{"id":41760,"date":"2025-12-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=41760"},"modified":"2025-12-16T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:00:00","slug":"seoul-the-global-hub-of-k-culture-mayor-oh-se-hoon-promotes-seoul-tourism-in-kuala-lumpur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=41760","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Seoul, the Global Hub of K-Culture&#8221; Mayor Oh Se-hoon Promotes Seoul Tourism in Kuala Lumpur"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Mayor Oh engages local fans and travelers at &#8220;Seoul My Soul in <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li>K-pop, beauty, and food experiences highlight <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> lifestyle appeal for the MZ generation<\/li>\n<li>Malaysian tourist arrivals recover to over 90% of pre-COVID levels as <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> expands regional marketing&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Mayor meets Malaysian alumni of Korean universities and emphasizes ongoing exchange and global cooperation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">SEOUL, South Korea<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Dec. 16, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ &#8212; After completing his visit to <span class=\"xn-location\">Hanoi, Vietnam<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> Mayor Oh Se-hoon traveled to <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span> on Sunday the 7th to attend <i>&#8220;Seoul My Soul in <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span>&#8220;<\/i> a premier tourism-promotion event held at Fahrenheit88 shopping mall in the city center. More than 1,000 Malaysian visitors, including K-culture fans, participated.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Oh also met with members of\u00a0AGIKO, <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia&#8217;s<\/span> largest Korean-study alumni association, expressing gratitude for their long-standing role as goodwill ambassadors who have deepened cultural and academic ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>&lt;&#8220;Seouliday,&#8221; a Seoul-Style Holiday Enjoyed in <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> \u2014 Mayor Oh&#8217;s Surprise Appearance at the Seoul Goods Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony &gt;<\/p>\n<p>Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization (CEO:\u00a0Gil Ki-yeon), the &#8220;<i>Seouliday&#8221;<\/i> program recreated the experience of enjoying a holiday like a Seoulite, showcasing <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> strengths as a global cultural hub in a single venue designed for the MZ generation.<\/p>\n<p>Experiential zones and dynamic performances reflecting <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> lifestyle, including the\u00a0<span>K-Beauty Zone, K-Food Zone, Seoul Brand Photo Zone, K-Tigers Taekwondo Performance, celebratory stages by local cover dance teams and social media participation events<\/span>, drew enthusiastic visitors throughout the day.<\/p>\n<p>Large crowds gathered for a\u00a0K-makeup show featuring local influencers. The photo booths themed around <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> official character <i>Haechi<\/i> and <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> tourism promotional model <i>Jennie (JENNIE)<\/i>, as well as K-snack tastings and giveaways sponsored by <i>Nongshim Co., Ltd.<\/i>, were met with enthusiastic responses and quickly ran out.<\/p>\n<p>At the official ceremony at <span class=\"xn-chron\">4:00 p.m.<\/span> (local time), Mayor Oh made a surprise appearance and took part in the\u00a0<i>Seoul Goods Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony<\/i>. As images of iconic <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> landmarks\u00a0 such as Namsan Seoul Tower and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) appeared through films and animation, the local audience responded with loud cheers.<\/p>\n<p>The festive atmosphere continued with a <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> tourism prize drawing and a &#8220;K-pop point choreography&#8221; session where participants learned dance moves.<\/p>\n<p>In connection with the event, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been operating a\u00a0Haechi photo zone since last month and running a &#8220;Send a Christmas Card from Seoul Landmarks&#8221; campaign for <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span> citizens who enthusiastically celebrate Christmas.<\/p>\n<p>Demand for free independent travel (FIT) among Malaysian families and friend groups has been rising alongside the spread of\u00a0Hallyu culture. Malaysian arrivals to Korea reached 215,000 this year (as of September), marking an 84% recovery of pre-COVID levels. <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> plans to strengthen localized tourism-marketing efforts.<\/p>\n<p>According to last year&#8217;s\u00a0<i>Overseas Hallyu Survey<\/i> conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), more than 80% of Malaysian respondents expressed favorable views of Korean popular culture. Their weekly consumption of K-content averaged 4.6 hours, exceeding the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>-regional average of 3.8 hours. K-content and <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span>-related hashtags (#Seoul, #VisitSeoul, etc.) are rapidly increasing on social media platforms such as Reels and short-form videos.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-person\">Gil Ki<\/span>-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, stated, &#8220;<span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> is a key market with strong interest in Hallyu and growing demand for independent travel. We hope that this <i>&#8216;Seouliday&#8217;<\/i> event allowed visitors to experience the unique charm of <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> firsthand.&#8221; He added, &#8220;We will continue to strengthen experiential marketing that communicates directly with local audiences to enhance <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> tourism competitiveness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&lt;Meeting with Malaysian Alumni of Korean Universities \u2014 Expanding a Global Human Network through Continued Exchange &gt;<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the event, at <span class=\"xn-chron\">1:00 p.m.<\/span> (local time), Mayor Oh attended a meeting with the Malaysian\u00a0<i>Korean-study alumni association<\/i>. AGIKO (Alumni Society of Korean Institutional Graduates), a professional talent network of around 2,900 alumni who earned degrees from Korean universities and graduate schools, has served as a bridge for cooperation between Korea and <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> across multiple fields since its establishment in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting brought together Mayor Oh and the <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> delegation with around 70\u00a0AGIKO members to foster mutual exchange and explore directions for future cooperation. Alumni shared how their time in <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> influenced their career choices and personal growth, expressing hopes that ongoing engagement with <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> would further invigorate the bilateral human network.<\/p>\n<p>Building on this meeting, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to further solidify its ties with Korean-study alumni in <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> and continue collaborating with alumni communities worldwide to expand its global human network.<\/p>\n<p>In his remarks, Mayor Oh said, &#8220;Though you live far from <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span>, you are valued members of our extended <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> community and an enduring bridge between our two countries. I am deeply proud that the experiences and knowledge you gained in <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> are now shining throughout Malaysian society.&#8221; He added, &#8220;The Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to cherish its bonds with alumni and promote ongoing communication and support.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844240\/1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844240\/1.jpg?p=medium600\" title=\"A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)\" alt=\"A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)\"\/><\/a><br \/><span>A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844241\/2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844241\/2.jpg?p=medium600\" title=\"Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur\" alt=\"Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur\"\/><\/a><br \/><span>Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">  <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><!-- wp:html --><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Mayor Oh engages local fans and travelers at &#8220;Seoul My Soul in <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li>K-pop, beauty, and food experiences highlight <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> lifestyle appeal for the MZ generation<\/li>\n<li>Malaysian tourist arrivals recover to over 90% of pre-COVID levels as <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> expands regional marketing&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Mayor meets Malaysian alumni of Korean universities and emphasizes ongoing exchange and global cooperation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">SEOUL, South Korea<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Dec. 16, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ &#8212; After completing his visit to <span class=\"xn-location\">Hanoi, Vietnam<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> Mayor Oh Se-hoon traveled to <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span> on Sunday the 7th to attend <i>&#8220;Seoul My Soul in <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span>&#8220;<\/i> a premier tourism-promotion event held at Fahrenheit88 shopping mall in the city center. More than 1,000 Malaysian visitors, including K-culture fans, participated.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Oh also met with members of\u00a0AGIKO, <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia&#8217;s<\/span> largest Korean-study alumni association, expressing gratitude for their long-standing role as goodwill ambassadors who have deepened cultural and academic ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>&lt;&#8220;Seouliday,&#8221; a Seoul-Style Holiday Enjoyed in <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> \u2014 Mayor Oh&#8217;s Surprise Appearance at the Seoul Goods Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony &gt;<\/p>\n<p>Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization (CEO:\u00a0Gil Ki-yeon), the &#8220;<i>Seouliday&#8221;<\/i> program recreated the experience of enjoying a holiday like a Seoulite, showcasing <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> strengths as a global cultural hub in a single venue designed for the MZ generation.<\/p>\n<p>Experiential zones and dynamic performances reflecting <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> lifestyle, including the\u00a0<span>K-Beauty Zone, K-Food Zone, Seoul Brand Photo Zone, K-Tigers Taekwondo Performance, celebratory stages by local cover dance teams and social media participation events<\/span>, drew enthusiastic visitors throughout the day.<\/p>\n<p>Large crowds gathered for a\u00a0K-makeup show featuring local influencers. The photo booths themed around <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> official character <i>Haechi<\/i> and <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> tourism promotional model <i>Jennie (JENNIE)<\/i>, as well as K-snack tastings and giveaways sponsored by <i>Nongshim Co., Ltd.<\/i>, were met with enthusiastic responses and quickly ran out.<\/p>\n<p>At the official ceremony at <span class=\"xn-chron\">4:00 p.m.<\/span> (local time), Mayor Oh made a surprise appearance and took part in the\u00a0<i>Seoul Goods Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony<\/i>. As images of iconic <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> landmarks\u00a0 such as Namsan Seoul Tower and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) appeared through films and animation, the local audience responded with loud cheers.<\/p>\n<p>The festive atmosphere continued with a <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> tourism prize drawing and a &#8220;K-pop point choreography&#8221; session where participants learned dance moves.<\/p>\n<p>In connection with the event, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been operating a\u00a0Haechi photo zone since last month and running a &#8220;Send a Christmas Card from Seoul Landmarks&#8221; campaign for <span class=\"xn-location\">Kuala Lumpur<\/span> citizens who enthusiastically celebrate Christmas.<\/p>\n<p>Demand for free independent travel (FIT) among Malaysian families and friend groups has been rising alongside the spread of\u00a0Hallyu culture. Malaysian arrivals to Korea reached 215,000 this year (as of September), marking an 84% recovery of pre-COVID levels. <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> plans to strengthen localized tourism-marketing efforts.<\/p>\n<p>According to last year&#8217;s\u00a0<i>Overseas Hallyu Survey<\/i> conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), more than 80% of Malaysian respondents expressed favorable views of Korean popular culture. Their weekly consumption of K-content averaged 4.6 hours, exceeding the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>-regional average of 3.8 hours. K-content and <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span>-related hashtags (#Seoul, #VisitSeoul, etc.) are rapidly increasing on social media platforms such as Reels and short-form videos.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-person\">Gil Ki<\/span>-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, stated, &#8220;<span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> is a key market with strong interest in Hallyu and growing demand for independent travel. We hope that this <i>&#8216;Seouliday&#8217;<\/i> event allowed visitors to experience the unique charm of <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> firsthand.&#8221; He added, &#8220;We will continue to strengthen experiential marketing that communicates directly with local audiences to enhance <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul&#8217;s<\/span> tourism competitiveness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&lt;Meeting with Malaysian Alumni of Korean Universities \u2014 Expanding a Global Human Network through Continued Exchange &gt;<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the event, at <span class=\"xn-chron\">1:00 p.m.<\/span> (local time), Mayor Oh attended a meeting with the Malaysian\u00a0<i>Korean-study alumni association<\/i>. AGIKO (Alumni Society of Korean Institutional Graduates), a professional talent network of around 2,900 alumni who earned degrees from Korean universities and graduate schools, has served as a bridge for cooperation between Korea and <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> across multiple fields since its establishment in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting brought together Mayor Oh and the <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> delegation with around 70\u00a0AGIKO members to foster mutual exchange and explore directions for future cooperation. Alumni shared how their time in <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> influenced their career choices and personal growth, expressing hopes that ongoing engagement with <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> would further invigorate the bilateral human network.<\/p>\n<p>Building on this meeting, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to further solidify its ties with Korean-study alumni in <span class=\"xn-location\">Malaysia<\/span> and continue collaborating with alumni communities worldwide to expand its global human network.<\/p>\n<p>In his remarks, Mayor Oh said, &#8220;Though you live far from <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span>, you are valued members of our extended <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> community and an enduring bridge between our two countries. I am deeply proud that the experiences and knowledge you gained in <span class=\"xn-location\">Seoul<\/span> are now shining throughout Malaysian society.&#8221; He added, &#8220;The Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to cherish its bonds with alumni and promote ongoing communication and support.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844240\/1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844240\/1.jpg?p=medium600\" title=\"A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)\" alt=\"A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)\"\/><\/a><br \/><span>A commemorative event photo. (From left: Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization; from right, third: Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844241\/2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnasia.com\/media2\/2844241\/2.jpg?p=medium600\" title=\"Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur\" alt=\"Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur\"\/><\/a><br \/><span>Panoramic view of the \u201cSeouliday\u201d event in Kuala Lumpur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">  <\/div>\n<p><!-- \/wp:html --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cision-pr-newswire","category-cision-pr-newswire-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41760\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}