Luxury hanok reshapes high-end tourism deep in mountains of Gangwon Province

For global jet setters, Korea’s cultural footprint is typically defined by Seoul’s neon-lit corridors and K-pop spectacle. But a quiet enclave tucked deep into the rugged mountains of Gangwon Province is making a bid to redefine the country’s luxury travel market, offering a slower, deeply traditional alternative to the urban rush. The Hanok Heritage, a sprawling 337,000-square-meter cultural complex in Yeongwol, about 100 miles east of Seoul, recently served as a primary host for "Explore Seoul with Connections 2026."

The high-concept tourism initiative, organized jointly by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the international luxury travel network Connections, aimed to introduce a side of Korea rarely featured in slick promotional campaigns. Over a three-day familiarization tour, travel advisors and agency executives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Lithuania and Hong Kong bypassed standard five-star hotels to stay in hanok — traditional Korean homes. The itinerary focused heavily on regional culture, preservation, gastronomy, architecture and wellness.

Gu