Pikachu in Hanbok Arrives in Seoul... Korea Tourism Organization Promotes Regional Tourism with Pokémon

Business Agreement with Pokémon Korea: Promoting Regional Tourism with Global IPs
Special Exhibition Linked to "Pokémon Mega Festa 2026" at Haiker Ground from September 18

The Korea Tourism Organization is leveraging the globally popular intellectual property (IP), Pokémon, to promote domestic regional tourism.

The Korea Tourism Organization is partnering with Pokémon Korea to promote regional tourism in connection with "Pokémon Mega Festa 2026." The photo shows Pikachu dressed in hanbok combined with domestic tourist attractions as the event's key visual. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

On August 31, the Korea Tourism Organization announced that it had signed a business agreement with Pokémon Korea to invigorate regional tourism content using the Pokémon character. The two parties plan to combine the Pokémon IP with domestic travel content to promote various regional tourism resources and increase the interest of both domestic and international fans in traveling within Korea.

In particular, a special exhibition will be held in connection with the "Pokémon Mega Festa 2026," which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. Haiker Ground, the Korea Tourism Promotion Center located in Jung-gu, Seoul, will be transformed into a Pokémon-themed space from September 18 to October 11, 2026.

From the first to third floors of Haiker Ground, there will be Pokémon exhibitions and photo zones featuring Pikachu in a hanbok, among other displays, while the fifth floor will offer a pop-up store and hands-on programs. The exhibition will also introduce regional tourism content such as recommended autumn travel destinations, global festivals, traditional markets, island tourism, "Autumn for Travelers," and the Digital Tourism Resident Card.

A Pokémon Stamp Rally connecting major locations around Haiker Ground will also be held. Through QR codes included in leaflets and souvenirs, as well as the exhibition content, visitors will be able to naturally discover domestic travel information.

Kang Yooyoung, Head of Regional Tourism Development at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "By leveraging the Pokémon IP, which has a global fan base, we aim to promote tourism resources across different regions and lower barriers to traveling domestically. Going forward, we will continue to expand cooperation with a variety of global IPs to discover new ways to showcase regional tourism."

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