[INTERVIEW] KTO chief points to power of storytelling for tourism growth

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) President Kim Jang-sil poses at the entrance of HiKR Ground, a promotional hall at the KTO Seoul Center in central Seoul, April 27. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Hae-rin

For Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) President Kim Jang-sil, 66, one of his first and strongest memories of yearning to travel abroad was evoked upon listening to a German folk song taught in a middle school music class.

The song was "Die Lorelei," composed by Friedrich Silcher and based on a poem of the same title by German poet Heinrich Heine. It is based on a legend of a beautiful golden siren who, after losing her love, sits atop a 132-meter-high steep rocky cliff on the banks of the Rhine River and lures sailors to their deaths.

For Kim, who came from a humble family in the small southern seaside town of Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province during the postwar period, the story behind the German melody and lyrics made his heart pound and made such a strong impression that the location made the top of his must-see attractions list. He still recalls the song whenever he thinks of Germany.

Back in the 1970s, traveling abroad was a distant dream and he was not sure whether his wish could ever come true. Overseas travel restrictions were lifted about a decade later in 1989, a year after the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.

When Kim finally visited Germany in 1982 at the age of 26, he went on a long journey to Sankt Goarshausen to witness for himself the stony ridges in the song. Although the view did not fully meet his expectations, the experience was enough to teach him the strong power of storytelling, he said.

"First, there was a legend, which was made into a beautiful poem by this great German poet Heinrich Heine. Then it was adapted into a song, which was later included in German and Japanese textbooks," Kim said during an interview with The Korea Times.

"The song remains vivid in the memory of our generation after we learned it at school (from textbooks that were translated from Japanese to Korean). I believe that is the power of a good story. This is why storytelling matters," he added.

Kim started his career as a public official at the Ministry of Culture and Public Affairs, a precedent of the current Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 1979 where he served as the deputy minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008. He then headed the Seoul Arts Center from 2009 before becoming a lawmaker of then ruling conservative Saenuri Party in 2012. As a National Assembly member, he introduced a large number of bills that granted cultural rights.

Also an avid reader of world cultural history and author of two books, Kim said his faith and passion in storytelling grew stronger as he witnessed how the war-torn country rose from one of the world's poorest countries to the 10th-largest economy and garnered global attention through cultural exports.

As the KTO president, Kim now plans to not only maintain the industry's post-pandemic recovery amid the growing international popularity of Korean culture, but to propel the momentum in celebration of the Visit Korea Year 2023-2024, with the goal of attracting 30 million foreign tourists a year by 2027 during his three-year term.

The country saw a record 17.5 million annual foreign visitors in 2019. However, Kim does not believe the country's tourism has yet to reach its potential thus far due to a lack of social perception and government investment in the industry.

"But most importantly, we need to introduce fascinating stories about Korea based on the myriad of people, history and legends that we have," he said.

With four distinct seasons and over 5,000 years of historical legacy, the country offers many more interesting stories and hidden treasures for foreign travelers, Kim explained.

"No matter how beautiful a scene is, the memory eventually fades away without a good story. But a good story stays permanent in our memories," Kim said, adding that good storytelling will continuously attract travelers and lead to multiple visits.

Since taking office last October, he has been focused on neighboring countries ― like Japan, Vietnam and Thailand ― to promote inbound tourism. Starting May, the KTO is operating pop-up stores in major cities, including New York and Hanoi, to bring global fans of Korean culture to the country.

Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 logo / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Gastronomy is among the KTO's priorities in topics to develop regional storytelling, according to Kim, as it will offer a wide range of local experiences for foreign travelers.

The culture ministry's latest survey on inbound tourism found that food was the top consideration among key factors when choosing to visit Korea at 47 percent, while food tourism ranked third among major activities sought by visitors.

In that respect, since last year, the KTO has developed a translation database of 25,000 food items and a real-time translation service in collaboration with the country's largest portal Naver, Kim explained. Also, the state tourism agency plans to develop regional food tour programs, specially tailored to travelers from Japan and the Middle East.

In Kim's view, tourism is, in the long-run, a tool of introducing the nation's philosophy and lifestyle abroad and a path to becoming a true "global cultural power," as asserted by Kim Gu, a politician and educator who led the Korean independence movement against the Japanese empire.

In Kim Gu's famous passage "My Wish," the activist wrote, "The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a noble culture. This is because the power of culture both makes us happy and gives happiness to others," highlighting the intangible yet immense power of culture that breaks down all boundaries.

Kim said, "Through the Visit Korea Year campaign, we will present Korea's many different sides and show how the country is worth visiting. We invite you to come discover every inch of the country."