The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Local governments seek to promote tourism with ‘Squid Game’ contents

By Lee Si-jin

Published : Oct. 20, 2021 - 17:04

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An online post introduces a filming location for “Squid Game.” (Incheon Tourism Organization) An online post introduces a filming location for “Squid Game.” (Incheon Tourism Organization)
In response to the worldwide sensation of “Squid Game,” local governments aim to promote the cities as appealing tourist attractions using the hit Netflix show.

Locations that appeared or were mentioned in the series are turning into new tourist sites, and childhood games are being developed as hands-on experiences to boost Korean tourism, which has suffered greatly from the pandemic-caused slump.

Incheon Tourism Organization made an online post Friday to introduce some filming locations of “Squid Game.”

The three sites -- Wolmido’s theme park My Land, Kyodong Elementary School and Seongapdo -- were recommended as places to visit after gaining greater popularity with the global success of “Squid Game.”

Since Seongapdo is not open to the public to visit as it is private land, the organization recommends neighboring islands Deokjeokdo and Guleopdo to enjoy the splendid scenery and environment.

Though none of the areas made an appearance in the series, Jeju Island came to fans’ attention as one of the lead characters, North Korean defector Sae-byeok, said she wished to visit Jeju Island after winning the games.

Introduced as the Hawaii of Korea by US-based news magazine Newsweek in early October, Jeju Island also started an online promotion to raise awareness of Korean tourism.

“‘What Would Player 067 Do on Jeju Island?’ is available on the official website of Jeju Tourism Organization to introduce mesmerizing places to visit. We are also promoting the island to Chinese tourists with WeChat, a widely used social media platform in China,” an official from Jeju Tourism Organization told The Korea Herald on Wednesday.
A screenshot from Jeju Tourism Organization of “What Would Player 067 Do on Jeju Island?” (Jeju Tourism Organization A screenshot from Jeju Tourism Organization of “What Would Player 067 Do on Jeju Island?” (Jeju Tourism Organization
The program aims to help visitors make travel plans by recommending must-visit tourist attractions, cafes and restaurants on Jeju Island.