"Win Over Tourists from the 'In-Law Country' Vietnam... 800 Years of Ties Featured in North Gyeongsang Tour"

Ministry to Develop North Gyeongsang Tourism Products Linked to 'K-Vietnam Valley'
New Offerings to Connect Historical and Cultural Assets of Bonghwa, Yeongju, and Andong

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will launch the development of tourism products in North Gyeongsang Province, leveraging the historical connection between Korea and Vietnam.

At the ‘Korea-Vietnam Global Exchange Event’ held in the Chung Hyodang area of Bongseong-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Lee Taejo, the founder of the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty, is taking place. Bonghwa is a region that holds the historical connection of Prince Lee Yong-sang of the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty settling there, and it is considered a key hub for the ‘K-Vietnam Valley’ tourism product. Bonghwa-gun

On the 26th, the Ministry announced that it will begin developing new tourism products that link the historical and cultural assets of Bonghwa, Andong, and Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, aiming to connect Korea-Vietnam summit diplomacy with attracting Vietnamese tourists to Korea.

Korea and Vietnam have often been referred to as “in-laws” in diplomatic circles. This is not only due to the high proportion of international marriages between Koreans and Vietnamese, but also the historical connection that dates back about 800 years, when Prince Lee Yong-sang of the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty sought asylum in Goryeo and settled here. Lee Yong-sang later became the founder of the Hwasan Lee clan, and Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province has garnered attention as a symbolic region representing the ties between the two countries.

The key assets include Bonghwa's "K-Vietnam Valley," the UNESCO World Heritage Site Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju, and Hahoe Village in Andong. Based on these historical narratives, the Ministry plans to develop story-driven tourism content to attract the interest of Vietnamese tourists.

To develop these products, the Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization, in collaboration with North Gyeongsang Province and Bonghwa County, will invite Vietnamese travel agencies, Vietnam Airlines, and the state-run broadcaster VTV for a preliminary tour. The core schedule in North Gyeongsang Province will take place from June 29 to June 30, during which participants will visit Hahoe Village in Andong, K-Vietnam Valley in Bonghwa, Santa Village at Buncheon Station, and Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju.

Lee Changgeun, the 26th-generation descendant of Prince Lee Yong-sang of the Ly Dynasty and a tourism ambassador to Vietnam, will also join the tour. As a tourism ambassador, he will introduce the 800-year relationship between the two countries and help boost the commercial viability of local tourism products.

Through this project, the Ministry aims to expand Korea-bound tourism routes from the metropolitan area to regional small cities, thereby both diversifying the inbound tourism market and revitalizing local tourism.

A Ministry official stated, "This project will serve as an important opportunity to move beyond the concentration on the metropolitan area and expand the 'K-Tourism' route to regional small cities. We will continue to discover regional tourism content rich in historical narratives and further spread inbound tourism demand nationwide."

The entire preliminary tour itinerary will run from June 28 to July 2, covering Busan, Andong, Bonghwa, Yeongju, Seoul, and Suwon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.