Seocho’s Express Bus Terminal–Some Sevit area sees 27% rise in foreign tourists, poised to become a global tourism hotspot

[Financial News] The number of foreign tourists in the area around Seoul’s Express Bus Terminal and Banpo Hangang Park has risen by more than 27% in two years, according to data. Seocho District plans to become a global tourism hotspot by strengthening tourism offerings that combine shopping with leisure activities along the Hangang River. Seocho District said on the 28th that the number of foreign visitors to the ‘Goto·Sevit Special Tourist Zone’ had reached 1.17 million as of the end of September this year. That was up 27.1% from 920,000 during the same period in 2024, before the area was designated a special tourist zone.
The Goto·Sevit Special Tourist Zone was designated Seoul’s eighth special tourist zone in December 2024. Covering about 840,000 square meters, it includes shopping facilities such as the Express Bus Terminal, Goto Mall and Shinsegae Department Store, as well as Some Sevit and Banpo Hangang Park. It is the only special tourist zone in Seoul to include the Hangang River, allowing visitors to enjoy both downtown shopping and riverside tourism.
Since the area was designated a special tourist zone, Seocho District has focused on improving pedestrian access between shopping facilities and the Hangang River. Signs were installed on the ceiling and floor of the maze-like underground Goto Mall to clarify the route to the river, and a sculpture symbolizing the special tourist zone was erected at Exit 1 of the Express Bus Terminal.
Picasso Mural Street has also been renovated. In collaboration with the Spanish Tourism Board and the Málaga Tourism Board, a mural was created with the participation of Spanish artist Eduardo Luque. Lighting, benches and other features were added to make it a place where tourists can spend time.
Seocho District also organized a series of hands-on events aimed at foreign tourists. The ‘K-Fashion & Beauty Coaching Station,’ held four times in May, drew 1,800 participants, and the program received a satisfaction rating of 94.8%. It was designed to let participants experience Korean fashion and beauty culture through activities such as skin and scalp analysis, personal color consultations and makeup.
This month, the district held the ‘2026 K-Style Up Festa,’ combining a fashion show with K-pop video content. On the 25th, it also held a fashion show on Picasso Mural Street featuring merchants from Goto Mall, linking the local commercial district with tourism events.
Large-scale events making use of the Hangang River also helped attract visitors. About 30,000 people attended the ‘K-Dessert Festival in Hangang’ held in June, while about 100,000 took part in ‘Pokémon GO Fest 2026,’ held in July. The district also ran programs for foreign tourists combining a yacht photo and video contest with activities such as making gimbap and picnicking by the river.
Starting next year, Seocho District plans to step up efforts to improve tourists’ mobility and access to information. It will introduce an AI-powered smart tourist information service and expand multilingual tourism information, while also broadening cooperation between local businesses and private tourism facilities.
The district will also expand K-pop programs in which tourists can participate directly. It plans to develop the random play dance that drew an enthusiastic response at an event in August into a regular tourism offering, and to enhance hands-on programs combining K-fashion and beauty, food, and leisure activities along the Hangang River.
Seocho District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “The five years after designation as a special tourist zone are a crucial golden window. Over the past two years, we have improved the route connecting the Express Bus Terminal to the Hangang River and filled it with a diverse range of attractions, bringing change to the special tourist zone.” He added, “Going forward, we will continue to build on the strengths unique to Goto·Sevit—shopping, culture and the beautiful Hangang River—and develop it into a global tourism destination that people from around the world want to visit, stay in and return to.”

[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter