The Suwon city government announced Monday that it has been selected for the "2026 K-Food Belt Development Project (Chicken Belt)," organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute, and will move forward with a culinary tourism initiative centered on Suwon Tongdak (whole chicken) Street.
The K-Food Belt project is a national competitive grant program designed to attract foreign tourists and revitalize local economies by discovering and upgrading tourism content that reflects regional signature ingredients and culinary trends. Suwon was among four local governments nationwide selected this year.
Selected in the chicken category, Suwon secured a total project budget of 100 million won ($73,000), with 50% funded by the central government.
Suwon will collaborate with the Suwon Cultural Foundation and private travel agencies to launch the "K-Heritage Culinary Tour with Chicken." The program links Haenggung-dong Tongdak Street with nearby attractions including Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, and Haengridan-gil to create extended-stay tourism content combining food, hands-on experiences, and culture.
The city plans to develop Tongdak Street itself into a tourism product, branding the local commercial district rather than franchise-centered offerings. Programs will include chicken-making workshops and culinary tours.
Specific initiatives include a Tongdak Street one-day cooking class, tourism courses linked with Kyochon 1991 School, and a one-night, two-day "K-Chicken Grand Tour" designed to extend visitors' stays and boost spending.
Suwon will also expand programs tied to existing events such as the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival and the Suwon Hwaseong Media Art exhibition. The city plans to develop the K-Chicken Belt as a flagship tourism content in conjunction with the 2026–2027 Visit Suwon Year campaign.
"We have laid the groundwork to develop Suwon Tongdak Street, a unique local asset, into world-class culinary tourism content," a Suwon city official said. "We will work with the private sector to strengthen experiential tourism programs and offer differentiated culinary experiences to visitors."