'Jirisan SOOM STATION' opens in Seongsu-dong

Event targets 7,500 visitors online and offline

Visitors try scent sampling and tea blending at the wellness experience zone on the first floor of the Jirisan SOOM STATION pop-up store. [South Gyeongsang Province]
Visitors try scent sampling and tea blending at the wellness experience zone on the first floor of the Jirisan SOOM STATION pop-up store. [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province and the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation have opened an experiential pop-up store in Seoul themed around rest and healing in the Jirisan area, aiming to attract tourists from the greater metropolitan area.

South Gyeongsang Province and six counties in the Jirisan region — Hadong, Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang and Hapcheon in South Gyeongsang Province, and Gurye-gun in South Jeolla Province — held the opening ceremony for "Jirisan SOOM STATION" Thursday afternoon on Seoulsup-gil in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Organized under the theme "Find your own breath, head to Jirisan," the event runs through Sunday as part of South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's southern regional tourism development project.

The initiative is part of a "Jirisan wellness and workcation product advancement support project" with a total budget of 744 million won ($555,000). The five South Gyeongsang counties and Gurye-gun in South Jeolla Province are jointly participating to advance a wide-area linkage strategy aimed at sustaining longer-stay tourism.

The pop-up store is designed to let visitors experience Jirisan through all five senses. The first floor offers tea blending and scented sachet making accompanied by forest sounds, while the second floor features a cafe-style lounge and laptop workspaces. The Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation aims to attract more than 7,500 visitors, both online and in person, during the event.

South Gyeongsang Province plans to operate wellness and workcation packages in partnership with domestic inbound travel agencies through the second half of the year to encourage visits to the region after the event concludes. A briefing for travel journalists was held Wednesday, and a field briefing for travel agencies is scheduled for Friday. On the opening day, a same-day tour package linking Geochang and Sancheong was also offered through a dedicated travel agency, giving participants a taste of the Jirisan area.

Kim Sang-won, director general of tourism development at South Gyeongsang Province, said the pop-up store would offer metropolitan residents a moment of healing and lead them to visit the Jirisan region in person.


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