Foreign tourists visiting South Korea are shifting their travel patterns from merely visiting landmarks to engaging in cultural and artistic experiences. At the forefront of this trend is the rapidly growing consumption of K-performances by international visitors.
According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, from January to July this year, foreign credit card spending in the domestic performance sector surged by 48.8% compared to the same period last year. Social media mentions related to experiential activities by foreign visitors also highlighted that performance attendance, including concerts, accounted for approximately 26,000 mentions. The Korea Performance Tourism Association reported that the number of foreign attendees at major performances is expected to rise from about 408,000 in 2023 to 540,000 in 2024 and 574,000 in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 41% over two years. Taiwanese (198,000) and Chinese (136,000) visitors make up about 58% of this total.
In response to this demand, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Korea Performance Tourism Association, launched the 'Korea in Motion' campaign on October 16, aimed at promoting performance tourism for foreign visitors until November 30. The initiative seeks to market performances as a must-see attraction during trips to Korea, offering discounts and experiential opportunities to increase the number of foreign attendees.
During the campaign, various online travel platforms (OTAs) such as Klook for Japan, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore, Ctrip for China, and KKday for Taiwan are running promotional discount events. Special experiential products that allow direct participation before and after performances have also been introduced for the first time. The non-verbal performance 'The Painters' offers a marbling eco-bag making experience with the cast. 'Nanta' features a keyring-making activity, while 'Jump' provides a taekwondo experience with Grand Master Kim Yong. Traditional performance group Yeonhak Hanum offers a Korean instrument experience, and the musical 'Socrates Paradox' includes making cheering sticks and participating in curtain calls. Fifteen international YouTubers are also involved in creating promotional content.
Foreign Audience Enthusiasm and Interactive Experiences
On October 22, the lobby and seating area of 'The Painters' dedicated venue in Gwanghwamun, located in central Seoul, were bustling with foreign tourists, even during weekday daytime hours. With two dedicated theaters, Gwanghwamun (330 seats) and Seodaemun (400 seats), 'The Painters' attracts around 1,000 attendees daily, with a higher proportion of foreign visitors. The ratio of foreign to domestic attendees is approximately 7 to 3.
Park Min-woo, the marketing team leader for 'The Painters,' noted the increasing number of foreign audiences, stating, "After the significant drop in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a steady increase in visitors. We particularly feel the rise in foreign tourists and expect to surpass the levels seen in 2019, which had the highest number of foreign attendees."
As the performance began, four actors led the stage for 75 minutes without any dialogue, using dance, acting, and painting. Each time a marbling or drawing piece, such as a portrait of Michael Jackson or Van Gogh's self-portrait, was completed, applause erupted from various parts of the audience. A comedic segment that involved audience participation filled the theater with laughter.
The excitement continued with the marbling eco-bag making experience. Attendees donned gloves and stood in front of a large water tank on the stage where the performance had just taken place. They dropped paint onto the water's surface to create patterns, then lifted a white eco-bag to reveal a unique marbled design. The actors assisted participants by demonstrating the technique.
Park explained, "Today's foreign tourists value unique experiences and content to share on social media more than just visiting landmarks. Experiencing the performance on stage and creating a souvenir to take home will make it even more memorable for them."
Foreign audience members shared their positive feedback. A visitor from Chongqing, China, remarked, "This is my first time visiting Korea and watching 'The Painters,' and it was truly an amazing and wonderful performance. I hope my friends back home get to see it too." A visitor from Taiwan, Anna, described it as "a performance rich in creativity" and encouraged fellow Taiwanese to see it when they visit Seoul.
Zeren Yildizhan from Turkey, who participated in the experience after the performance, said, "As someone who studied art, I found it impressive how painting blended with dance and music. The experience reminded me of the traditional Turkish Ebru art of creating patterns on water, making it feel even more special and familiar. I particularly enjoyed concluding with the hands-on experience after the performance."
Momo from Japan highlighted the absence of a language barrier, stating, "I was worried about not knowing Korean, but since there was no dialogue, it was fine. The 75 minutes flew by. The experience was explained kindly, making it enjoyable to participate. I think it will be a great memory and souvenir."
AI Smart Subtitle Glasses Lower Language Barriers
Unlike non-verbal performances, plays and musicals with a high proportion of Korean dialogue can pose challenges for foreign audiences. According to a 2026 survey by the Korea Tourism Organization, 78.6% of dialogue-heavy performances accessible to foreign audiences do not offer foreign language subtitle services. However, among 360 respondents from Taiwan and Japan interested in Korean performances, 94.9% indicated that subtitle and translation services would aid their decision to attend.
In response, the Korea Tourism Organization is operating a smart theater initiative that provides AI smart subtitle glasses supporting English, Japanese, and Chinese (simplified and traditional) subtitles, in conjunction with the campaign. The selected performances include 12 shows such as the play 'Uncomfortable Convenience Store,' 'Five Hundred and Thirty,' the musical 'Finding Kim Jong-wook,' and 'Anarchist,' which were chosen in June. From July to November, the organization will support the operational costs of the subtitle glasses, as well as translation and proofreading services. Six of these performances received subtitle support last year. During the campaign, assistance will be provided for registering performances with subtitle services on OTAs, and tourists will have the opportunity to try on the subtitle glasses at pop-up booths in Hiker Ground and Daehakro.
Mona, an American who used the AI subtitle glasses, praised the experience, saying, "I particularly liked that I could adjust the position of the subtitles as I wanted. In other musicals, I often missed the performance because the subtitles were on a TV screen below the stage, but with the subtitle glasses, I could read the subtitles while watching the performance simultaneously." She added, "Even if I know a little Korean, understanding the songs and content of a musical can be challenging, but the subtitle glasses were a great help in following the story."
K-Performances Achieve 93.8% Satisfaction Rate
The Korea Tourism Organization's focus on improving the viewing environment and expanding experiential products stems from the recognition that the experience of Korean performances is still in its early stages. A 2025 survey by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute found that while the satisfaction rate for performance experiences was high at 93.8%, only 4.4% of visitors engaged in performances such as plays, musicals, and ballet during their stay. The rate of advance reservations for performance tickets before arriving in Korea was also low at 9.0%.
There is significant potential demand. According to the 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey by the Korea International Cultural Exchange Agency, 34.4% of those who have experienced Hallyu abroad believe that Korean performances, excluding K-pop, are popular in their countries, surpassing webtoons (32.2%). The Korea Tourism Organization's 2025 survey of potential visitors indicated that 34.1% expressed interest in cultural and artistic performances, an increase of 8.0 percentage points from the previous year. However, the actual experience rate remains low at 35.1%, compared to food (78.0%) and movies (77.9%).
The Korea Tourism Organization aims to connect interest with actual attendance. Baek Man-seong, head of the Hallyu Content Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, "This campaign is designed to allow foreign tourists to directly experience and appreciate the diverse performance content in Korea. We particularly aimed to lower language barriers using new technologies like AI subtitle glasses to enhance accessibility for foreign tourists. We will continue to expand various viewing opportunities to establish Korean performances as attractive tourist content for international visitors."
According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, from January to July this year, foreign credit card spending in the domestic performance sector surged by 48.8% compared to the same period last year. Social media mentions related to experiential activities by foreign visitors also highlighted that performance attendance, including concerts, accounted for approximately 26,000 mentions. The Korea Performance Tourism Association reported that the number of foreign attendees at major performances is expected to rise from about 408,000 in 2023 to 540,000 in 2024 and 574,000 in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 41% over two years. Taiwanese (198,000) and Chinese (136,000) visitors make up about 58% of this total.
In response to this demand, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Korea Performance Tourism Association, launched the 'Korea in Motion' campaign on October 16, aimed at promoting performance tourism for foreign visitors until November 30. The initiative seeks to market performances as a must-see attraction during trips to Korea, offering discounts and experiential opportunities to increase the number of foreign attendees.
During the campaign, various online travel platforms (OTAs) such as Klook for Japan, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore, Ctrip for China, and KKday for Taiwan are running promotional discount events. Special experiential products that allow direct participation before and after performances have also been introduced for the first time. The non-verbal performance 'The Painters' offers a marbling eco-bag making experience with the cast. 'Nanta' features a keyring-making activity, while 'Jump' provides a taekwondo experience with Grand Master Kim Yong. Traditional performance group Yeonhak Hanum offers a Korean instrument experience, and the musical 'Socrates Paradox' includes making cheering sticks and participating in curtain calls. Fifteen international YouTubers are also involved in creating promotional content.
Foreign Audience Enthusiasm and Interactive Experiences
On October 22, the lobby and seating area of 'The Painters' dedicated venue in Gwanghwamun, located in central Seoul, were bustling with foreign tourists, even during weekday daytime hours. With two dedicated theaters, Gwanghwamun (330 seats) and Seodaemun (400 seats), 'The Painters' attracts around 1,000 attendees daily, with a higher proportion of foreign visitors. The ratio of foreign to domestic attendees is approximately 7 to 3.
Park Min-woo, the marketing team leader for 'The Painters,' noted the increasing number of foreign audiences, stating, "After the significant drop in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a steady increase in visitors. We particularly feel the rise in foreign tourists and expect to surpass the levels seen in 2019, which had the highest number of foreign attendees."
As the performance began, four actors led the stage for 75 minutes without any dialogue, using dance, acting, and painting. Each time a marbling or drawing piece, such as a portrait of Michael Jackson or Van Gogh's self-portrait, was completed, applause erupted from various parts of the audience. A comedic segment that involved audience participation filled the theater with laughter.
The excitement continued with the marbling eco-bag making experience. Attendees donned gloves and stood in front of a large water tank on the stage where the performance had just taken place. They dropped paint onto the water's surface to create patterns, then lifted a white eco-bag to reveal a unique marbled design. The actors assisted participants by demonstrating the technique.
Park explained, "Today's foreign tourists value unique experiences and content to share on social media more than just visiting landmarks. Experiencing the performance on stage and creating a souvenir to take home will make it even more memorable for them."
Foreign audience members shared their positive feedback. A visitor from Chongqing, China, remarked, "This is my first time visiting Korea and watching 'The Painters,' and it was truly an amazing and wonderful performance. I hope my friends back home get to see it too." A visitor from Taiwan, Anna, described it as "a performance rich in creativity" and encouraged fellow Taiwanese to see it when they visit Seoul.
Zeren Yildizhan from Turkey, who participated in the experience after the performance, said, "As someone who studied art, I found it impressive how painting blended with dance and music. The experience reminded me of the traditional Turkish Ebru art of creating patterns on water, making it feel even more special and familiar. I particularly enjoyed concluding with the hands-on experience after the performance."
Momo from Japan highlighted the absence of a language barrier, stating, "I was worried about not knowing Korean, but since there was no dialogue, it was fine. The 75 minutes flew by. The experience was explained kindly, making it enjoyable to participate. I think it will be a great memory and souvenir."
AI Smart Subtitle Glasses Lower Language Barriers
Unlike non-verbal performances, plays and musicals with a high proportion of Korean dialogue can pose challenges for foreign audiences. According to a 2026 survey by the Korea Tourism Organization, 78.6% of dialogue-heavy performances accessible to foreign audiences do not offer foreign language subtitle services. However, among 360 respondents from Taiwan and Japan interested in Korean performances, 94.9% indicated that subtitle and translation services would aid their decision to attend.
In response, the Korea Tourism Organization is operating a smart theater initiative that provides AI smart subtitle glasses supporting English, Japanese, and Chinese (simplified and traditional) subtitles, in conjunction with the campaign. The selected performances include 12 shows such as the play 'Uncomfortable Convenience Store,' 'Five Hundred and Thirty,' the musical 'Finding Kim Jong-wook,' and 'Anarchist,' which were chosen in June. From July to November, the organization will support the operational costs of the subtitle glasses, as well as translation and proofreading services. Six of these performances received subtitle support last year. During the campaign, assistance will be provided for registering performances with subtitle services on OTAs, and tourists will have the opportunity to try on the subtitle glasses at pop-up booths in Hiker Ground and Daehakro.
Mona, an American who used the AI subtitle glasses, praised the experience, saying, "I particularly liked that I could adjust the position of the subtitles as I wanted. In other musicals, I often missed the performance because the subtitles were on a TV screen below the stage, but with the subtitle glasses, I could read the subtitles while watching the performance simultaneously." She added, "Even if I know a little Korean, understanding the songs and content of a musical can be challenging, but the subtitle glasses were a great help in following the story."
K-Performances Achieve 93.8% Satisfaction Rate
The Korea Tourism Organization's focus on improving the viewing environment and expanding experiential products stems from the recognition that the experience of Korean performances is still in its early stages. A 2025 survey by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute found that while the satisfaction rate for performance experiences was high at 93.8%, only 4.4% of visitors engaged in performances such as plays, musicals, and ballet during their stay. The rate of advance reservations for performance tickets before arriving in Korea was also low at 9.0%.
There is significant potential demand. According to the 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey by the Korea International Cultural Exchange Agency, 34.4% of those who have experienced Hallyu abroad believe that Korean performances, excluding K-pop, are popular in their countries, surpassing webtoons (32.2%). The Korea Tourism Organization's 2025 survey of potential visitors indicated that 34.1% expressed interest in cultural and artistic performances, an increase of 8.0 percentage points from the previous year. However, the actual experience rate remains low at 35.1%, compared to food (78.0%) and movies (77.9%).
The Korea Tourism Organization aims to connect interest with actual attendance. Baek Man-seong, head of the Hallyu Content Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, "This campaign is designed to allow foreign tourists to directly experience and appreciate the diverse performance content in Korea. We particularly aimed to lower language barriers using new technologies like AI subtitle glasses to enhance accessibility for foreign tourists. We will continue to expand various viewing opportunities to establish Korean performances as attractive tourist content for international visitors."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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