Visit Korea Year 2023–2024 and the 2023 K-Link Festival held on Dec 10 at the Jamsil Arena to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Korean Wave

Nine popular K-pop acts, including BoA, SHINee, aespa, and ZEROBASEONE, delivered captivating performances

Second Vice Minister JANG, “We aim to captivate foreign tourists, offering them special memories in Korea,” and “I hope this festival becomes the performance of a lifetime for foreign tourists”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST), in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization (CEO KIM Jang Sil, KTO), celebrated Visit Korea Year 2023–2024 and hosted the 2023 K-Link Festival at the Jamsil Arena in Seoul on Sunday, December 10, at 6:00 p.m. Second Vice Minister JANG Mi Ran visited the site to oversee the performance with 7,000 domestic and foreign audiences, including tourists, and enthusiastically supported the K-pop singers’ acts.

The Ministry organized this festival to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Korean Wave and forge connections between Korea and the world through K-culture. During the event, nine popular K-pop acts—BoA, SHINee, aespa, ZEROBASEONE, TREASURE, Paul Kim, FANTASY BOYS, EL7Z UP, and POW—presented diverse performances, captivating global Korean Wave fans visiting Korea.

3,000 foreign tourists from Japan, Greater China, and Southeast Asia attended the event

The stage backdrop featured Korea’s iconic tourist attractions and images while also promoting “Gangwon 2024” as a pre-event

According to KTO, approximately 7,000 attendees, comprising 3,000 foreign tourists and 4,000 Koreans, participated in this event. Among foreign tourists, around 1,700 hailed from Japan, around 900 from Greater China (including China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), and around 400 from Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Indonesia. Tickets for the event, distributed Ticketlink to 4,000 Koreans on November 21, sold out within a mere 10 minutes of opening the reservation page, drawing considerable attention from both domestic and international Korean Wave fans.

The performance’s background video showcased various images symbolizing Korea, such as its four seasons, the Rose of Sharon, jogakbo, hangul, and traditional patterns. In addition, prominent domestic tourist attractions such as N Seoul Tower, Seoul Grand Park, and Mokpo Modern History Museum were featured, blending the allure of Korea with the vibrant energy of K-pop.

Furthermore, in an effort to promote the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Gangwon 2024) and boost participation, the “Gangwon 2024 Visiting Busking  ” program was organized. This pre-performance event offers attendees the chance to enjoy virtual reality (VR) and winter sports experiences in an external plaza. A promotional video for “Gangwon 2024” was showcased before the main performance.

Festival ambassador BoA, “I hope foreign tourists can fully experience the beauty and culture of Korea”

Singer BoA, the public relations ambassador for this festival, said, “I hope that visitors to Korea, celebrating Visit Korea Year 2023–2024, can fully experience the beauty and culture of Korea. We will strive to ensure that foreign tourists stay interested in K-culture.”

Live broadcast on The K-POP YouTube channel on December 10, subsequent broadcast on SBS FiL and other platforms on December 17. The K-Link Festival will be broadcast live on SBS Medianet’s YouTube channel, The K-POP, on December 10, followed by broadcasts on SBS FiL and SBS M on December 17.

Second Vice Minister JANG stated, “This festival commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Korean Wave, responding to the global enthusiasm for K-pop. Seizing the opportunity of Visit Korea Year 2023–2024, we aim to captivate foreign tourists, offering them special memories in Korea. It is particularly significant in fostering a space for harmony and interaction among young individuals from both domestic and international regions, including Korea, Japan, and China.” She added, “I hope that this festival becomes an unforgettable ‘performance of a lifetime’ for foreign tourists during their travels in Korea.”