Seoul lawmaker calls for expanded Korea-Bhutan cultural tourism ties

A new cultural exchange space introducing Bhutan's culture and tourism has opened on the slopes of Namsan in Seoul. With the relocation of the Bhutan Gallery to Chungjungsa Temple, adjacent to Namsangol Hanok Village, the Namsan-Pildong area is emerging as a new hub for Korea-Bhutan cultural tourism exchange.

Seoul Metropolitan Council member Yoon Su-hyeok of the People Power Party, representing Jung-gu District 2, attended the "Bhutan Gallery Relocation Ceremony and Promotion Seminar" held Wednesday at Namsangol Hanok Village and Chungjungsa Temple in Jung-gu, where he highlighted the need to expand cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.

Organized by the Korea-Bhutan Friendship Association, the event marked the gallery's move to Chungjungsa Temple and aimed to promote Bhutan's culture and tourism in South Korea. Attendees included Sonam Wangchuk, Bhutan's cabinet deputy minister, National Assembly member Choi Su-jin, Chungjungsa Temple head monk Deokun, Bhutan-related officials based in Korea, and figures from the travel, tourism and cultural sectors.

The event featured a Buddha statue procession from Namsangol Hanok Village to Chungjungsa Temple. Yoon and other attendees joined the procession, expressing hopes for friendship and deeper exchange between the two countries. The occasion also drew meaning from the rare convergence of Korea's traditional hanok landscape and Bhutan's Buddhist culture in a single setting.

"Standing beneath the hanok eaves to welcome the Buddha from the Himalayas, and walking side by side — however short the path — will stay with me for a long time," Yoon said.

The Bhutan Gallery at Chungjungsa Temple serves as a space to introduce Bhutan's culture and tourism to Korean audiences. Its relocation lays the groundwork for residents and tourists to engage with Bhutanese culture in the Namsan-Pildong area and sustain exchanges between the two countries.

The Namsangol Hanok Village and Chungjungsa Temple area is a tourist destination where visitors can experience Seoul's traditional culture and historical atmosphere. The gallery's relocation now makes it possible to encounter both Korean traditional culture and Bhutan's cultural and tourism offerings in one place.

"I hope the Bhutan Gallery will establish itself as an exchange space connecting the cultures and tourism of both countries," Yoon said. "I will stay engaged and work to ensure that tourism and cultural exchanges continue to build steadily in the Pildong and Namsan area."