A 100,000-ton international cruise ship carrying about 1,500 Chinese tourists made its first call at Daesan Port in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.
Seosan City said the international cruise ship "Bizio" arrived at Daesan Port around 8 a.m. on Thursday. While international cruise ships have departed from Seosan before, this marks the first time a cruise ship originating overseas has stopped in the city.
The passengers toured major Seosan attractions including Haemieupseong Fortress, Haemi International Holy Site, Gaesimsa Temple, Ganwolam, and Dongbu Market, before departing for Incheon at 10 p.m.
Seosan City held a welcoming ceremony and a traditional cultural performance at Haemieupseong Fortress. To ease payments for Chinese tourists, WeChat Pay and Alipay were introduced at 110 stores, including Dongbu Market, Haemi Traditional Market, and surrounding shopping districts.
The city also provided public Wi-Fi at the Daesan Port International Passenger Terminal, distributed Chinese-language tourist guide maps, improved the environment at tourist sites, and deployed emergency medical personnel.
"This call by the Bizio is a starting point that opens the era of international passenger service at Daesan Port," Seosan Mayor Lee Wan-seop said. "We will develop Daesan Port into a leading international gateway on the west coast and prepare so that Chinese tourists will visit Seosan again."
