Seocho-gu hosts French university students to showcase district's culture

Seocho-gu announced Tuesday that it hosted five university students from the 15th arrondissement of Paris under its "2026 Seocho Study" program, designed to introduce Korean culture and the district's attractions to young international visitors.

Seocho Study is a youth international exchange program that showcases the district's landmarks and signature programs while offering participants hands-on Korean cultural experiences. The program grew out of a memorandum of understanding signed between Seocho-gu and Paris's 15th arrondissement in 2016. Under a reciprocal arrangement, students from the French district visited Seocho-gu in 2019, 2022 and 2024, while Seocho-gu students traveled to Paris in 2020, 2023 and 2025. Over six exchanges, 34 university students have visited each other's cities, sharing cultures and strengthening ties. This year's program ran from Oct. 25 through Oct. 31.

The five French participants toured administrative, historical and cultural sites across Seocho-gu. They joined the district's autumn walking program, taking in the barrier-free forest trail on Umyeonsan and the Seoripul Art Studio.

The group also visited the Goto·Sevit tourism special zone, Goto Mall, Banpo Hangang Park and the Seoul International Garden Expo at Maeheon Citizens' Forest, experiencing the district's tourism and cultural offerings firsthand. According to Seocho-gu, the Goto·Sevit tourism special zone has seen foreign visitor numbers surge 227.1 percent in the two years since its designation, making it a popular destination among international tourists. The Seoul International Garden Expo, which ran at Maeheon Citizens' Forest from Oct. 1 through Oct. 27, drew 670,000 visitors. The expo originally opened at Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu in May before expanding to the Seocho-gu venue in October.

The Paris students also visited major Seoul landmarks, including Gyeongbokgung and Myeong-dong, exploring both traditional and contemporary Korean culture. They met with local youth serving on the Seocho Youth Network committee, sharing experiences and building global competencies.

"I hope this Seocho Study gave the students from Paris's 15th arrondissement a deeper understanding of Korean and Seocho culture, and a chance to broaden their global horizons through diverse experiences," Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Sung-su said. "We will continue to develop a wide range of international exchange programs so that young people can understand each other's cultures and build lasting friendships."