K-pop star Xiumin of EXO dazzled Filipinos and encouraged them to visit South Korea when he graced the opening of the Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 on Sept. 7 at Glorietta in Makati.
“Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of this meaningful event on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines,” said Xiumin.
He added, “I’ve heard that K-food, K-pop dance and K-beauty are prepared for tomorrow’s event so I hope you could enjoy it.”
“Also, next time, we can all meet together in Korea, okay? Please visit Korea more often,” Xiumin (시우민) told the audience.
EXO's Xiumin at the Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 on Sept. 7 at Glorietta in Makati (Jonathan Hicap)
EXO's Xiumin at the Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 on Sept. 7 at Glorietta in Makati (KTO Manila)
The Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 in the Philippines (Jonathan Hicap)
Guests at the Korea Travel Fiesta do a ceremonial gesture with a snow globe to symbolize South Korea's first snow. (From left) KTO Manila Office Director Kim Hyung-joon, EXO's Xiumin, Melai Cantiveros-Francisco, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa, KTO acting president Young-choong Seo, Philippine Tourism Usec. Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, Korean Cultural Cooperation Ambassador Jie-ae Sohn, Korean OST singer Punch and Korean Cultural Center (KCC) Philippines Director Kim Myeongjin (KTO Manila)
The Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 in the Philippines (Jonathan Hicap)
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Manila Office organized the two-day Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 until Sept. 8 to invite Filipinos to witness and experience a vibrant showcase of Korea’s tourism and culture.
Thousands of Filipinos have been wanting to visit South Korea for its scenic spots, sumptuous food and the allure of K-pop and Korean dramas.
Filipinos also want to experience South Korea’s winter (December to February), which transforms the country into a wonderland perfect for skiing, ice skating, snowboarding and attending festivals such as the Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival.
The Korea Travel Fiesta offered people a deeper understanding of Korean culture and society.
“Filipinos have always loved Korean culture so the Korea Travel Fiesta is our special way to show our appreciation for the support we have received over the years. As the holiday season rolls in, we'd like to invite Filipino families and groups to visit Korea for their holiday trips and experience everything Korea has to offer during the beautiful winter season, from the beautiful snow-covered sceneries, to the different winter activities and festivals,” said YoungChoong Seo, acting president of the KTO.
Opening
At the opening ceremony, Xiumin joined Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa, KTO’s Young-choong Seo, Korean Cultural Cooperation Ambassador Jie-ae Sohn, Philippine Tourism Usec. Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, KTO Manila Office Director Kim Hyung-joon, Korean Cultural Center (KCC) Philippines Director Kim Myeongjin, Filipino actress Melai Cantiveros-Francisco (KTO’s honorary ambassador for Korea Family Tourism in the Philippines) and Korean OST singer Punch.
They made a ceremonial gesture using snow globes to symbolize Korea’s first snow.
Seoul is covered with snow during winter (Jonathan Hicap)
According to the KTO Tourism Data Lab website, a total of 342,819 tourists from the Philippines visited South Korea in 2023 out of the total 11 million tourists from different countries for the year.
From December 2023 to February this year or during the winter season, 88,021 tourists from the Philippines went to South Korea.
Xiumin gave travel tips to Filipinos, focusing on winter.
“I missed you too,” said Xiumin, who came back to Manila in two months after performing at an event in July.
He said, “The K-culture is becoming more popular around the world. Winter is coming. You need to bring your warm clothes for winter, especially thermals, gloves and scarves.”
One of the winter activities that he enjoys is skiing but said that for anyone, they can also try sledding or ice skating.
During his appearance at the Korea Travel Fiesta, Xiumin performed “Feedback,” “Serenity,” “Love Letter,” “Brand New” and a little bit of “Miracles in December.”
EXO's Xiumin at the Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 at Glorietta in Makati on Sept. 7 (Jonathan Hicap)
Fiesta zones
The Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 showcased different zones with interactive experience about Korean culture.
Visitors explored different booths and activities to discover more of what makes Korea special.
The K-Travel Zone provided travel information to visitors looking to visit Korea while the K-Activity Zone offered the chance for people to taste Korean cuisine, try on Hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), learn history, and enjoy various K-pop and K-beauty themed activities.
At the Kids Zone, children had fun and engaging DIY activities like handicraft making of K-themed keychains and hairclips.
The event featured exhibitors such as airlines, travel agencies, regional tourism organizations, tour attractions, telecommunication companies, and banks, offering options for attendees for their trip to Korea.
In addition, it also had other activities, including demos for personal color, makeup and hair demonstration sessions by Korean experts, and various challenges such as the Spicy Ramen Challenge, Blindfold Make-up Challenge, and K-pop Random Play Dance that included participation from visitors.
The Korea Travel Fiesta 2024 at Glorietta in Makati on Sept. 7 (KTO Manila)
Celebrities
KTO’s very own Kingdom Friends characters featuring Hojong, Mugo, and Kawoo kicked off the Korea Travel Fiesta.
Korean and Filipino celebrities and performers graced the occasion.
TV show “Running Man Philippines” stars Glaiza De Castro, Kokoy De Santos, and Buboy Villar talked about their visit to South Korea.
K-performance team Chef delighted the audience with their comedic and impressive fusion of beatboxing and breakdancing centered around Korea’s famous bibimbap dish.
Meanwhile, Melai, her husband Jason Francisco and their children also graced the occasion to offer tips for family trips to South Korea.
Punch enthralled the audience by singing her popular Korean dramas theme songs including “Stay With Me” (for “Goblin”), “Everytime” (for “Descendants of the Sun”), “Say Yes (for “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”) and “Another Day” (for “Hotel Del Luna”).
Wolf’lo, a K-dance team from the Korean TV show “Street Woman Fighter 2,” also flew to Manila to perform at the event.
“Running Man Philippines” stars Kokoy De Santos, Glaiza De Castro, , and Buboy Villar (Jonathan Hicap)
Korean OST singer Punch (Jonathan Hicap)
Melai Cantiveros-Francisco and her family (Jonathan Hicap)
K-performance group Chef with Gabby Eigenmann (Jonathan Hicap)
Joya, Venisse Siy and Ren Bugash (Jonathan Hicap)
Wolf’lo (KTO Manila)
Korean visa and visa-free entry program
To know more about Korean visa application including requirements, visit the Korea Visa Application Center (Manila) at https://www.visaforkorea-mn.com/ and the Korean Embassy in the Philippines.
South Korea also has a visa-free entry program via Yangyang International Airport in Gangwon Province and Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province for group tourists from the Philippines and two Asian countries .
The visa-free program via Yangyang has been extended until May 31, 2015 while the Muan program has been extended until March 31 next year.
“The embassy is pleased to inform that temporary no-visa entry to Yangyang entry port has been extended until May 31, 2025 to encourage group tourists to visit Korea. Visa-free entry for group tourists to Yangyang International Airport may be processed through the accredited travel agencies only,” according to the Korean Embassy in the Philippines.
In a separate announcement, the embassy stated, “Muan International Airport implemented visa-free entry for group tourists to 3 Asian countries starting from 15 March 2023. The embassy is pleased to inform that temporary no-visa entry to Muan entry port has been extended until March 31, 2025 to encourage group tourists to visit Korea. Visa-free entry for group tourists to Muan International Airport may be processed through the accredited travel agencies only.”
Philippine passport holders can also visit Jeju Island in South Korea without a visa.
Follow the KTO Manila Office at facebook.com/koreatourismmanila on Facebook and @ktomanila on Instagram to get the latest news about Korean culture and tourism.
Incheon International Airport in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)
Seoul Station and AREX Airport Express train going to Incheon International Airport (Jonathan Hicap)
KTO acting president Young-choong Seo (Jonathan Hicap)
Korean Cultural Cooperation Ambassador Jie-ae Sohn (Jonathan Hicap)
Philippine Tourism Usec. Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan (Jonathan Hicap)