Seoul to create K-beauty road as part of interactive tourism

South Korea’s capital city Seoul will set up a walking route full of beauty products, services and interactive programs for visiting tourists.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Aug. 3 that it will create Seoul Beauty Road where walking tourists can experience the popular makeup styles of Korean idols and actors, and check out the latest beauty trends in the country. The beauty road will open in September this year, according to Seoul city.  

The city has also appointed Risabae, one of the most well-known makeup artists in the country, as the Seoul Beauty Creative Director and the beauty road’s brand ambassador. Risabae has more than 2.2 million subscribers on YouTube.

She will be consulting Seoul city in selecting the beauty tourism spots to be included in the beauty road and also offer the road’s branding and promotion ideas. Citizens can submit online recommendations by Aug. 18 regarding the spots that they want to include in the beauty road’s route. The final route will be confirmed and announced early next month on Risabae’s YouTube channel.

“The basic concept of Seoul Beauty Road is an interactive beauty tourism that can gratify all five senses of the visitors,” said a Seoul city spokesman.

Seoul added that the new beauty road will act as a stepping stone for a wider range of beauty and cosmetics projects within the city. The city government will also kick off academic research by the end of this year to devise specific long-term plans to foster the beauty sector beyond the present level.

“The concept of beauty tourism had been narrowly defined as purchasing cosmetic items. But now Seoul will provide a renewed beauty tourism experience by focusing on interaction,” said Lee Byung-chul, the head of the city government’s tourism business division.  

Seoul’s current mayor Oh Se-hoon has also stressed the beauty industry as the city’s future growth sector. Policy experts say that while Oh’s key phrase during his first tenure between 2006 and 2011 had been “Design Seoul,” he is now emphasizing “Beauty Seoul” as the catchphrase for his second tenure.

“Seoul will take another transformative leap as Asia’s beauty center by integrating cosmetic products, cosmetic surgery, beauty services and various K-beauty content,” said the mayor.

Write to Ji-eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com
Daniel Cho edited this article.