‘Land of Morning Light’ Game Features Korean Tourist Destinations
[Herald Economy=Reporter Ham Young-hoon] The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) announced on the 12th that it has launched a tourism product for foreigners in collaboration with domestic game developer Pearl Abyss and global online travel platform (OTA) Klook. This product, linked to the online game “Black Desert,” will be operated until the end of this year.
“Black Desert” is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) launched by Pearl Abyss in 2015. Since its release, it has been serviced in 150 countries around the world, with an accumulated 50 million registered users.
In August of last year, a new game setting called “Land of the Morning Light: Seoul” was unveiled, showcasing the charm of Korea to gamers worldwide.
The Korea Tourism Organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pearl Abyss last November and collaborated with Klook to launch this travel product.
This travel product includes tours of major settings within “Black Desert: Land of the Morning Light,” which are inspired by the Joseon Dynasty, and is operated under four themes.
The tours include ▷Seoul (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Korean Folk Village, etc.) ▷Nampo Gateway (Cheongju Sangdangsanseong Fortress, Boeun Beopjusa Temple, etc.) ▷Nobsesae (Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Bucheon Wonmisan Mountain, etc.) ▷Dalbyeol (Seoul Eunpyeong Hanok Village, Paju Gamaksan Mountain, etc.).
The “Nobsesae Package” and “Dalbyeol Package” are seasonal products, operated only in spring and autumn. The “Nobsesae Package” involves visiting Wonmisan Azalea Garden, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, and Suwon Southern Market in the spring season, while the “Dalbyeol Package” includes tours of Sangam Sky Park, Gamaksan Mountain, Eunpyeong Hanok Village, and Jingwansa Temple in the autumn.
During the tour, participants will experience storytelling aligned with the game’s theme and participate in quiz events, offering a unique immersive experience. Quiz winners will receive Black Desert merchandise, and the first 1,000 reservations will be given in-game coupons for Black Desert as a special benefit. The tour is available in English, Japanese, and Chinese. More details can be found on the Klook website and app.
Tour participants can enjoy immersive explanations matched to the game theme and obtain coupons and merchandise usable within the online game through quiz events. The product is priced between 40 to 72 dollars, with guides available in foreign languages such as English, Japanese, and Chinese.
Junho Lee, the head of Klook Korea, stated, “We are delighted to present a unique tourism product that combines Korea’s traditional culture, cultural assets, and tourist attractions with the game’s universe,” adding, “Klook will continue to make diverse efforts to expand Korean tourism beyond the existing Hallyu (Korean Wave) focus.”
Ban Ho-cheol, team leader of the KTO’s Theme Tourism team, commented, “This tour product is an innovative tourism offering leveraging K-game backgrounds, providing participants with a special experience traversing both online and offline realms.” He added, “The KTO will continue to develop tourism products reflecting trends to boost tourism demand in Korea.”