A, the owner of a sundae-guk restaurant at Yukgeori General Market in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, recently attached a sheet at the shop entrance listing menu items such as sundae, head meat, and assorted sundae in Japanese and Taiwanese pronunciations. Using a translation app, he wrote ‘Welcome’ as ‘Huan Ying’ and ‘Irasshaimase’, and sundaeguk as ‘ssundae-ing-heong’ and ‘sunde soup’. The idea is for staff to use it when receiving foreign tourists. Not long ago, he also created a photo-based menu for visitors. A said, “With more Japanese and Taiwanese customers, as many as seven to eight groups come even on weekday mornings,” and added, “I have been doing business here for over 50 years, and it is remarkable.”

Cheongju has seen a surge in foreign visitors thanks to Cheongju International Airport. According to Cheongju City on the 23rd, 112,612 foreign nationals entered via Cheongju International Airport last year, a 75.8% increase from 2023 (64,036). By nationality, Taiwan (36.4%) and Japan (32.1%) account for most of the total. Japanese entrants reached 35,284 last year, up a striking 164.4% from 2023 (13,341). Over the same period, Taiwanese entrants rose from 28,384 to 41,875, an increase of 47.5%.

Foreign visitors appear to be choosing Cheongju Airport over Incheon and Gimpo in the capital region because of relatively low costs and the geographic advantage of easy access to destinations across the country.

Aero K, a hub carrier in the Chungcheong region, has aggressively expanded direct routes to Taiwan and Japan since it began service. In partnership with local governments it runs discounted airfare promotions, and together with the Korea Tourism Organization it is also developing region-specific tour products linked to air routes. Last year, Cheongju International Airport handled 7,912 international flights on Japan routes and 1,498 on Taiwan routes. An industry insider said, “Using Cheongju Airport can significantly cut travel costs with low-cost fares,” and added, “Cheongju sits at the center of the country and has transport links that make it easy to reach smaller cities such as Jeonju and Gyeongju, as well as Seoul and Busan.”

Guide Ham Wi-ryong, who leads Taiwanese tour groups, said, “Group tourists have increased, but individual travelers entering the country via Cheongju Airport have also surged,” and added, “Many itineraries tour Cheongjusuch as Yukgeori Market, Sangdang Fortress, and Suamgolbefore moving on to other regions.”

Cheongju City is also making strong efforts to attract foreign tourists. It provides financial incentives to travel agencies, takes part in overseas global tourism expos, and conducts collaborative familiarization tours with the Korea Tourism Organization. The city is showcasing a variety of Hallyu and traditional culture content, including a K-pop dance one-day class and a Chojeong Haenggung hanok lodging experience.

Projects are underway to lengthen visitor stays and encourage repeat visits. This year, the city plans to create foreigner-only guesthouses by utilizing Cheongju Hyanggyo near Seongan-gil and vacant houses near Suamgol. It is also considering a plan to grant local currency to foreign tourists based on length of stay or spending. To make it easier for visitors to enjoy local food, the city is planning specialized pass products such as the ‘Samgyeopsal Pass’ and the ‘Dessert Pass’.

Nam Sang-taek, from Cheongju City’s Tourism Marketing Team, said, “In the past, Cheongju was a place people briefly passed through on their way to other regions, but recently it has shifted to ‘stay-type tourism,’ with visitors touring major local attractions and staying one night,” and added, “To disperse tourism demand concentrated in the capital region to the provinces, we plan to focus on expanding infrastructure that allows foreign visitors to stay longer.”