Visitors listen to K-drama soundtracks at the K-Drama Exhibition in central Seoul KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION Nico and Venessa from Denmark are big fans of K-dramas, from “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016-17) to “Vincenzo” (2021) and “The Fiery Priest” (2019-24). So a visit to the K-Drama Exhibition at HiKR Ground in Jung District, central Seoul, seemed like a natural stop during their trip to Korea. The free exhibition was organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in collaboration with production company Studio Dragon to let Korean and international fans experience their favorite dramas in new ways. Studio Dragon is the production house behind major K-content jackpots such as “Crash Landing on You” (2019-20), “The Glory” (2022-23) and “Queen of Tears” (2024). “We saw the exhibition online and thought we should check it out since we love K-dramas,"said Nico, who has been watching them for about 10 years. 체리마스터 릴게임 “It was interesting to check out the different music and scenes from some of my favorite dramas.” The entrance of the K-drama Exhibition KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION Divided into five sections ? script, Scene, Sound, Prop and Location ? the exhibition draws on some 40 Studio Dragon productions, including “Mr. Sunshine” (2018), “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” (2021) and “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty” (2025). But its bigger goal, as its slogan “Scenes to Destinations” suggests, is to take fans beyond the screen to the real-life locations across Korea where those stories unfolded. Postcards featuring memorable lines from K-dramas are hung on a wall KORAIL TOURISM ORGANIZATION Headphones are at each listening station in the Sound section WOO JI-WON In the script section, a wall is covered with postcards featuring 72 memorable lines from K-dramas in Korean and English, grouped under themes including courage, comfort and love. 모바일 바다이야기시즌 Under “Farewell,” for example, is a postcard with a line from “Mr. Sunshine” ? “Let’s not say ‘goodbye.’ Let’s say ‘see you’ instead. See you ? see you again.” Visitors can also scan a barcode on each postcard to pull up the scene the line came from. In the Scene section, tapping an RFID card bearing a drama’s name against a reader brings one of its signature scenes to life on a screen. Sometimes, however, it takes only a song to bring a scene back to mind. The Sound section offers drama soundtracks organized around different themes, from driving and walking to rain and travel, with headphones at each listening station. Perhaps the biggest draw for dedicated fans, however, is what comes next. The Prop section displays costumes and objects used during filming, including the royal chef uniform worn by Yeon Ji-young, played by Lim Yoon-a, in “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.” WOO JI-WON The Prop section displays costumes and objects actually used during filming. 바다이야기예시종료 Among them are Hong Hae-in’s diary from “Queen of Tears” and the royal chef uniform worn by Yeon Ji-young, played by Lim Yoon-a, in “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.” The red door from “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016-17) WOO JI-WON Then there is a sight instantly recognizable to fans of “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God": the red door the titular character uses to travel from one place to another. A map of Korea dotted with K-drama filming locations WOO JI-WON Beyond it is a map of Korea dotted with filming locations from different dramas, connecting scenes fans know from their screens with the real places where they were shot. This is where the exhibition arrives at the real idea behind “Scenes to Destinations.”?For years, Studio Dragon has grappled with how to keep a drama alive after its final episode. “As someone who makes dramas, I always had this thought that interest dies down so quickly once a drama ends,” Studio Dragon Senior Vice President Yu Sang-won said at a recent KTO seminar. 인터넷바다이야기 “I wondered how we could give our IP [intellectual property] a longer life.” Studio Dragon has produced 278 dramas over the past decade, leaving filming locations scattered across Korea that Yu said already have their own narratives. The next question was how to get fans there. “A content company has to create a reason to visit,” Yu said, adding that local governments should then create reasons to stay, travel companies should provide ways to get there and the KTO should connect them all. A kiosk prints out a QR code that links to a customized travel itinerary. WOO JI-WON The exhibition is the latest project by the KTO and Studio Dragon following an agreement to use K-drama IP to promote regional tourism. And at the end of the exhibition, that idea comes into clearer view. After exploring the five sections, visitors can scan five items they collected along the way at a kiosk. 모바일 손오공 릴게임 The system analyzes their choices and recommends a customized itinerary to a city outside Seoul, issuing a ticket with a QR code that has travel information and a route through filming locations. The exhibition also offers separate, handpicked itineraries built around some of Korea’s best-known K-drama filming locations. One takes “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” fans to Pohang, North Gyeongsang, with stops at Cheongha Market, Wolpo Beach, Sabang Memorial Park and Yangpo Port. Alongside the exhibition, KTO is also currently working with travel agencies on a K-drama filming location travel promotion. The next step is the “Hallyu Olle Trail,” which Studio Dragon and the KTO plan to begin developing next year. “It won’t be a walking trail in the conventional sense,” a KTO official said. “The idea is to place memorable elements at individual locations, something that anyone would immediately recognize as a symbol of a particular drama, and encourage people to visit those places.” The K-Drama Exhibition runs through Nov. 19 at HiKR Ground. BY WOO JI-WON [] ch Studio