Koreans ride KTX for bread: 40,000 voters pick nation's top destinations

More than 40,000 citizens voted to select over 10,000 representative destinations across South Korea, with the results now made public. Everyday dining and historical and cultural sites emerged as the top areas of interest, with Daejeon's Sungsimdang bakery earning the most votes in any single category and Seongsan Ilchulbong topping the overall rankings.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday released the public voting results of the "Korea's Top Destinations Discovery 100X100 Project" through a dedicated website linked to the "Everywhere in Korea" travel portal. The vote, held from June 29 to July 17, drew 40,145 participants who cast a total of 1,538,035 votes, ultimately selecting 9,883 destinations across 100 themed categories — 6,336 when duplicates are excluded.

The 100X100 project departs from the conventional model in which the government or local authorities unilaterally designate attractions. Instead, 100 travel experts — including travel journalists and writers — nominated themes and destinations, with the final selections determined by public vote.

The most popular theme among voters was "affordable restaurants." Food-related categories dominated the top 10, with "hidden long-standing eateries," "seasonal local food, here and now" and "nationwide bakery pilgrimages" also making the list — four of the top 10 in all. History and culture themes, including "modern and contemporary historical sites" and "traditional markets of Korea," also ranked highly, as did nature themes such as "healing forests rich in phytoncides" and "nature parks to learn and enjoy."

Sungsimdang in Daejeon received the most votes of any single destination in any single category, topping the "nationwide bakery pilgrimages" theme. Isungdang in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, tied for fifth place in the same category.

In the "modern and contemporary historical sites" category, the National Museum of Korea received the most votes, followed by Jongmyo Shrine, Seodaemun Prison History Hall and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Busan Station and Bijarim Forest on Jeju also ranked among the top vote-getters in their respective categories.

Seongsan Ilchulbong came out on top when votes across all categories were combined, drawing support from 22 themes including "sunrise and sunset viewpoints" and "climbing to the top of the stairs." The National Museum of Korea and Gyeongbokgung Palace ranked second and third, respectively.

By region, Seoul had the most selected destinations (1,261), followed by North Gyeongsang Province (1,088) and Gangwon Province (1,058). Train stations — including Gyeongju Station, Jeongdongjin Station and Busan Station — were also named among the top regional destinations. For nine categories that had fewer than 100 nominated sites, 199 additional destinations recommended by the public were added to the final list.

The selected destinations can be browsed by region, theme and category on a map-based website linked to the "Everywhere in Korea" portal. Users can choose an area or theme of interest, view related destinations on a map and receive recommendations for nearby sites. A travel personality quiz is also available, offering personalized destination suggestions based on users' travel preferences.

A total of 4,563 participants, selected by lottery from among those who voted, will receive prizes. Events including a photo festival, a pet-friendly travel certification campaign and seasonal "stamp rally" challenges are planned through the end of the year, with commemorative merchandise made from submitted photos also to be provided.

The ministry plans to periodically update the rankings to reflect destination view counts and to highlight popular sites during peak travel periods such as the Lunar New Year and chuseok holidays and summer vacation season.

Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said the project was launched to give travelers a new guide to answer the first question that comes to mind when planning a trip: where to go. "We will ensure that the 9,883 destinations chosen by the public do not remain mere discoveries but translate into actual visits, and that travelers' footsteps extend beyond the greater Seoul area to every corner of the country," he said.