As the preparations for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang continue, South Korea and its tourism offerings are on the radar of many.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea is the world’s 16th largest city. Known for being technology-forward, this fashionable city and hub for plastic surgery is also deeply traditional. From temples, palaces, fish markets, to K-Pop concerts; Seoul has something for everyone.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has recently released a list of Seoul’s popular attractions most-visited by international tourists. According to the list, Myeong-dong ranked number one by an overall percentage of 81.1%, of which 94% responded shopping as the main reason for visiting the area, female visitors (87.2%) outnumbering male visitors (71.9%). Myeong-dong was followed by other popular attractions in the order of Dongdaemun Shopping Complex∙Dongdaemun Shopping Town by 62.3%, Namsan Seoul Tower by 43.1%, the royal palaces by 38.6%, Sinchon and Hongdae area by 33.2%, Namdaemun Market by 29%, Insa-dong by 28%, Gangnam Station by 27.1%, museums and exhibition halls by 24.3%, and lastly, Jamsil and Lotte World by 23.9%.

The results also revealed attraction preferences depending on where the visitors came from. Visitors from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia chose Myeong-dong as number one destination in Korea, and Dongdaemun Market as second. On the other hand, visitors from the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, and Russia preferred the royal palaces. Sinchon and Hongdae areas were most-visited by tourists from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia in comparison to other countries. Visitors from France and Germany in particular showed preference for Gangnam area with a percentage of 48.7% and 46.2%, respectively.

Have you been to Seoul? Let us know what your favourite tourist attractions are!