Kyungdong University Medical Campus, Gangwon Economic Promotion Foundation sign MOU
Mayor Ku Ja-yeol: 'We will add values of rest and recovery to our tourism resources'
Wonju brings together an unusually broad range of assets: natural landscapes including Chiaksan mountain, Sogeumsan mountain and the Seomgang River; medical facilities such as Kyungdong University Medical Campus, Christian Hospital and Yonsei University Hospital; and cultural and leisure destinations including the Hanji Art Museum, Museum San, Park Kyung-ni Literature Park and Oak Valley Resort.
Of late, the city has also been emerging as a hub for new industries that combine advanced technologies — including AI — with medical and therapeutic services.
Wonju is now moving to activate wellness tourism by drawing on these resources.
Wellness, a concept that blends well-being, happiness and fitness, refers to activities that pursue physical and mental health alongside overall quality of life.
To that end, the city signed an MOU Friday with Kyungdong University Medical Campus and the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Economic Promotion Foundation to promote Wonju-style sleep wellness tourism.
The three institutions agreed to discuss cooperation based on each organization's expertise and capabilities in connection with the "2026 Wellness Cluster Activation Project," and to build a collaborative framework for promoting Wonju-style wellness tourism.
Under the agreement, Kyungdong University will contribute specialized personnel in physical therapy, occupational therapy and clinical pathology, along with medical and digital healthcare infrastructure, to help develop tourism content centered on sleep, rest and recovery.
Wonju will identify and develop wellness tourism resources suited to the region's characteristics, while the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Economic Promotion Foundation will support project preparation, promotion, resource development and advisory services.
The MOU responds to shifting tourism demand following the enactment of legislation to foster the therapeutic tourism industry, and aims to develop differentiated tourism content by linking local university expertise with existing tourism resources.
Wonju plans to develop a wellness tourism program centered on sleep, with the aim of extending visitors' stays, boosting local spending and contributing to the revitalization of the regional economy.
"This agreement will serve as an opportunity to add new value — sleep, rest and recovery — to Wonju's existing tourism resources," Mayor Ku Ja-yeol said. "Drawing on the expertise and capabilities of both institutions, we will build a competitive wellness tourism city that keeps visitors coming back."
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