๐ From K-Drama Dreams to Bucket Lists: Why Foreign Tourists Are Falling in Love with “K-Ttaemiri” If you thought K-pop concerts and Korean street food were the top reasons foreigners are flying to Korea in 2025, think again. These days, travelers are checking off something way more unexpected from their bucket lists: getting a Korean-style scrub — aka “K-ttaemiri.” Yes, you read that right. People are literally lining up to get scrubbed until their skin squeaks. ๐โจ https://www.segye.com/newsView/20250823503734?OutUrl=naver ๐ฌ How a Netflix Anime Started It All The craze started with the global Netflix hit K-pop Demon Hunters (fans call it “์ผ๋ฐํ” / “Kedeheon” in Korea). In the anime, the characters wear hanbok for special performances and even head to a jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse) to relax after battles. And guess what? Fans wanted to try the exact same things. Overnight, “hanbok experience” and “Korean scrub” shot up to the No.1 and No.2 bucket list activities for tourists visiting Korea. One of Korea’s biggest inbound tourism platforms, Creatrip, released data showing just how dramatic the change was: ๐ Hanbok rentals increased by 30% overall, but for Taiwanese tourists, it skyrocketed by an unbelievable 433%! ๐ง K-scrub (์ธ์ ) bookings became one of the hottest new experiences, with bathhouse-related transactions rising 84% compared to the previous month. Clearly, what used to be considered “so Korean that only locals do it” is now a top-tier global travel trend. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/009/0005546331 ๐ฒ The “Kedeheon” Effect on Korean Food The anime didn’t just show bathhouses. It also featured classic Korean foods — gimbap, ramyeon, soondae, gukbap. And the impact? Foreign visitors suddenly can’t get enough of them. ๐ฒ Sales of samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) went up by 233% ๐ Jjimdak (braised chicken) climbed by 162% ๐ฆ Even ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab), once considered a “scary” dish for foreigners, rose by 18% Tourists from Singapore (+157%) and the U.S. (+61%) especially showed major growth in their spending on Korean food. Looks like everyone wants their own “Kedeheon mukbang experience.” ๐ https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/009/0005546331 ๐ฎ Living Like a Local: PC Bangs, Escape Rooms, and Karaoke But the “be like a local” trend doesn’t stop at food and bathhouses. Travelers are now copying an entire day in the life of a Korean. Here’s what it looks like: Afternoon ๐ฎ → Head to a PC bang for gaming while eating ramyeon Evening ๐ → Get lost (literally) in an escape room cafe Night ๐ค → Sing your heart out at a karaoke room with K-pop hits This is not just a Korean teenager’s Friday night. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/009/0005546331 This is now a dream itinerary for international visitors. And the numbers back it up: The hottest “K-play zones” are in Seohyeon (Seongnam), Hongdae (Seoul), Jongno, Sinchon, and Gangnam. Growth rates in these areas are up to +1000%! ๐ Surprisingly, the most enthusiastic participants are from the U.S. (23%), followed by China (18%) and Japan (13%). https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/009/0005546331 The star of the show? PC bangs. PC bangs aren’t just for gaming anymore. For Gen Z, they’ve evolved into lifestyle hubs: Fast internet + high-end computers ๐ป Cozy individual cubicles for studying or video editing ๐ Premium food menus (yes, some even serve samgyeopsal & sushi now) ๐ฃ Cute photo booths and K-pop goods shopping ๐ธ Think of it as a multi-purpose playground for everyday life. No wonder positive sentiment toward PC bangs jumped from 39.4% in 2021 to 59.4% in 2025. https://www.segye.com/newsView/20250823503734?OutUrl=naver ๐ Travel in 2025: More Local, More Immersive All this shows one clear trend: tourism is shifting from “sightseeing” to “life-seeing.” Foreign visitors don’t just want to look at palaces or take photos at Namsan Tower anymore. They want to: Wear hanbok like K-drama stars ๐ Eat spicy ramyeon in a PC bang ๐ Sweat it out in a jjimjilbang ๐ฅ Sing K-pop in a noraebang ๐ถ And yes… get scrubbed down until their skin glows ๐โจ As one tourism expert from the Korea Tourism Organization put it, “Tourism is expanding into everyday experiences. It’s no longer just about landmarks, but about living a day like a Korean.” So if you’re planning a trip to Korea, maybe add something wild to your list. Forget just sightseeing — go full local mode. Who knows? Your “K-ttaemiri” spa moment might be the most unforgettable memory of all. ๐ โ๏ธ Would you dare to try a Korean scrub? Or maybe a night of PC bang snacks + karaoke chaos? Drop it on your bucket list — because in 2025, living like a Korean the new travel trend. #Kttaemiri #KoreanScrub #KoreanSpa #Jjimjilbang #KoreanCulture #KdramaLife #Kedeheon #KpopDemonHunters #HanbokExperience #KFood #Samgyetang #Jjimdak #GanjangGejang #Mukbang #KoreanTravel #TravelKorea #VisitKorea #KoreanTrend #PCBang #KaraokeKorea #EscapeRoomKorea #KoreanLifestyle #ZGenerationTravel #SeoulTravel #Hongdae #Gangnam #Jongno #KCultureExperience #BucketListKorea #KTravelTrend All rights reserved Stay14 Bespoke๏ปฟ
