The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs unveiled plans Thursday to build a nationwide culinary tourism network centered on Korean chicken dishes, seeking to turn the country's growing global appeal into a draw for gastronomic tourism.
The initiative, dubbed the "K-chicken belt,” seeks to embrace the full breadth of Korean food culture by linking regional chicken specialties with local history, culture and landmarks to draw foreign visitors outside Seoul and boost regional economies.
It is the latest addition to the country's growing roster of so-called "K-gourmet belts," a program that since 2024 has built similar tourism circuits around fermented sauces, kimchi, ginseng and traditional liquor.
"Chicken embodies Korean food's global appeal," said Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung. "We will work closely with the chicken and tourism industries to ensure the K-chicken belt becomes a new culinary travel destination for tourists visiting Korea."
The ministry said it intends to spotlight chicken dishes and restaurants with deep local roots, folding in 33 culinary destinations selected by the Korea Tourism Organization into a single interconnected circuit. It also plans to open chicken facilities as hands-on tourism attractions along the way.
To crowdsource the map, the ministry launched a public campaign inviting citizens to nominate local chicken restaurants, food streets and historically significant food sites for inclusion in the belt.
"We plan to release a K-chicken belt map in the first half of the year, along with videos from travel creators touring chicken and poultry destinations across the country," a ministry official said.
minmin@heraldcorp.com
