Nami Island, located near Seoul, beautifully combines art, international cultural exhibitions, and a serene riverside atmosphere.
Could you tell us about the origins of Nami Island as a tourist destination?
Tourism on Nami Island began around 60 years ago. At the time, it was actually a privately owned area—not originally designed for tourism at all. But under the leadership of Mr. Minn Byeong Do, the founder of Nami Island and others who were deeply involved in the cultural and artistic space, the island gradually transitioned into a place for leisure and exploration. Their vision was to create not just a tourist spot, but a cultural lifestyle destination—one that would promote nature, art, and creativity in harmony.
Over the years, especially in the early 2010s, we saw a significant increase in Chinese tourists. In 2016 alone, over 400,000 visitors from China came to Nami Island. Although that number slightly declined due to geopolitical tensions, Korea has firmly established itself as a landmark destination for Chinese travelers.
When it comes to Western tourists, it’s been a slightly different story. Many Westerners are more familiar with Japan or China. Korea often existed in their minds as “the country between those two.” So when they actually visit, there’s a real sense of discovery—of stumbling upon a culture and landscape that they didn’t fully expect. That surprise, that feeling of uncovering something new, has become one of Korea’s biggest touristic advantages.
The dynamic has also shifted. Twenty years ago, tourism from Japan might have been driven by cultural touchpoints like Winter Sonata. More recently, the Southeast Asian wave was shaped by similar Korean dramas and K-culture exports. For Westerners, however, the push is often rooted in the global explosion of K-pop and digital media exposure. It’s a different type of cultural attraction—but one that spreads incredibly fast thanks to the internet.
In 2024, Korea has seen a strong rebound in tourism, with international visitor numbers steadily approaching pre-pandemic levels. Destinations like Seoul are recognized as among the safest cities worldwide, boasting a world-class subway system, while Jeju Island, with its unique combination of natural beauty and cultural heritage, plays a central role in this recovery. What do you see as the key factors that position Korea as a unique touristic destination?
I’ll speak from the perspective of the Korean industry. Of course, opinions might vary depending on whether you're asking media professionals, government officials, or people in the tourism sector. But personally, I believe the foundation for Korea’s appeal today was laid back in the late 1990s, when the government began focusing heavily on telecommunications and ICT. A big driver was the need to improve the tax system—so the government promoted card payments and internet banking, and invested heavily in infrastructure to support that.
By the 2000s, we saw a huge boom in media through platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, which were becoming popular worldwide. Korean consumers adapted incredibly quickly thanks to the country’s strong tech backbone. People started generating content—and that merged with the rise of K-pop and K-culture more broadly.
Another crucial factor is that Korea is just a very safe and convenient place to travel. Our public transportation system is extremely accessible. And interestingly, Korean parents tend to educate their children in English from a young age, so if you’re a tourist, chances are you can ask someone on the street for directions or help, and they’ll be able to assist you in basic English. I think all of this combined makes Korea a uniquely attractive destination for global visitors.
Traditionally, Korea’s inbound tourism was driven largely by travelers from neighboring markets such as China, Japan, and Taiwan, who accounted for 57 percent of all visitors. However, with the global rise of K-culture, including K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean cuisine, there is now a growing influx of tourists from the Americas and Europe. This new wave often seeks immersive, slower-paced, experience-rich travel, with expectations around comfort, storytelling, and cultural engagement, as well as tailored marketing efforts. How do you think Korea’s tourism sector should adapt to meet the evolving expectations of this new generation of Western tourists?
I think what’s really important to understand is how this wave of interest has shifted over time. Korea’s tourism was heavily driven by visitors from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. In case of Nami Island, the number of tourists from these countries has still been steadily increasing, reaching around 600,000 in 2024.
But what’s different now is how Western tourists are discovering Korea. In many cases, it used to be through exposure to China or Japan—Korea was a secondary discovery. But as K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean media began to spread globally, Korea became a primary point of cultural interest. In the early 2000s, a drama like Winter Sonata had a huge influence on Japanese tourists. Around 2005 to 2007, that dynamic started to shift, and Korea began exporting its own cultural identity directly to the world.
Now, thanks to the internet, social media, and digital platforms, Korea isn’t just a regional destination—it’s a global one. And Western tourists are coming in with different expectations. They want immersive experiences, comfort, meaningful storytelling, and thoughtful engagement. For Korea’s tourism industry, that means we have to go beyond just offering sights—we need to offer narratives. Whether it's through cultural programming, eco-friendly infrastructure, or localized storytelling, we need to adapt how we market and structure tourism to meet those deeper, experience-driven expectations.
How does Nami Island compare to other attractions like theme parks?
I think Nami Island stands out because it offers a very different type of experience. While theme parks are more of a large-scale with rides and entertainment, Nami is rooted in nature and culture. Visitors come here not just for fun, but to slow down—to walk among the trees, take in the scenery, and connect with Korea’s softer side.
Our programs are also quite aligned with what many Western visitors are looking for: immersive, peaceful, and story-driven experiences. There’s a strong emphasis on themes like romance, seasonal beauty, and even references to K-dramas that filmed here. And historically, we’ve always had a high ratio of international visitors—first with large numbers of Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian tourists, and now we’re seeing more and more visitors from Europe and the Americas.
What really sets Nami apart is that it tells a story. It’s not just a destination—it’s a narrative space. That kind of emotional and thematic depth is something that resonates especially well with foreign tourists who are looking to go beyond surface-level sightseeing.
Formed from the waters of the Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944, Nami Island has become a destination of choice for millions of local and international tourists. It showcases the beauty of the South Korean landscape and the vibrant cultural dynamics the country has to offer. Could you walk us through the major milestones that shaped Nami Island into the sought-after destination it is today?
Absolutely. The transformation of Nami Island is deeply tied to both Korea’s cultural development and our own philosophy of storytelling through place. The first real developments on the island began in 1965, when all the trees were planted and initial structures were built. In those days, tourism wasn’t a national priority—Korea was focused on manufacturing and economic recovery. But our founder envisioned something different: a place that could inspire creativity, where university students would come on retreats, and where art and nature could coexist.
That vision extended far beyond simple recreation. In 1945, Korea’s first modern publishing house was launched by our founder—long before tourism was on the table. Over time, Nami became a patron of the arts: sponsoring galleries, festivals, literature, and independent creators. We supported artists not with contracts or fees, but with belief. For example, during the 1997 Asia Financial Crisis, many of the artists we had supported came back voluntarily—offering poetry readings, food stalls, and performances, all to help keep Nami alive. It became an ecosystem built on mutual support.
It was also around that time that director Yoon Seok-ho (Winter Sonata) filmed here, which propelled Nami into the public imagination. From there, we leaned into our cultural mission. Creators could use the island for filming or exhibitions without charge. We never asked for payment—we simply wanted them to create. That’s very different from other large-scale commercial venues that might offer scale, but lack a deeper story.
In 2008, we became a sponsor of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, previously backed by a large Japanese firm. This partnership led to our involvement with the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), further reinforcing Nami’s identity as a literary and cultural space.
Then in 2006, we declared the “Naminara Republic” on March 1st—a symbolic gesture to assert our independence and creative sovereignty. Today, the island has its own passports, flag, currency, letter and infrastructure. All products sold are locally produced. Everything, from food to souvenirs, is curated to reflect our values of sustainability, independence, and storytelling. If you see, you can see that all the drinks, Korean wine, water, it’s all branded and only sold here.
We’ve also partnered with local governments and foreign embassies to promote cultural exchange, always guided by our belief that “Nami” stands for “Nam,” or friend. Our former CEO really helped develop this open ecosystem—a playground for creators and a sanctuary for cultural dialogue.
How do you tailor Nami Island to such a wide range of visitors?
We don’t follow a strict market segmentation model. Instead, we’ve allowed Nami to grow organically, adapting to different audiences through what we call a flexible, content-first strategy. One concept we embrace is the “Dream Society,” introduced by futurologist, Rolf Jensen, —it suggests that people are drawn not to categories, but to stories. And stories naturally attract different kinds of people.
To explain it more simply: when you sell an egg, you're not just selling food. A mother might buy it out of love for her child. A vegan might choose it because it aligns with their ethics. A gourmet might value its taste. It’s the same egg, but the meaning shifts depending on who receives it. That’s how we view Nami Island: a single destination with many layers of meaning.
We tailor experiences by age and behavior. People in their 20s might be drawn to vibrant photo zones for social media, so our trees are arranged for striking seasonal color—reds, yellows, greens—for the perfect Instagram shot. Older generations tend to prefer immersive forests and conventional exhibitions. So we designed the island to satisfy both.
We also have a dedicated craft team that makes our exhibitions large-scale and immersive, so even Gen Z visitors can feel physically part of the space. And we prioritize multilingual accessibility to support internationalization.
One area we’re still working on is nightlife. Because visitors come by boat, many prefer to leave before sundown. But we’re addressing that with night light, river cruises, and an on-island hotel named Jeonggwanru to encourage longer stays.
What is the upcoming key exhibition?
We have a rotating calendar of cultural exhibitions and festivals tied to the seasons. In spring, we host the “Cherry Blossom Party”. Summer brings “Somewhat Splash,” which is focused on outdoor and water-based fun. In autumn, we often feature country-specific cultural events—last year we collaborated with the Indian Cultural Center. Winter, of course, is when we launch “Winter Wonder Nami Island,” complete with seasonal decorations, sled and warm local street food.
Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival is one of our famous festivals, which show our cultural identity. And we also have several small festivals like Acoustic Youth festival, The Air House, Wellness on Island, Kimchi Making, etc.
As for exhibitions, we run Nami Concours, the Nami Island International Picture Book Illustration Concours, every two years. Winners from this competition are showcased in our main gallery, which itself changes regularly as new winners selected. We also have several galleries, such as the Pyeonghwarang Gallery, Yu Qing Cheong’s Happy Garden Sculpture Gallery, and the Andersen Picture Book Center. We will have a direction to continue to center on art, nature, and literature.
Nami Island seems to operate on a deeper creative philosophy. Could you elaborate on that?
We think of Nami Island not just as a destination, but as a playground for creators—a place where imagination and meaning come first. Our programs often tie into nature, literature, and storytelling, rather than just consumption.
One comparison we like to use is Apple. Steve Jobs famously merged liberal arts with technology. We’re not trying to imitate Apple, but we do share the same mindset: we flexibly adapt to our audience, and we design with emotion, meaning, and beauty in mind.
We don’t want people to come here simply to spend money. We want them to feel that this is a place worth investing in—a place that aligns with their identity and values. People today want memorable experiences that reflect who they are. So when they buy a ticket, they’re not just purchasing entry—they’re affirming their right to meaningful moments.
Do you have any final words for our readers?
There is much more to Korea than just Seoul and Busan. If you want to come and experience new tourist sites, then please come to Nami Island, come and enjoy our culture and nature and various programs and activities.
For more information, please visit their website at: https://namisum-en.imweb.me/
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