On Thursday, July 24, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Yu In Chon, MCST) released a teaser video for the 2025 Korean Tourism Global Campaign through its official YouTube channel, Imagine Your Korea. The video announces that actor Park Bo Gum has become the new face of Korean tourism.

The global campaign kicks off with an invitation to viewers to embark on an endless journey into the captivating charm of traveling in Korea

The MCST and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) have appointed top Hallyu stars such as NewJeans (2024), Lee Jung Jae (2023), and BTS (2022) as Honorary Ambassadors for Korean Tourism, leading global campaigns to promote travel to Korea. This year, actor Park Bo Gum will take the lead. Widely loved for his role in the Netflix hit “When Life Gives You Tangerines”, which resonated with global audiences through its deeply emotional storytelling, Park is expected to convey the charm of Korean tourism with authenticity over the next year, drawing on his heartfelt performances.

Travelers nowadays are increasingly seeking personalized travel experiences that reflect their own tastes and emotions, rather than visiting standardized itineraries focused on popular tourist destinations. In line with this trend, the new campaign encourages individuals to experience  their own journey and discover the endless charm of Korea for themselves. In the teaser video, actor Park Bo Gum extends a heartfelt invitation with the line, “Will you be the main character of this story?”—signaling the launch of the Never Ending Korea global campaign.

Park Bo Gum to be Appointed as 2025 Honorary Ambassador for Korean Tourism on July 29

 Campaign Theme Song Sung by Park to Be Officially Released on July 24

In addition, on July 29 (Tuesday), the ministry and the organization will officially appoint actor Park Bo Gum as the “2025 Honorary Ambassador for Korean Tourism” and unveil two main campaign videos featuring the actor, along with a special behind-the-scenes clips. The two videos, produced in the form of a short film and a music video, highlight both Park’s main profession as an actor and his alternate persona, offering viewers an immersive experience into the endless charm of Korea traveling.

In particular, the actor also lends his voice to the campaign’s theme song, “On My Way,” featured in the music video. The song was written and composed by KZLAB, the producing team under renowned K-pop producer KENZIE, and will be available on major music platforms, including Spotify and Melon starting on July 24.

Promotional videos produced in collaboration with Netflix, as well as videos aimed at revitalizing tourism in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions, will also be released

To attract global K-culture fans to visit Korea, the ministry and the organization have partnered with Netflix. Two of the most globally popular K-content series “Squid Game” and “All of Us Are Dead” have been reimagined as promotional videos for Korean tourism. The “Squid Game”, which is a themed video, titled “Escape to Korea – Better Run”, was released on July 3 (Thursday), and has already garnered over 8.4 million views (as of July 23). The “All of Us Are Dead” version, “Escape to Korea – Better Together”, is scheduled to be released on August 7. According to Netflix, 72% of viewers of K-content expressed interest in visiting Korea, nearly twice as many as non-viewers (37%). Through this collaborative campaign, K-content fans around the world are invited to go beyond the screen and experience the real Korea for themselves.

At the Korean Tourism Global Campaign Premiere on July 29, held in conjunction with the honorary ambassador appointment ceremony, two themed promotional videos will also be unveiled to support the recovery of tourism in regions recently impacted by crises: the Gyeongsang edition, titled “Gyeongsang, Where Energy Never Sleeps”, highlights areas affected by the recent large-scale wildfires, while the Jeolla edition “Jeolla, Where Beauty Moves Hearts”, focused on regions still recovering from last year’s Jeju Air passenger incident. Released on July 10 and 17 respectively, the two videos artistically portray the unique charm of the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions through the expressive mediums of music and dance, elevating them into visually compelling  works of art. In particular, the Gyeongsang video places a special spotlight on Gyeongju, the host city of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, capturing its historical significance and dynamic energy.

The culture ministry and the tourism organization plan to broadcast Korean tourism promotional videos on landmark billboards in 16 major cities around the world, including New York’s Times Square, Tokyo, Beijing, and Bangkok until this November. The campaign will also be promoted in over 20 key inbound tourism markets via YouTube and Netflix.

A policy official from the ministry stated, “Of the eight global campaign videos produced this year, over 85% were filmed at tourist destinations outside Seoul. By showcasing lesser-known hidden gems that have yet to be widely discovered by international visitors, we aimed to contribute to the revitalization of regional tourism.”