By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Korean tourist arrivals in Kaohsiung are expected to reach a record high this year, but city officials are being urged to improve Korean-language services and offer more heat-friendly itineraries as summer temperatures test visitors’ patience.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Kuo Chien-meng (郭建盟) said Monday that Korean arrivals through Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場) have overtaken Japanese arrivals, the China Times reported.
Kuo said Korean visitor numbers rose from about 45,000 in 2023 to 89,000 last year. Based on first-quarter figures, he estimated that Korean arrivals could reach 115,000 this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 104,000 and generating more than NT$2 billion for local shopping districts.
But it’s not all good news for Kaohsiung. Negative reviews of the city from Korean tourists frequently cite a lack of Korean-language guides and menus, confusion over bus boarding rules, long Uber waits in outlying areas, an overly tourist-oriented feel at Liuhe Night Market (六合夜市), and a shopping environment that visitors considered weaker than Taipei’s.
Confusion over directions and signage drew attention after Kim Mingyu (金珉奎), a member of the Korean group SEVENTEEN, told fans during a recent concert at Kaohsiung Arena (高雄巨蛋) that he had tried to run to Cijin (旗津) using Google Maps, only to reach Gushan Ferry Pier (鼓山渡船頭) after about 5 kilometers and realize he still needed to take a ferry.
Kuo said the episode was amusing but also showed that international visitors need clearer local transport information.
Kuo said his office used AI-assisted tools to analyze 500 Korean-language travel reviews, and found that Kaohsiung got an average satisfaction score of 4.7 out of 7, with 78 percent of comments classified as positive.
The strongest season was winter, with satisfaction from November to March reaching 91 percent, especially among couples, solo female travelers, and families, Kuo said. Visitors responded positively to Kaohsiung’s prices and cultural and creative goods.
The problem, he said, is summer. From April to October, satisfaction fell to 51 percent, with many reviews complaining about the heat. Kuo said the city should develop more indoor routes, shaded attractions, and heat-prevention packages if it wants Korean tourists to return.
Tourism Bureau Director Kao Min-lin (高閔琳) said South Korea and Japan are key Northeast Asian markets for Kaohsiung. She said the city has launched the Kaohsiung Go (高雄Go) app, which includes AI voice recognition and support for Korean and other languages, and has set up AI service counters at major transport hubs.
