The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST) is hosting the Korea Grand Sale 2026 from December 17 (Wednesday), 2025 to February 22 (Sunday), 2026, in partnership with the Visit Korea Committee (Chairman Lee Boo-jin, VKC). MCST Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun attended the opening ceremony on December 17 to encourage stakeholders.

Launched in 2011, Korea Grand Sale is Korea’s flagship shopping tourism festival, backed by private-sector participation across aviation, accommodation, retail shopping, food & beverage, experiences, and other convenience services, that is designed to drive inbound tourism to Korea and boost spending during the off-peak seasons. This year, the start date has been moved up to December to ensure that even more international visitors can enjoy the festival benefits.

December 17: Opening ceremony in Myeong-dong marks the start of Korea Grand Sale 2026 with a theme video and celebratory K-pop performance

The opening ceremony for Korea Grand Sale 2026 was held on December 17 (Wednesday) at Community House Masil in Myeong-dong, with around 80 representatives from participating companies and international visitors. The opening event signaled the start of Korea Grand Sale 2026 with a theme video conveying the message, “Korea Grand Sale—An Exhilarating Voyage toward the Sea of Hallyu” and a celebratory K-pop performance by the K-Tigers.

Furthermore, Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun also gathered feedback from participating companies on event preparations and future plans and visited shopping tourism venues around Myeong-dong and the Korea Grand Sale Welcome Center to personally welcome international visitors and check onsite readiness.

Record-high participation and extended festival period to drive demand for winter inbound tourism and domestic consumption

The festival brought together a record-high 1,750 companies across aviation, accommodation, retail, food & beverage, transportation, beauty, and convenience services, delivering a plethora of visitor benefits. In addition, the festival period has been extended from 45 to 68 days with an earlier kickoff, enabling more international visitors to enjoy the festival.

For air travel, 10 Korean airlines, including Korean Air, are offering promotions on inbound routes to Korea with discounts of up to 96%. Hotels are introducing experience-bundled packages. Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul is offering complimentary ice-rink access and an integrated palace pass, while Courtyard by Marriott Namdaemun is providing Olive Young prepaid gift cards for anyone booking its Seoul Beauty Travel Package. Partnerships with online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Fliggy, Konest, and Agoda will provide various discounts on hotel rooms and experience products.

Shopping benefits have also been expanded with participation from major department stores, duty-free shops, outlets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores nationwide. Offers include gifts and discount vouchers by purchase amount and membership upgrades as well as store-exclusive perks such as free drink vouchers and welcome gifts to enhance international visitor satisfaction.

Visitors can also enjoy the fun of shopping available only in Korea through extended collaborations with brands that are popular among international visitors, including Kahi, CJ Olive Young, Musinsa Standard, Samjin Amook, and Ktown4u. These partners will host special online and offline shopping events, offer up to 90% discounts, and provide hands-on programs and special souvenirs. To further improve shopping convenience, partnerships with international payment apps such as UnionPay and WowPass will provide instant discounts and cashback benefits of up to 15% at major stores.

Leveraging K-Content in five themed experience programs to boost inbound tourism

Recognizing the growing importance of experience programs in tourism and consumption, Korea Grand Sale 2026 will run five themed programs that leverage globally popular K-content: K-Gourmet (food), K-Exciting (entertainment), K-Stylish (beauty & fashion), K-Healing (wellness), and K-Inspired (culture & arts).

The K-Gourmet experience program offers hands-on cooking and tastings of K-food such as chicken, fish cakes, and bibimbap, providing a rich experience of Korean flavors and food culture. Moreover, short tourism programs, including department store shopping and Korean cooking classes, will be offered to transit passengers in collaboration with Incheon International Airport Corporation, delivering a memorable experience in Korea even for those on brief visits.

The K-Exciting experience programs blend K-content with activities such as learning K-pop choreography, music show and broadcaster tours, and one-day ski lessons. On January 5, a K-pop dance challenge will be held at the National Museum of Korea with K-Tigers, the choreography team behind the hit K-pop group Soda Pop.

Additional programs include K-Stylish (beauty & fashion), which includes hanbok try-ons, accessory making, personal color analysis, and K-beauty makeup and hair styling seminars, to help visitors complete their own K-styles. K-Healing and K-Inspired programs connect K-content with tour and consumption events through traditional Korean medicine experiences, custom perfume-making, musical performance tours, and visits to architectural landmarks featured in K-content.

Regional tourism with train travel and festivals to drive balanced growth in inbound tourism

MCST and VKC will leverage Korea Grand Sale to ensure more international visitors enjoy distinctive travel experiences in every corner of the country. Region-specific tour programs are to be offered in collaboration with inbound tour operators, alongside regional showcase tour programs with OTAs.

The K-Train product, which departs from Seoul for destinations like Jeonju in Jeollabuk-do and Taebaek and the East Coast in Gangwon-do, offers day tours or free individual travels (FIT), featuring local festivals, cuisine, and experience activities. Onboard activities, including K-food tastings and K-content immersive experiences, are also offered to deepen the cultural experience while traveling.

A robust array of experiential shopping hubs: Welcome Center, Play Truck, and Play Lounge

During Korea Grand Sale 2026, the Ministry will operate various experiential shopping hubs. The Welcome Center, which will serve as a frontline base  for event information and exclusive discount vouchers, will operate continuously at an indoor space on the first floor of Noon Square, Myeong-dong. The center will not only offer various shopping and tourism benefits but also provide photo spots, prize drawings, and a receipt-based promotion event to revitalize the Myeong-dong commercial district.

Other than the Welcome Center, a mobile information and experience facility known as the Play Truck will be traveling to major tourist hubs popular with international visitors. Starting in Jamsil, Seoul on December 19 and running through January 31, the Play Truck will tour major spots in Korea, including Seoul, Daejeon, Busan, and Jeonju, delivering local revitalization events, hands-on programs, and shopping and tourism benefits with participating companies. From January 16 to February 22, the Play Lounge, a combined resting and experience space, will operate in Bukchon, Seoul, featuring product showcases of participating companies, hands-on product making sessions, and relaxation areas.

Details on key event benefits and hands-on programs are available on the Korea Grand Sale website: https://en.koreagrandsale.co.kr.

“We hope international visitors enjoy abundant benefits and the diverse charms of K-culture through this festival,” said Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun. “We also hope Korea Grand Sale becomes a solid stepping stone for the sustainable and balanced growth of Korea’s inbound tourism market.”