Have you heard the term “Korean Wave?”
Our cruise line clients are telling us that northern Asia is once more one of the most popular regions. Among those countries travelers are increasingly curious about is Korea.
“The country is on the lips of travelers around the world, thanks to its cutting-edge technology, world-class cuisine, chart-topping pop bands and some of the most exciting movies and TV series being made anywhere,” we read in Lonely Planet. Indeed, in 2023, it welcomed more than 11 million international visitors, a 245% increase from 2022, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
I was one of those 11 million folks who took a trip to the Republic of Korea last year, and it opened my eyes wide to its vast potential as a cruise destination.
Our trip, hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization, New York Office, visited the ports of Incheon (closest port to Seoul), Sokcho, on the northeast coast, Busan, on the southeast coast, and Yeosu, to the south. I spent five days on my own in Seoul before our fam started and I didn’t even scratch the surface. We didn’t make it to Jeju Island on this trip and that’s a place I’ll definitely visit on the next.
The job we were there to do? As Korea is beginning to make inroads in attracting more cruise visitors, it wants to better tell the stories of each place.
What every city had in common
The most powerful commonality that the cities of Seoul, Incheon, Sokcho, Busan and Yeosu had was a strong reverence toward the past, celebrating tradition, while also enthusiastically courting the future. In Seoul, teenage girls don costumes as a way to honor their heritage.
All the travel guides say that while in Busan, you must visit the fish market, but I’d suggest you take a surf lesson instead. Incheon balances its reverence for those who fought in the Korean War with an ambitious downtown resurrection that has made room for Songdo Central Park and a Zaha Hadid-designed skyscraper along with Wolmido Park, which honors ancient rural traditions, and the Memorial Hall for Incheon Landing Operation, which memorializes the Korean War.
In Sokcho, after a visit to the Swiss-like Seoraksan National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where we absorbed its spectacular natural wonders, we wound up at Craft Root Brewery, an emerging brewpub. One compelling instance of the delicate balance of old and new was its market. During the daytime, it operates as a traditional market selling fish and produce. At the end of the workday, it transforms into a bustling spot where young families come to socialize and purchase ready-made dinners.
And in Yeosu, whose geography lends itself to one of the premier tea-planting areas in Korea, you can visit the pastoral Baekrok Tea Garden, where tea is still picked by hand, and then head over to Suncheonman Bay’s National Garden, which celebrates traditional gardens from 12 countries.
What else do you need to know about Korea?
There are other things worth noting about Korea. A number of its restaurants have earned Michelin stars, and its developments in consumer manufacturing, education and technology have earned global recognition, with companies like Samsung, Kia and LG leading the way.
Overall, the country has gone from one of the world’s poorest economies in the 1960s to one of the richest today, ranking in the top 20 economies worldwide.
