A Korea Tourism Organization campaign featuring Stray Kids has surpassed 10 million views, highlighting the growing role of K-pop fandom in promoting regional tourism across South Korea.
The Busan installment of KTO’s BIAS — “Be In Artists’ Scenes” campaign uses the global popularity of Stray Kids to encourage international fans to experience places featured by the group rather than limiting their Korea trips to Seoul. The campaign was developed in partnership with JYP Entertainment.
Stray Kids Turns Busan Into a K-Pop Travel Destination
The campaign follows Stray Kids as they explore several well-known Busan locations, including Songdo Beach, Bupyeong Kkangtong Market and Gamcheon Culture Village.
The episode also has a personal connection to the group. I.N., one of Stray Kids’ members, is from Busan, allowing the campaign to connect the city’s attractions with a familiar story for international fans. The official VISITKOREA campaign also lists Busan Air Cruise and Sujeong-dong in Dong-gu among the featured locations.
Rather than presenting Busan through a conventional tourism advertisement, the campaign places the destinations inside an entertainment-driven journey with the group.
That approach gives fans another reason to see the locations: they can follow the same routes and visit places connected to their favorite artists.
From 10 Million Views to Real Travel
KTO is also trying to turn online attention into actual tourism activity.
The organization partnered with global travel platform Klook to connect the campaign with travel itineraries, discounts and routes based on the locations shown in the Stray Kids content. The campaign is additionally being promoted through VisitKorea, social media and international digital advertising.
KTO also operated a BIAS campaign booth during Stray Kids’ RUN IT world-tour stop in Seoul, where international concertgoers could learn more about Busan and other regional destinations.
According to KTO, staff encountered foreign fans who had actually traveled to Busan after seeing the campaign video, suggesting that the campaign is moving beyond digital engagement and into real-world travel.
Why KTO Is Targeting K-Pop Fans
The campaign is part of a broader attempt to spread international tourism beyond Korea’s capital.
Seoul remains a major draw for first-time visitors, but KTO’s BIAS strategy uses artists and their personal connections to introduce destinations elsewhere in the country.
The campaign’s name comes from the K-pop fandom term “bias,” commonly used for a fan’s favorite artist or member. Its official concept invites international visitors to experience Korea through the places and moments associated with their favorite performers.
The 2026 campaign is scheduled to continue through November, with artist-linked regional travel content designed to promote destinations including Busan and other areas of Korea.
Busan Gets a Global Spotlight
For Busan, the strategy offers a way to introduce familiar attractions to audiences who may already have a strong emotional connection to Stray Kids.
The campaign features the city’s coastline, markets, cultural neighborhoods and local experiences rather than relying solely on traditional sightseeing imagery.
That combination of entertainment and destination marketing reflects how South Korea is increasingly using the global reach of K-pop and Korean culture to promote travel.
The 10-million-view milestone shows the scale of the potential audience. But the more important test for KTO will be whether millions of online views can continue translating into international visitors actually exploring Busan and other Korean cities.
If that connection holds, the next stage of Korea’s K-pop tourism strategy may be less about getting fans to watch Korea — and more about getting them to travel there themselves.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
