- 40,145 people take part in public vote from June 29 to July 17, casting more than 1.53 million votes

- “Good-price restaurants” tops the list of topics; Sungsimdang in Daejeon wins the most votes

- Map-based pages on the “Every Corner of Korea” website allow browsing by region, theme, and topic

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST) will release the results of the public vote for the “Korea Attractions Discovery 100X100 Project[1]” (hereinafter “100X100”), jointly conducted with the Korea Tourism Organization (President PARK Sung-hyeuck, KTO), on August 12 (Wednesday) through the “Every Corner of Korea” website. In the vote, which ran from June 29 (Monday) to July 17 (Friday), 40,145 people participated and cast a total of 1,538,035 votes, and some 10,000 attractions (9,883 in total, or 6,336 unique attractions after removing duplicates) across 100 topics were selected.

“Good-Price Restaurants” Draws the Most Interest as Travelers Seek “Everyday Satisfaction” over Grand Travel

The topic that drew the greatest public interest was “good-price restaurants.” It was followed by “hidden long-established restaurants,” “seasonal dishes available only here and now,” and “bakery pilgrimages across the country,” with food-related topics accounting for four of the top 10. Also ranking high were history and culture topics such as “modern and contemporary historic sites” and “Korea’s traditional markets,” along with nature topics such as “healing forests brimming with phytoncides” and “nature parks for learning and enjoyment.” The results suggest a growing preference for affordable meals, places with stories to tell, and rest over extravagant travel, revealing a growing tendency to find the pleasure of travel in everyday satisfaction rather than in special spending.

Sungsimdang in Daejeon Receives the Most Votes in a Single Topic as a Local Bakery Becomes a Reason to Travel

The attraction that received the most votes within a single topic was Sungsimdang in Daejeon. The fact that a local bakery received the highest number of votes nationwide reflects a shift in travel preferences toward seeking out experiences unique to a destination, rather than simply visiting well-known tourist attractions. Leesungdang in Gunsan also received many votes, confirming that a region’s distinctive food can itself become a travel destination.

Historic sites also stood out. Attractions under the topic “modern and contemporary historic sites”—including the National Museum of Korea, Jongmyo Shrine, Seodaemun Prison History Museum, and the National Palace Museum of Korea—received many votes. The National Museum of Korea, in particular, has recently drawn strong responses from younger audiences with its exhibitions and cultural merchandise, suggesting that “a day out at the museum” is establishing itself as a way of traveling. An all-in-one experience—viewing an exhibition, buying museum merchandise, and taking photos in a single space—is itself becoming a reason to travel. Other places that received many votes included Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone and Bijarim Forest on Jeju Island, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, and Busan Station.

By region, attractions were selected from across the country, including Seoul (1,261), Gyeongsangbuk-do (1,088), and Gangwon-do (1,058). Notably, train stations such as Gyeongju Station, Jeongdongjin Station, and Busan Station were chosen as attractions representing their regions—transportation gateways once seen merely as places to pass through have themselves become places worth visiting. In addition, for nine topics with fewer than 100 candidate sites, 199 places recommended by the public were newly added to the list, bringing in neighborhood spots that had previously gone unnoticed.

It is also notable that some places were chosen across several topics at once. Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond in Gyeongju ranked first in nine topics, Juknokwon (Bamboo Garden) in Damyang in five, and Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju and Sungsimdang in Daejeon in four each, showing that a single attraction can serve as a destination for many different kinds of travel.

Attractions Matched to Personal Tastes at a Glance on the Map, Plus the Fun of Visiting the Places You Chose

The nearly 10,000 attractions chosen by the public will be available on the “Every Corner of Korea” website[1] starting August 12 (Wednesday). Selecting a region, theme, or topic of interest displays the related attractions on a map, with a representative attraction shown first for each topic. Choosing an attraction of interest also brings up recommendations for other nearby attractions, making it easy to plan a trip on the spot. A travel type test, which identifies travel preferences through a short questionnaire and recommends suitable attractions, will also be introduced.

Along with the selection results, the results of a prize drawing for those who voted will be announced. Of the 40,145 people who took part in the vote, 4,563 will receive prizes through the drawing. Even after the results are released, events inviting public participation will continue through the end of the year, including an event for decorating travel photos, a “photo festival” featuring funny-yet-poignant moments captured while traveling, and an event for sharing photos from trips taken with pets. Submitted photos will be used to create customized T-shirts and phone cases, which will be sent to participants. A stamp rally, which sets a related topic each season and invites participants to collect stamps by visiting the corresponding attractions, will also be held to keep the enjoyment of travel going.