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| A group of 31 licensed tourist guides speaking seven foreign languages pose in front of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul, Friday, during training on the former presidential office compound's history provided by the Korea Tourism Guide Association. Courtesy of Korea Tourist Guide Association |
By Lee Hae-rin
More multilingual guided tours of the historic former presidential compound, Cheong Wa Dae, will be offered for international travelers visiting Seoul.
The Korea Tourist Guide Association (KOTGA) has launched a training program tailored for Cheong Wa Dae tour guides, aiming to enhance the experience of foreign tourists in Korea in commemoration of the first anniversary of the landmark's public opening.
The first session of the four-part training program took place on Friday, focusing on enhancing the trainees' understanding of the compound's history, cultural heritage and arboreal assets, as well as the narratives of former presidents.
Most of the participants in the training were freelancers and they are expected to provide tours in multiple foreign languages, enhancing the experience for international visitors to Seoul.
Since its establishment in 1948, Cheong Wa Dae served as the former presidential office and residence until last May, when President Yoon Suk Yeol opened the compound to the public after relocating the presidential office to the former defense ministry building in Seoul's Yongsan District.
Also known as the Blue House for its iconic roof made with some 150,000 blue tiles, Cheong Wa Dae is comprised of the Main Office, Yeongbingwan (State Guest House), Chunchugwan (Spring and Autumn Hall), Nokjiwon Garden, Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) Hill and Chilgung Palace and has been the witness to numerous pivotal moments in Korea's contemporary history.
A total of 31 licensed tour guides ― 30 Korean and one Chinese ― speaking English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, French, Vietnamese and Russian attended the training, according to the association.
The KOTGA intends to offer the training again later in the year, facilitating further learning opportunities for guides about the historically-significant complex.
As a non-profit corporation authorized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the KOTGA includes 36,000 licensed tourist guides who speak 12 languages.
The tour guide license is the only government-certified license under the tourism ministry's jurisdiction that is issued by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). It is available to anyone, regardless of nationality, age, experience or academic background, after they pass a foreign language test, a written test and an interview conducted by the Human Resources Development Service.
License holders usually work as freelance tourist guides with travel agencies or in the hospitality and aviation industries.
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