Korea’s representative shopping culture and tourism festival, ‘Korea Grand Sale 2025’, will be held from January 15 to February 28. This event is the largest ever, with 1,680 participating businesses, and various shopping opportunities for foreign tourists such as airline ticket discounts, accommodation promotions, and duty-free shop benefits are provided. In addition, K-culture experience programs that allow you to experience Korea’s charms firsthand will be greatly expanded, adding to the enjoyment of visiting Korea.
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[Korean Today] 2025 Korea Grand Sale promotional poster (provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) © Reporter Hyun Seung-min |
This year, Korea Grand Sale offers discounts of up to 94% on air tickets from 10 airlines, including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, and in collaboration with global OTAs (online travel agencies), discounts of up to 31% on air tickets from China, Hong Kong, and Japan are also available. In the accommodation industry, Ibis Styles Ambassador, Mayfield Hotel, etc. are offering discounts of up to 19% and accommodation package benefits.
In the shopping sector, major department stores and duty-free shops such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Hyundai Department Store, and Galleria Department Store will participate and offer various benefits such as gift certificates worth up to 1 million won, membership upgrades, and coupon books. In addition, popular brands such as Olive Young and Musinsa Standard will also hold special discount events.
Transportation, payment, and information services for foreign tourists will also be strengthened. A 3,000 won discount code will be provided when using the ‘K-Ride’ app, a mobility platform exclusively for foreigners by Kakao Mobility, and a 10% instant discount will be applied when paying with UnionPay. Up to 5% cashback can be received when paying with Wow Pass (Orange Square), and Naver Maps will provide information on the locations and benefits of participating stores in English, Japanese, and Chinese. In addition, ‘Korea Grand Sale Welcome Centers’ will be operated in major shopping areas such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, Seongsu, and Gangnam to distribute coupon books to tourists and provide instant refund services and prize events.
This event has expanded various K-culture programs so that foreign tourists can experience Korean culture firsthand. The number of programs has increased from 12 last year to 17 this year, and the participating regions have also expanded to 5. New experience events include ‘Nongshim Ramen Factory Tour’, ‘Ongo Food Night Dining Tour’, ‘Steam Model Experience Class’, and ‘Bukchon Traditional Craft Experience Center Traditional Accessory Making’. In addition, ‘Gangwon-do Famous Places Exploration and Soju Factory Tour’, ‘Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival’, and ‘Muju Taekwondo Center Experience and Ski Lessons’ will be held to promote local visits.
This year, Korea Grand Sale will be held in conjunction with the ‘2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 1st Senior Officials’ Meeting’ held in Gyeongju from February 24 to 28. A special booth will be operated at the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center to promote Gyeongbuk region tourism products and shopping benefits and to promote the local economy.
Jang Mi-ran, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “I hope that through this Korea Grand Sale, foreign tourists will enjoy the abundant discounts and diverse charms of K-culture in Korea,” and “Through this event, we will invigorate the inbound tourism market and the domestic economy, and provide an opportunity for the tourism industry to make a new leap forward.”
More detailed information about this event can be found on the Korea Grand Sale official website .
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