Korea is betting heavily on its rugged topography to drive its next major wave of international arrivals. As a burgeoning outdoor hobby colloquially known as “K-trekking” takes hold among overseas travelers, state tourism and conservation bodies are pooling their resources to convert the country’s protected peaks into primary commercial destinations. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and the Korea National Park Service formalized an expansive strategic partnership Wednesday at KTO headquarters in Wonju. The alliance sets an aggressive benchmark: jointly attracting 3 million international visitors to Korea’s national parks annually by 2028. The initiative comes on the heels of dramatic, postpandemic shifting patterns in inbound travel. According to state data, the number of foreign nationals visiting Korean national parks surged from approximately 890,000 in 2024 to more than 2.05 million in 2025 — a striking 132 percent year-on-year increase that has elevated mountain trekking into a core pillar of the domestic tourism economy. Under the new five-year framework, the two ent