The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST), in collaboration with the Visit Korea Committee (VKC), has launched Korea Welcome Week for the second half of 2025 from October 23 (Thursday) to November 9 (Sunday) to celebrate the upcoming the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the peak inbound tourism season . The Welcome Week is held at Incheon International Airport, Gyeongju Station, Gimhae International Airport, and Busan Port to welcome international visitors to Korea. On October 23, Second Vice Minister KIN Dae-hyun of MCST attended the Welcome Week Opening Ceremony at Incheon International Airport to welcome international tourists.

Following the successful Welcome Week[1] held earlier this year, the Welcome Week for the second half of the year features various programs held at the welcome booths located in Incheon International Airport, Gyeongju Station, Gimhae International Airport, and Busan Port. With interiors inspired by traditional Korean culture, the booths offer visitors a hands-on experience of the traditional Korean culture, from seeing and touching cultural artifacts or imagining themselves as characters in Korean folk paintings. Welcome Week also offers multilingual interpretation service, customized travel information on transportation, food, and shopping, as well as a wide range of benefits related to shopping, hands-on experience programs, telecommunications, and payment services that are developed in collaboration with related industries.

At the opening ceremony on  October 23, the acapella group Maytree performed a reinterpretation of the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters, adding to the welcoming vibe. Second Vice Minister KIM joined by VKC chair LEE Boo-jin and President LEE Hak-jae of Incheon International Airport, announced the official opening of the Welcome Booth and greeted arriving visitors.

Promoting an atmosphere of hospitality for 2025 APEC Summit visitors via Welcome Week,

Offering welcome packages featuring K-content and a welcome campaign: Smile of Silla

The number of visitors to Korea rose to 16.37 million in 2024, equivalent to 93.5% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The number of visitors is expected to grow even further in 2025. In particular, the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju is expected to serve as a major turning point for both qualitative and quantitative growth of inbound tourism to Korea.

Taking the 2025 APEC Summit as an opportunity, MCST and VKC have prepared special welcome packages that include the Welcome Card, which introduces visitors to the essence of Korea tourism and culture. The QR code on the Welcome Card redirects visitors to a page dedicated to the introduction of Korean culture. The page outlines the history of Korean art, curated by Director YOU Hong June of the National Museum of Korea, as well as other foundational elements of K-content such as Hangeul (the Korean alphabet), hanbok (traditional clothes), and must-visit sites in Gyeongju. Moreover, MCST and VKC have launched the Smile of Silla campaign, in collaboration with the City of Gyeongju. The campaign aims to encourage hospitality towards international visitors among service providers in the food and beverage, tourism, accommodation, and shopping sectors, as well as among Gyeonngju residents.

“As the inbound tourism market continues its rapid recovery, the Ministry will continue to ensure safe, enjoyable, and comfortable travel for international visitors through initiatives including Welcome Week,” said Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun. “In particular, as the 2025 APEC Summit is a valuable opportunity to showcase the charm of Korean tourism and culture to a wider audience, the Ministry will pay closer attention to the readiness of major tourism hubs, including Gyeongju.”