SEOUL, KOREA --- A total of 295 (16 percent) of 1,849 foreigners picked Namsan (kissing with boyfriend/girlfriend by locking in the lock at N Seoul Tower while overlooking Seoul cityscape) as the best hotspot of their choice in Seoul. The respondents included 44 people from English speaking regions, 241 from the Greater China region, and 10 from Japan, displaying an especially high preference for Namsan.
Myeong-dong (Korean brand cosmetics shopping tour) came next with 13.4 percent (247 people), followed by Gyeongbokgung Palace (Changing of the royal guards and experiencing of guards’ military uniforms) with 10.9 percent (201 people).
These are results of the survey “the most charming hotspots in Seoul,” which was conducted among 1,849 people (including 534 people from English speaking countries, 1,080 people from Chinese and 235 people from Japanese) during November 3 to 20.
Then came “Exploring ‘Eight Scenic Views of Bukchon and Hanok (traditional Korean housing) Village alleys and
experiencing a stay at hanok (189 people or 10.2 percent),” “Enjoying 24-hour-shopping in Dongdaemun and transforming into fashion leaders (99 people or 5.4 percent),” “Dating and walking on fallen leaves at Seoul Forest (98 people or 5.3 percent),” and “Enjoying night view with boyfriend/girlfriend at observatory cafes at the Hangang river (97 people or 5.2 percent).”
Foreigners displayed different levels of preference for Seoul hotspots by the region of their languages. People from the English-speaking countries liked Gyeongbokgung the most (first place with 16.7 percent), N Seoul Tower (second place with 8.2 percent), and then Insa-dong (third place with 7.5 percent). Those from the Chinese region liked N Seoul Tower the most (first place with 22.3 percent), Myeong-dong (second place with 17.2 percent), and then Bukchon (third place with 9.2 percent). Those from Japan liked Bukchon the most (first place with 23.8 percent), Gyeongbokgung (second place with 15.7 percent), and then Myeong-dong (third place with 8.9 percent).
Based on the results of a “Survey of the Top 50 Charms of Seoul” conducted among foreigners and international residents last August, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is conducting surveys on various themes. The City Government conducted surveys on “foods” in October, and “Things foreigners want to do at Seoul hotspots” in November. It plans to conduct surveys on various themes such as culture, experience and IT on a regular basis, with the results reflected in the City’s tourism policies.
