Recently, WalkintoKorea has got the chance to interviewed Mr. Yang Dong-ki, the 12th president of the Daejeon Tourism Association.
Chairman Yang Dong-ki graduated from the Department of Tourism at Sejong University, a prestigious department of tourism that produced a lot of tourism talent, and has run a "global world tour" travel agency for more than 20 years. He has sent many Korean tourists to global villages such as Mongolia, China, Vietnam, and Europe for more than 20 years, but now he has the task of attracting many foreigners to Daejeon as the president of the Daejeon Tourism Association. He is characterized by a lot of passion for the tourism industry and associations.
"We will do our best to overcome the crisis in the tourism industry due to the prolonged COVID-19, revive tourism, the association's financial independence, and protect the rights and interests of member companies," he said.
"After living in Daejeon for more than 30 years, I think it's a good city because there's a lot of space for citizens. There are many hidden attractions where you can heal from large facilities such as museums, science museums, and recreational forests.", said Mr. Yang, when asked about the pride of Daejeon.
"Among them, the National Science Museum is Korea's representative science museum. As it is a national country, it is large and well-managed, as well as facilities, so it is a good place for many visitors to visit every year.
From elementary to high school students, not only teenagers but also adults and infants can enjoy watching. There are well-equipped experience facilities where you can see, hear, and touch various contents suitable for your age.”
"In addition, it is the place where most national research institutes such as KAIST, an engineering university, the Institute of Basic Science, and the Korea Institute of Geological Resources are gathered. There is also a two-day one-night program that includes the Daejeon Science Experience Center and makes you dream of becoming a "science president" visiting the Sejong Presidential Archives in connection with the neighboring administrative city of Sejong. “
In addition to Daejeon, please introduce nearby cultural attractions where you can feel the tradition of Korea?
"It is a hanok village in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, about two hours by car, the largest hanok village in Korea, with about 700 Korean traditional houses. Hanok Village is one of the valuable tourist attractions to promote Korean traditional culture around the world by allowing visitors to experience traditional crafts such as ceramic, fan, and hanji crafts, and various food experiences such as making traditional liquor, kimchi, and bibimbap.“
What's the last thing you want to say?
"Daejeon is about to host the UCLG World Congress in 2022. It will be the best event since Corona, where 1000 cities from all over the world gather. I wish you a successful hosting. Daejeon Tourism Association is a hotel. It consists of restaurants and travel agency operators. We will do our best so that customers who come to UCLG don't feel uncomfortable. Thank you."
For more information: www.djta.or.kr
