From K-pop to zoning out, Seoul crowdsources its next tourism map

Korea is turning to its own citizens to map out the future of domestic travel, launching a massive nationwide initiative to crowdsource the ultimate bucket list of 10,000 cultural and geographic landmarks. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, announced Monday the launch of the "100x100 Project." Through July 10, the public can vote across 100 distinct subcategories — each curated to select 100 definitive locations — to catalog the country's vast but underutilized regional assets.

The campaign signals a major shift away from cookie-cutter tour packages toward hyper-specific, lifestyle-driven travel. Rather than focusing solely on traditional historical sites, the ministry unveiled 100 themes meticulously compiled by travel journalists, authors and regional experts. These categories span from traditional comfort foods like local hangover stews to modern wellness trends focused on relaxation and zoning out in nature to counter burnout.

To capitalize on the recent surge in international tourism, the project also explicitly ta