Korea puts trekking on K-tourism map

Korea is pitching its mountains as its next tourism destination, and 11 French hikers on Bukhansan were the first to test.

Members of France's largest hiking federation walked Bukhansan in Seoul on Sunday, the opening stop of an 11-day itinerary that the government built to show what Korea offers nature enthusiasts.

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young met 11 members of the Federation Francaise de la Randonnee Pedestre at Bukhansan National Park to welcome them, and mountaineer Um Hong-gil joined the group on the trail.

The visit serves as a first field test of the K-Trekking Challenge, a joint campaign by the tourism organization and the Korea National Park Service. The two signed an agreement in July with a goal of drawing 3 million visitors to national parks by 2028. The campaign lends hiking boots and poles to foreign visitors free of charge, and gifts a key ring.

The Korea Tourism Organization secured the visit after marketing Korean walking itineraries in France. The federation, founded in 1947, has about 240,000 members, roughly 40 of whom are traveling in three separate groups, each spending 11 days in the country.

After Bukhansan, the itinerary includes Hahoe Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province; Namsan in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; Geumjeongsan in Busan; Suncheonman Bay in South Jeolla Province; and Jirisan along with a templestay at Hwaeomsa in Gurye, South Jeolla Province.

That route is a compact tour of a country that is mostly upland. About 70 percent of South Korea's land area is mountains or hills. Forests cover about 63 percent of the territory, the fourth-highest share among OECD countries after Finland, Sweden and Japan, according to the Korea Forest Service.

The Culture Ministry considers mountain tourism a high-value segment because hikers stay longer and spend more in the areas they pass through. It plans to promote Korean walking routes overseas and develop longer-stay products that tie trails to local natural and cultural attractions.

"Korea has four distinct seasons, beautiful and varied mountains across the country, and a history and culture that make for appealing walking resources. We hope this visit by the French federation's members becomes a chance to introduce Korean trekking to the world," said an official from the Culture Ministry.