Following a high-profile bilateral summit between the leaders of Korea and Japan in Andong, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Wednesday a comprehensive marketing campaign designed to transform the historic city in southeastern Korea into a premier destination for Japanese travelers. The initiative aims to capitalize on the diplomatic spotlight to boost regional tourism and expand travel exchanges between the two nations. Andong, located in North Gyeongsang Province, is widely regarded as the cradle of Korean Confucian traditions. It boasts four UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the historic Hahoe Folk Village. The city features centuries-old cultural staples like the “Hahoe Seonju Julbulnori” — a traditional fireworks performance — and regional culinary delicacies like Andong “jjimdak,” a braised chicken dish. Despite its cultural pedigree, Andong welcomed only about 16,000 Japanese visitors last year out of 265,000 total foreign arrivals, a metric the government is eager to change. Under the new plan, Korean authorities are partnering with the Japan Associa
