▲ This poster provided by K-Bridge International, a global tourism and education platform operator, presents its pilot program "K-Culture Experience Village" for foreigners, or simply, KEV, set for October and November, 2026, at Busan Arpina and other locations across Busan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- A tourism program for foreigners will launch in Busan, allowing participants to experience a "Korean lifestyle" via combination of Korean language lessons with K-food and K-beauty experiences, organizer said on Wednesday. 

 

K-Bridge International, a global tourism and education platform operator, said it will conduct a pilot program called the "K-Culture Experience Village" for foreigners, or simply, KEV, in October and November this year at Busan Arpina and other locations across Busan.

 

The KEV program will run three times, each lasting four nights and five days, with 40 participants per session for a total of 120 people. The first session will run from Oct. 19-23, the second from Nov. 9-13 and the third from Nov. 16-20.

 

Participants will stay in Busan while taking Korean conversation and K-culture classes and experiencing K-food, K-beauty, K-pop and dance. The program will also include local tours showcasing Busan's regional culture and opportunities to interact with young Koreans and local communities.

 

▲ Foreign students from 19 universities across nine countries participating in Pukyong National University's 2026 International Summer Session learn K-pop dance moves during a basic K-pop dance class on the university's Daeyeon Campus in Busan on July 22, 2026. (Yonhap)

 

The first pilot session will include overseas social media celebrities who are active in K-culture and travel. Rather than focusing on influencers with large numbers of subscribers, organizers will prioritize whether applicants actively communicate with millennials and Generation Z consumers and Korean Wave fans who have a strong interest in K-culture. The participants will stay in Busan and produce short-form videos and travel content to be shared overseas.

 

The second and third pilot sessions will expand eligibility to general Hallyu fans, participants recommended by institutions and foreigners living in South Korea. Participants are currently being recruited through overseas study-abroad and training agencies, local partner companies, overseas networks and social media platforms.

 

The program has drawn strong interest from Asian countries and regions including Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

Starting next year, K-Bridge plans to expand the program into year-round, residential packages lasting one to four weeks. Participants will study Korean in the mornings, take part in specialized programs such as K-pop dance and K-beauty in the afternoons, and experience the local culture of Busan and South Gyeongsang Province on weekends, in what the company describes as a "K-culture residential campus."

 

Kim Ki-heon, CEO of K-Bridge International, who worked at the state-run Korea Tourism Organization for 36 years before founding the company, said, "Existing inbound tourism has largely consisted of two- to three-day shopping and sightseeing tours. But demand has recently emerged among the growing global K-culture fandom for experiences that allow visitors to live like Koreans and learn about Korean culture in depth."

 

Busan and South Gyeongsang Province have abundant tourism resources and K-culture content, providing a foundation for encouraging foreigners to stay for longer periods, he added.

 

jwc@yna.co.kr

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]