A major project to identify 10,000 tourist hotspots across South Korea—100 destinations for each of 100 themes—has begun, with the entire public taking part. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, said the public will directly cast votes for the "Korea Destination Discovery 100x100 Project" from the 29th through July 10, aiming to bring new excitement to regional tourism.
For the 100x100 Project, the ministry held an internal idea contest (November 2025) and a staff-wide idea discussion (January 2026) to set the project's direction, before assembling 100 travel experts in March of this year, including travel reporters, travel writers, regional tourism specialists, and inbound tourism specialists. The 100 travel themes and candidate destinations for each theme that they recommended were unveiled for the first time on the 29th.
The 100x100 Project categorized a total of 100 themes into eight top-level categories—experience, gastronomy, nature and ecology, lifestyle, K-content, culture, arts and tradition, architecture, and travel preferences—covering not only traditional travel categories such as gastronomy and nature and ecology that come to mind with the word "travel," but also taste-based travel and lifestyle that reflect recent travel trends.
The project presents various themes under intriguing names designed to spark travelers' interest, such as: Gukbap and Haejangguk 100; Soles (Barefoot Walking) 100; Big Catch Spots (Fishing) 100; On Four Paws! Pet Travel 100; Grandma-nnial K-Dessert Tour 100; Going for a Drink Now: Bursting with Liquor Pride 100; My Own Winter Wonderland 100; That Moment to Post on Your Feed 100; and Great Spots to Zone Out 100. In particular, in line with the recently growing demand for inbound tourism, there are themes that target the tastes of inbound tourists, such as K-pop pilgrimages, K-Scene, and vintage fashion meccas.
The ministry plans to add a new element of fun to Korean tourism by introducing themes and themed destinations that everyone—young and old, locals and foreigners—can enjoy. The ministry said it hopes people will enjoy not only checking whether places they had thought of as their own personal spots are among the candidate destinations, but also the pleasure of newly discovering and visiting destinations in various regions that they had not known before.
Members of the public participating in the vote can access the voting page through the "Korea Tourism" website (Korea Gusokgusok Nuriip) and the "Travel Month" website (Yeohaeng Ganeun Dal Nuriip), select the theme they wish to vote for, and then choose destinations within that theme. There is no limit on the number of votes, and people can freely vote for multiple themes and destinations.
Among the 100 themes, for eight themes whose candidate destinations number fewer than 100, the public can directly recommend destinations. These include: That Place in the Lyrics 100; Sentimental Train Stations 100; The Lighthouse Keeper's Secret Map 100; Campus Tour 100; Bucket Island 100; Jeju Oreum 100; Prayer Travel 100; Exploring Every Corner of Korea by KTX 100; and Town Fortresses and Mountain Fortresses Connecting Time 100.
After voting ends, the total of 10,000 selected Korean tourist destinations will be unveiled through the "Korea Tourism" (Korea Gusokgusok) website. Events to encourage visits to the selected tourist destinations will also be held. For themes with strong enthusiast followings, "stamp-clearing" events will be held, providing collectible souvenirs based on the number of visits.
This 100x100 Project is known to be one that Minister Choi Hwi-young personally conceived and proposed after taking office, pouring particular affection into it. It stems from the regret that, despite the endless number of domestic destinations, they had not been well known until now. After a year of preparation since his inauguration, it has now begun. Earlier, in his policy report to the president last December, Minister Choi reported that "we will pursue the '100x100 Project (Hotspot Guide),' discovering destinations across various themes such as the 100 great mountains, running courses, and old establishments."
Kang Jeong-won, director general of the tourism policy office at the ministry, said, "It will serve as an important milestone that can make travel easier and more fun for travelers," adding, "It will also introduce foreign travelers visiting Korea to various tourist destinations beyond Seoul and the metropolitan area, and help them set out for new regions."
