N.Flying named honorary ambassador for Korea Tourism's HiKR brand

Appointment ceremony held Wednesday at HiKR Ground in Seoul's Jung-gu

KTO to pursue tourism promotion through K-pop artist collaboration

The Korea Tourism Organization appointed band N.Flying as an honorary ambassador for its HiKR Korea Tourism brand at HiKR Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Korea Tourism Organization]
The Korea Tourism Organization appointed band N.Flying as an honorary ambassador for its HiKR Korea Tourism brand at HiKR Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Korea Tourism Organization]

The Korea Tourism Organization has appointed globally recognized band N.Flying as an honorary ambassador and is stepping up its marketing drive to attract tourists to Korea.

The KTO named N.Flying its "HiKR Korea Tourism Honorary Ambassador" at a ceremony held Wednesday at HiKR Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul. "HiKR" represents a warm greeting extended by Korea to travelers around the world, and the ambassadorship is tied to HiKR Ground, a cultural complex the KTO operates to promote Korean tourism.

N.Flying, which made its debut in 2015, has built a fandom worldwide. The band topped domestic music charts in 2019 when "Rooftop" surged in popularity, then broke into the top 10 on Japan's Oricon chart, completed a tour across four Asian cities, and held a solo concert at Seoul Olympic Park last year.

The KTO plans to leverage N.Flying's global profile to raise the HiKR brand's image and spread the appeal of visiting Korea. Starting with this appointment, the KTO will collaborate with the band on promotional videos tied to HiKR Ground and HiKR Station, a HiKR theme song, and regional tourism products linked to the band's nationwide tour — with content to be distributed through KTO overseas offices.

Tourism venture company Pavement is also part of the collaboration. Selected as an early-stage tourism venture under a KTO incubation program, Pavement plans to launch regional tourism products in July through its travel platform app "Seletrip," tied to N.Flying's nationwide tour covering Seoul, Gwangju, Daegu and Busan.

"We hope N.Flying's global fandom will serve as a powerful motivation for fans to visit Korea," a KTO official said. "We will work hard to spread the appeal of the HiKR brand and Korean tourism to the world through active collaboration with K-pop artists, and to translate that into real growth in tourist arrivals."

Meanwhile, HiKR Ground, where the ceremony was held, is a cultural complex offering K-culture experiences and Korean tourism information. The KTO operates HiKR Ground alongside HiKR Station inside Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, giving international visitors a seamless Korean tourism experience from the moment they arrive through their time in the city.


terry@heraldcorp.com