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| Choi Eung-chon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, speaks during a press conference for the "Visit Korean Heritage" campaign at Cheong Wa Dae's Young Bin Gwan Hall, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The government's "Visit Korean Heritage" campaign this year will use the former presidential office and residence of Cheong Wa Dae as a center of attraction for inbound tourists.
The historic space was opened to the public last month after President Yoon Suk-yeol relocated the presidential office to the defense ministry building in Yongsan District.
Co-organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, this year's campaign will feature 10 routes centered on UNESCO World Heritage sites and Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in the country.
Cheong Wa Dae will host the "Korea On Stage" concert featuring K-pop singers and performers of "gugak" or traditional Korean music, on National Liberation Day, which falls on Aug. 15. In October, digital media art shows will open tracing the history of the former presidential office.
"Interest in Korean cultural content and heritage has reached an all-time high at home and abroad. This year, as people are moving around somewhat more, we have prepared various in-person events and experience programs," Choi Eung-chon, head of the CHA, said during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae's Young Bin Gwan Hall, Tuesday.
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| Actress Kim Min-ha, who was named the "Visit Korean Heritage" campaign's first-ever PR ambassador, speaks during a press conference about the campaign at Cheong Wa Dae's Young Bin Gwan Hall, Tuesday. Yonhap |
Actress Kim Min-ha, who shot to global fame with her role in the Apple TV+ series, "Pachinko," will serve as the campaign's first-ever PR ambassador. She visited Haein Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of her trip through the "Mountain Temple Route," to reflect on the legacy of ancestors through the Tripitaka Koreana.
Her trip to the temple will be included in the "2022 Visit Korean Heritage Campaign Brand Video," which will be aired on a billboard at Times Square in New York City in September.
Videos of three virtual influencers ― Ho, Gon and Heil ― visiting several cultural heritage sites, including Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Seongyojang in Gangneung and Hahoe Village in Andong, will be released on the Times Square billboard in June.
The CHA will also create a virtual space that resembles the heritage sites with Naver Z's avatar service app, Zepeto, to appeal to younger generations. It will allow users with Naver Z avatars to tour and experience the space freely, according to organizers.
Beginning from December, a digital promotion booth will be installed at Incheon International Airport to introduce the 10 different cultural heritage routes that tourists coming into Korea can visit.
