First walking tour in London held to introduce Korean history

A walking tour has been held in the United Kingdom for locals interested in Korean culture and history.

The Korea Tourism Organization, along with the Korean Cultural Center UK, jointly launched a walking tour on Wednesday, to showcase locations and symbolic features in the city that have a connection to Korea.

The two-hour tour was designed to reach out to British citizens craving future visits to Korea, while still waiting for the relaunch of cross-border travels following the pandemic. 

Held under the slogan, “Where London Meets Korea,” 20 people were selected in a lottery, among some 417 applicants who signed up.

A local guide joined the tour, explaining the history and culture of Korea in detail and its relationship to the United Kingdom.

To commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Korean War, and remember the British soldiers who fought for the war during the period, the tour began at the Korean War Memorial near the River Thames.

Strolling through London’s city center, the tours visited the Korean Cultural Center UK and Trafalgar Square, which served as the venue for the London Korean Festival 2015, held in August. Afterwards, festival participants went to the British Museum’s Korea Gallery, delving into the historic cultural and art pieces from Korea that are on display at the exhibit.

The walking trip ended by sunset, wrapping up the experience with Korean restaurants and shops to enjoy in the city.

“We will continue to make efforts to increase curiosity about Korea and encourage more British people to visit the country when international travel resumes,” Lee Sang-min, head of the KPO’s London branch said in a press release.


By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)