korea?” event on the KTO’s VISITKOREA YouTube channel, according to Asia Economy. [ 3 ]
- In the first part, “Sound Walking”, participants split into eight groups and walked the palace with professional sound walkers, recording and listening to surrounding sounds. [ 3 ]
- The second part, “Sound Talk & Share”, was held at Hwigyeomjae and included a sound quiz with Park Bo-gum, a balance game and a behind-the-scenes talk on the promotional video. [ 3 ]
- The event was organised to extend the message of the July overseas promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea”, which shows Park Bo-gum travelling with a Danish musician to find sounds around Korea. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Korea Tourism Organization President Park Sung-hyuk said the organisation would keep presenting new travel experiences in which people experience and remember Korea’s sounds, atmosphere and daily life. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The “Korea Sound Journey” event took place on Oct. 2 at Changgyeonggung Palace and the nearby hanok Hwigyeomjae in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Park Bo-gum participated as Korea Tourism honorary ambassador. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- About 100 foreign participants attended. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Park Sung-hyuk, president of the Korea Tourism Organization, was present. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event was organised to extend the message of the July overseas promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea” into an actual travel experience. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact number of participants. Yonhap and Asia Economy say “about 100” while Newsis says “100”, a minor difference between the reports.
- How the promotional video is described. Yonhap and Asia Economy say it was released in July, while Newsis and Asia Economy also call it the 2026 Korea tourism overseas promotional video.
- What specific sounds participants recorded. The documents mention the palace atmosphere and everyday sounds without naming particular recordings.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Korea tourism overseas promotional video “Begin to Hear Korea”, featuring Park Bo-gum, is released in July, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The “Korea Sound Journey” event is held at Changgyeonggung Palace and the hanok Hwigyeomjae in Seoul with about 100 foreign tourists from more than 20 countries and global influencers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report on the event. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes its report on the event. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the event. [ 3 ]