In this undated photo, people sample makgeolli, a Korean rice wine. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Wednesday that it has launched a new Korean gourmet tourism brand, “Taste your Korea,” in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, selecting 33 famous foods, ingredients and alcoholic beverages. Getty Images Bank
Dwaeji-gukbap, Gejang, and Makgeolli selected as representative dishes
Reporter Baek Byung-yeol
These iconic dishes and ingredients, including Busan’s “Dwaeji Gukbap” (pork and rice soup), Suwon’s “Wang Kalbi” (extra large grilled meat), Wando’s “Kim” (dried seaweed) and Yangpyeong’s Makgeolli (rice wine), have been selected as “must try” items to coincide with the launch of Korea’s new gastronomic tourism brand.
Logo of Korea’s new gourmet tourism brand “Taste your Korea” / Provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced a new gourmet tourism campaign slogan, “Taste Your Korea,” on Wednesday, aiming to attract more tourists and raise Korea’s profile as a gourmet tourism destination. They also introduced 33 items, including representative dishes, ingredients and alcoholic beverages, as main content.
The ministry said, “Until now, Korea’s gourmet tourism business has focused on promoting and commercializing individual foods rather than discovering travel content with a story. Based on the new gourmet tourism brand, the ministry and KTO plan to discover more gourmet tourism content with a story and develop it into tourism products.”
The “Taste your Korea” brand is aligned with South Korea’s broader tourism brand, “Imagine your Korea,” inviting visitors to “enjoy the different flavors of Korea to your taste.”
The 33 items were selected by the Food Tourism Advisory Committee, which is composed of experts from the food service and tourism industries, academia, and marketing fields, and are categorized into three themes – local dishes representing each region, seasonal ingredients, and traditional alcohol – with the aim of differentiating Korea’s food content from that of other countries.
Pictured is “dwaeji gukbap,” a pork and rice soup dish popular in the southeastern port city of Busan. The dish was chosen as one of 33 famous foods, ingredients and alcoholic beverages to represent South Korea in a new food tourism brand, “Taste your Korea.” Getty Images Bank
Key selections include 15 local dishes such as Incheon’s “Ganjang Gejang” (crab marinated in soy sauce), 15 seasonal ingredients including oysters from Tongyeong, and three traditional alcoholic beverages including Soju from Andong, showcasing the depth and diversity of Korean cuisine.
The ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization plan to use the new brand and 33 representative gourmet tourism products to increase awareness and favorability of Korea as a leading destination for gourmet tourism, attract more tourists from around the world, and revitalize local economies.
Kim Geun-ho, director-general of the Tourism Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Tourism, said, “Through the new gourmet tourism brand and 33 items, we will actively discover and utilize gourmet tourism content that not only introduces the taste and style of Korean food but also adds delicious stories about it. We will enable more Korean tourists to enjoy travel that satisfies their five senses.”
