Sancheong County Hosts K-Wellness Healing Tourism Summit... Pursues Designation as Industrial Zone

Over 50 Domestic and International Experts Gather at Donguibogamchon on October 2-3

Plans for a Healing Tourism Industrial Zone Connecting Donguibogamchon and Jirisan

Healing Tourism Cooperation MOU Signed with Relevant Institutions from India, Japan, and Korea

Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province is set to foster the healing tourism industry by connecting Donguibogamchon and Jirisan Mountain.

The county announced that it hosted the “K-Wellness Healing Tourism Global Business Summit” in the vicinity of Donguibogamchon from October 2 to October 3, 2026.

[Photo by Sancheong County] Yoomyunghyun, the mayor of Sancheong County, is explaining the direction of promoting the wellness resort city and healing tourism industry through a greeting speech at the "K-Wellness Healing Tourism Global Business Summit."

This event was organized to discuss the creation of a wellness resort city and strategies for developing the healing tourism industry, a key pledge of the ninth popularly elected administration. More than 50 participants attended, including Sancheong County Governor Yoom Younghyun, domestic and international healing tourism experts, and representatives from related organizations.

Sancheong County plans to establish a healing tourism system by linking the natural and tourism resources of Donguibogamchon and Jirisan, and is pursuing the designation of a healing tourism industrial zone.

The county aims to develop healing programs and facilities based on traditional Korean medicine resources in Donguibogamchon, while connecting them with stay-type resort programs across the greater Jirisan area.

During this summit, experts delivered presentations and held discussions on domestic and international healing tourism cases, as well as policy directions for the related industries.

In the overseas expert session, Prashant Tiwari, President of the Ayurveda Association of India, presented on the use of Ayurvedic herbal healing.

Fujihisa Kinoshita, Director of the Japanese Society of Health Tourism, introduced stay-type wellness program cases utilizing regional resources in Japan, Germany, and Switzerland.

Korean experts also proposed development directions and policies for healing tourism in the Sancheong region.

Yoon Kyung-soon, President of the Korea Anti-Aging Wellness Association, presented the vision and challenges of the Jirisan wellness brand, while Lee Kyung-koo, Professor Emeritus at Dong-Eui University, discussed strategies to vitalize healing tourism using Donguibogamchon.

Sung Si-yoon, Director of Huen Healing Research Institute, explained K-Wellness healing tourism strategy based on domestic and international cases. Kim Mi-young, Director of the Wellness Center at Seokjeong Wellpark Hospital, Lee Young-jwa, CEO of Energy Science, and Park Sang-ki, CEO of Consulting & Consultant, also presented on the development of healing tourism programs and related industry nurturing plans.

Yoo Ji-yoon, PhD at the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, participated in a panel discussion on the significance of enacting laws related to the healing tourism industry and the direction of policy implementation.

During the event, four organizations—including Sancheong County, the Ayurveda Association of India, the Japanese Society of Health Tourism, and the Korea Anti-Aging Wellness Association—signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the healing tourism industry.

The participating organizations plan to share information and cases related to healing tourism and discuss ways to collaborate on future program development and exchanges.

Based on discussions from this summit, the county aims to concretize programs and related projects connecting Donguibogamchon and Jirisan, and plans to promote the creation of a wellness retreat—one of its ninth-term pledges—from 2026 to 2030.

[Photo provided by Sancheong County] Sancheong County Governor Yoo Myunghyun, along with domestic and international wellness tourism experts and representatives from related organizations, are taking a commemorative photo at the "K-Wellness Healing Tourism Global Business Summit."

Yoom Younghyun, Governor of Sancheong County, emphasized the need to foster the healing tourism industry by utilizing Donguibogamchon's traditional medicine infrastructure and Jirisan’s natural environment, expressing his intention to push forward with projects in cooperation with related institutions.

Sancheong County’s healing tourism plan focuses on connecting Donguibogamchon’s traditional medicine resources and Jirisan’s natural environment as a stay-type tourism destination.

Now that agreements with overseas institutions and expert discussions have begun, it is important to establish concrete programs and facility plans, as well as secure private investment and funding sources.

In particular, whether the designation of a healing tourism industrial zone and the creation of a wellness retreat will actually extend tourist stays and boost the regional economy will be the key factors for future project success.

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