Snoopy in a 'gat' greets tourists at Korean airports

The Korea Visit Year Committee signed an MOU with Snoopy Garden on Monday to create a welcoming atmosphere for international tourists and promote Korean traditional culture, the committee announced Tuesday.

The agreement aims to combine Peanuts characters with Korean tourism and cultural elements to offer international visitors a memorable welcome experience, while raising the domestic and international profile of Korea Welcome Week.

Under the MOU, the two organizations will develop a joint key visual and promotional content for Korea Welcome Week, set up Peanuts character welcome booths and photo zones, run interactive events and plan commemorative gifts for international tourists, and carry out joint promotions across online and offline channels.

The joint key visual — featuring Peanuts characters including Snoopy and Woodstock dressed in hanbok and the traditional "gat" hat — will appear at Korea Welcome Week venues, in promotional materials, online content and on merchandise to help build a welcoming atmosphere.

During Korea Welcome Week, running for 17 days from Oct. 30 to Nov. 15 at Incheon International Airport and Jeju International Airport, Peanuts character photo zones and interactive event spaces will be set up for international tourists. The venues will offer multilingual travel and regional tourism information, along with a range of benefits covering tourism, shopping, transportation and cultural experiences available during visitors' stays in Korea.

"We expect that combining the globally beloved Peanuts characters with Korea's culture and tourism content will give international visitors an even more memorable welcome experience," a Korea Visit Year Committee official said. "We will expand cooperation with the tourism industry, local governments and private companies, and continue to develop differentiated hospitality content so that the positive first impression formed upon arrival leads to greater satisfaction with travel in Korea and repeat visits."

Snoopy Garden is a nature-friendly theme garden located in Gujwa-eup, Jeju, where the characters and episodes of the American comic strip Peanuts are brought to life amid Jeju's natural landscape. Its interactive exhibitions and photo zones featuring iconic lines and illustrations from the Peanuts series have proven popular with visitors.

"It is meaningful to be able to showcase the bright and cheerful spirit of Peanuts alongside Korea's culture of hospitality," a Snoopy Garden official said. "We will actively cooperate to help this partnership spark greater interest in Jeju tourism and Snoopy Garden."