S. Korea Unveils the Gastronomic Tour Routes Featuring Best Traditional Alcoholic Beverage Producers

Sejong, 12 August 2026 — On 29 July, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) invited journalists and international influencers to a media event at Yesan Apple Wine in Yesan County, Chungcheongnam-do. The guests were briefed on the gastronomic tour routes featuring Korean traditional alcoholic beverage producers designated by the MAFRA as “must-visit” destinations in each region of the country. 

* Yesan Apple Wine produces its signature product from the famous apples grown in the Yesan region of Chungcheongnam-do. The facility was designated as a “distinguished alcoholic beverage producer” in 2014 and offers guests various experiential opportunities, including apple harvesting and winery tours. The business attracts approximately 25,000 people a year, making this one of the region’s leading tour destinations.

This is the second instalment of the MAFRA’s “K-Gastronomy Journey” roadmap, following the launch of the K-Chicken Belt as its first instalment on 29 June. The goal is to develop traditional alcoholic beverage producers designated as must-visit destinations into Korea’s flagship gastronomic tourism offering and present a new model for experiencing regional agricultural products and cuisine. This programme is not just about consumption; rather it is designed to cultivate a key culinary platform that lets tourists better appreciate the unique value of traditional alcoholic beverages made from local agricultural products, as well as cultural heritage of each winery, brewery, or distillery they visit.  

The MAFRA operates the Visiting Traditional Alcoholic Beverage Producers programme to turn the best local producers into viable tourism assets. A total of 69 establishments are currently taking part nationwide. Visitors get opportunities to tour the facilities, taste the beverages, and try their hand at some of the production processes, thus experiencing this traditional way of life firsthand. As such, the programme stands as one of the country’s finest culinary tourism offerings.

The newly unveiled tour routes do not simply list all 69 destinations nationwide. Rather, they focus on those destinations that best showcase the distinctive character of each region. The routes were mapped out based on extensive input from experts in traditional Korean alcoholic beverages and tourism, as well as local governments, and industry representatives. The selection process took into account a range of factors, including regional significance, the quality of visitor experience programmes, connections with local agricultural products and regional dishes, and accessibility by rail and road.

Each tour route is designed around a featured production site as the focal point of the journey. Visitors can experience traditional alcoholic beverages made from local agricultural products while enjoying regional produce and local cuisine, gaining a deeper appreciation of each area’s culinary traditions and the stories behind them. More than a traditional alcoholic beverage tasting tour, the itineraries offer a new style of gastronomic travel that combines local flavors with regional culture.

Representative destinations include Yesan Apple Wine, which produces its wine from Yesan apples in Chungcheongnam-do; Shinpyeong Brewery in Dangjin, known for traditional liquor crafted with Haenaru rice and infused with lotus leaves; Han’s Brewery in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do, renowned for preserving the tradition of master-crafted nuruk (fermentation starters); and Jeju Gosorisul Ikneunjip, which produces traditional liquor from Jeju millet. Each facility showcases the agricultural products and historical heritage unique to its region.

Detailed information on the new tour routes will be available simultaneously on multiple online platforms, including TheSool.com (www.thesool.com); the official K-Chicken Belt website (www.hansik.or.kr); and Welchon, Korea's integrated rural tourism portal (www.welchon.com). The MAFRA links these platforms to provide both domestic and international travelers with comprehensive travel information as they plan summer vacations in Korea’s rural regions.

Going forward, the MAFRA will continue working with local governments to identify representative agricultural products and cuisine associated with participating wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Regional tour routes will also be expanded through affiliations with local festivals, gastronomic events, and tourism products. With the launch of the latest instalment of the “K-Gastronomy Journey” roadmap, the MAFRA will strengthen its promotional and marketing efforts at home and abroad, with the aim of developing traditional Korean alcoholic beverages into a core element of the K-Food industry.