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| August 29th, 2024 Korea Wellness News |
Welcome to our latest blog post, where we explore the exciting developments in Korea Wellness as of August 29th, 2024.
Renowned for its innovation and holistic approach, Korea Wellness continues to set the pace in the global wellness industry.
In this post, we delve into the nation's newest AI-driven health monitoring systems, offering real-time insights that empower individuals to take charge of their well-being.
We also highlight the booming Korea Wellness tourism sector, attracting global visitors eager to experience traditional Korean practices like Hanbang and modern wellness retreats.
Furthermore, we discuss the government's increased funding for mental health services, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to wellness that includes mental, physical, and emotional health.
Join us as we uncover how Korea Wellness is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, setting a global standard.
Whether you're a wellness enthusiast, a healthcare professional, or simply curious about innovative health practices, this post provides valuable insights into the future of Korea Wellness.
Read on to discover how Korea Wellness is shaping the world of wellness today.
Geumcheon-gu strengthens healthcare for residents with opening of wellness-focused Doksan Health Centre
Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, will hold an opening ceremony for the Doksan Health Branch at 10 a.m. on 30 August to launch a healthcare service tailored to residents. The branch has been converted from an existing health centre to a health branch and provides integrated healthcare services tailored to each individual's characteristics. The branch was built with a total investment of 1.18 billion won ($1.1 billion) as part of a project to support the expansion of health centres in Seoul.
The Doksan Health Branch is equipped with various facilities such as a residents' exercise room, health management centre, and health longevity centre, and will provide health education to 300 residents through the Geumcheonhyeong Health and Wellness School, the first integrated health education programme in Seoul. In addition, various activities such as CPR experience, smoking cessation projects, and anonymous drug testing will be held in the health experience space. With this opening, Geumcheon-gu plans to systematically manage the health of residents and strengthen health promotion efforts centred on wellness.
Wellness-focused senior housing trend, a new challenge for the construction industry
Major Korean construction companies are entering the senior housing market in earnest, introducing various products and services centred on wellness. As the demand for senior housing is expected to surge ahead of the super-elderly society, major construction companies such as Hyundai E&C, Daewoo E&C, and Lotte E&C are actively investing in senior residences and silver towns.
Hyundai E&C is planning to launch senior residences in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, and Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, while Daewoo E&C is promoting ‘silver housing specialisation’ as its main strategy. HDC Hyundai Development & Construction is planning various senior housing projects, including wellness residences, and Lotte E&C is building a senior residence in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.
In addition, POSCO E&C has developed a smart home service for seniors called AiQ Smart Care, which focuses on managing residents' health. These wellness-focused senior housing products are customised services that reflect the diverse lifestyles of the elderly, and are becoming a new growth engine for the construction industry.
The wellness-based senior living trend is expected to take many forms in the future.
Ace bed, a wellness-focused honeymoon bedroom interior suggestion
For the autumn wedding season, ACE Beds offers wellness-focused honeymoon bedroom interiors for couples. LUCE-III and LUNATO-Ⅳ are recommended, which provide a comfortable sleeping environment to maximise wellness.
The LUCE III is the number one best-seller on Ace Wedding Members every year, with a three-dimensional temba board and LED lights, and a built-in USB charging port for added convenience. The Lunato 4 is designed with a mix and match of faux leather, fabric and wood, with a headboard that hugs the body for a soothing feel and creates a visual focal point in the bedroom.
Royal Ace, a premium wellness mattress, is a high-tech product that enhances sleep quality and features the ‘5 FREE’ system, which minimises distractions such as switching off, noise and swaying for an optimal sleep experience.
Ace Bed is planning various promotions and services for newlyweds, and is running ‘The Dream Fair Promotion’ at offline stores nationwide until 22 September. ACE Bed will continue to introduce products that consider the well-being of newlyweds.
Diversification of medical device business centred on wellness, a new challenge for the massage chair industry
The massage chair industry is diversifying into the medical device market in line with the wellness trend. As the existing market for massage chairs has become saturated, the industry has chosen medical devices as a new growth engine. The healthcare market is shifting towards prevention and management, and is growing rapidly as the wellness craze emphasises the importance of healthcare.
Seragem is expanding its portfolio by launching various healthcare appliances, including the incontinence device ‘Innerfit Meditech’. The company is also focusing on providing a quality healthcare experience at home by strengthening its existing product line-up, including spinal medical devices and massage chairs. In the future, the company plans to introduce various new products such as depression treatment devices and blood circulation devices.
BodyFrend has also entered the medical device market with the launch of ‘Medical Phantom’, focusing on the growth potential of the medical device market. They plan to provide innovative healthcare services by developing a home healthcare platform that enables remote medical treatment by converging 4th industrial technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud.
The wellness-focused medical device market has become a new challenge for the massage chair industry, and the industry will continue to introduce various products and services for consumers' health and well-being through continuous research and development.
Solar City, a wellness-focused future city, is in the spotlight as a smart city to respond to climate crisis
BS Industry will participate in the ‘2024 World Smart City Expo (WSCE)’ with Jeollanam-do and Haenam-gun to showcase Solar City, a future city centred on wellness and renewable energy. Solar City is being developed as a smart city including a renewable energy hub terminal, autonomous driving system, and wellness settlement environment on a site of about 20.9 million square metres.
At the expo, Solar City will introduce an eco-friendly renewable energy industrial belt connected to AI data centres and RE100 industrial complexes, and present its vision as a future city for carbon neutrality and climate crisis response. It is attracting attention as a sustainable city that realises a wellness settlement environment through autonomous driving-based smart mobility systems, gardens, and resort-style leisure housing, overcoming the problem of rural decline and contributing to balanced national development.
Solar City has a skeleton of a city through the approval of a regional smart city project and a housing project design contest earlier this year, and will build a leisure housing complex, resort housing complex, and healthcare complex with about 5,000 units. The city will provide a residential environment and smart infrastructure that considers individual lifestyles with a focus on wellness, and will develop into a sustainable future smart city.
BS Industrial said it will take the lead in responding to the climate crisis by supplying electricity using renewable energy through the Solar City, and create a new type of city that combines wellness and advanced technology.
Phasitiv Hotel, a wellness-focused complex cultural space, opens in Seolleung, Gangnam
Phasitic Hotel is attracting attention with the opening of a complex cultural space combining wellness food and yoga in Seolleung, Gangnam. The wellness brand, which offers healthy food and high-quality exercise programmes based on the Mediterranean diet and the finest ingredients, has already enjoyed success with its flagship store in Dosan. The Seolleung location will combine a premium grocery store with a yoga studio, and has been dubbed the ‘Korean version of Erewhon’ by consumers who place a high value on wellness.
Beyond simply selling healthy products, Faztiv Hotels is creating an organic wellness culture where guests can practice and release toxins from their bodies and minds through programmes that combine F&B and yoga. The hotel also offers a variety of programmes for busy people to experience daily routines such as healthy diet, yoga and meditation, and will soon introduce a membership system to enjoy private benefits.
For seven years, FATTY HOTEL Seolleung has been focusing on plant-based ingredients and healthy processing methods, offering a healthy menu made with organic ingredients. The hotel also offers a 150-pyeong high-end yoga facility and a wellness coach team comprised of global yoga masters to provide a structured curriculum.
The hotel will be the only wellness partner at Kiaf SEOUL, Korea's largest art fair, next month, showcasing its wellness food and programmes. The event will be held at COEX from 4-8 September and will feature the largest wellness space in the country.
Jeju, a centre for wellness tourism, receives Asia-Pacific certification
Jeju Island has been recognised as a centre for wellness tourism, making it the leading wellness tourism destination in the Asia-Pacific region. The Jeju Tourism Organization announced today that it has won the Gold Award for Global Marketing Campaign at the 2024 PATA Gold Awards in Bangkok, Thailand. The award recognises Jeju's wellness tourism initiatives as an international example of excellence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The PATA Gold Awards is a prestigious award in the tourism industry organised by the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA), which annually recognises outstanding projects in each category. Jeju's wellness tourism policy was highly commended for its achievements in establishing public-private governance, enacting bylaws, introducing a certification system, training professional staff such as healers, and fostering wellness representative models.
This is the second consecutive year that Jeju has won the Fata Gold Award, following last year's win for Carmstay, and is seen as a testament to the value and competitiveness of Jeju's local tourism globally.
Jeju Tourism Organization President Ko Seung-cheol emphasised that the award is an achievement of Jeju's policies that are in line with changing tourism trends, and that Jeju has firmly established itself as a leading healing and relaxation island in the Asia-Pacific region. Going forward, the Jeju Tourism Organization will continue to strive for the development of Jeju's tourism industry, including fostering wellness tourism and digital transformation.
Wellness industry and Incheon Port to co-exhibit at ‘2024 Beauty & Healthcare Show’
Incheon Port Authority (IPA) will host a joint pavilion on the theme of the wellness industry at the ‘2024 Beauty & Healthcare Show’ from 29 to 31 August at Songdo Convensia. The exhibition is Incheon's leading event in the beauty and health sector, with more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises participating to showcase their outstanding products and technologies in cosmetics, healthcare, digital care, and wellness.
The IPA will provide 50 per cent of the participation fee and exhibition space to 19 outstanding SMEs selected through a call for applications, who will have the opportunity to promote their wellness-related products and technologies to domestic and international buyers at the joint pavilion. This is expected to open up new markets and boost export results.
In addition, the IPA will operate a B2B counselling booth in the Export Counselling Hall to promote Incheon Port's strengths and incentive schemes to domestic and foreign companies. In addition, SMEs with high export potential will be supported to enter overseas online distribution networks, making their export achievements related to the wellness industry visible.
Through this exhibition, the combination of the wellness industry and Incheon Port is expected to contribute to revitalising the local economy and helping SMEs enter the global market.
Collaboration between the Working Together Foundation and JPMorgan Chase to foster wellness-based youth entrepreneurs
On the 28th, the Working Together Foundation and JPMorgan Chase held a demo day for the ‘High Flyer’ investment track to identify and nurture tech-based young entrepreneurs. The programme provides young entrepreneurs with tailored training, mentorship and funding opportunities, with a focus on supporting innovative ideas in the wellness industry and tech.
The HighFlyer Investment Track selected 38 companies for training and mentoring, and then selected 12 teams for the Demo Day. In particular, the track emphasised social responsibility alongside economic benefits, giving extra points to companies that pursue social value.
At the demo day, various companies such as WowKiki, GamePro, Konkon, Intalk, and Headbridge participated and presented their innovative ideas. The grand prize was won by Concon, which operates the B2B merchandise platform ‘Oz's Factory’, and the first prize was awarded to Nanum Vitamin, which operates the meal voucher platform ‘Naviyam’ for children at risk of hunger. The runners-up were Dalam, which provides wellness solutions, and Zipup, a moving platform.
At the demo day, a total prize of KRW 12 million was awarded through the judgement of investors, and follow-up investment reviews will be conducted. In addition, the young entrepreneurs networked with investors and visitors at the company booths to explore opportunities for business expansion.
JPMorgan Chase, which supported the programme, said it believes youth entrepreneurship will play an important role in revitalising local economies and creating jobs, and is pleased to provide opportunities for participating companies to secure the resources they need. YBI also emphasised that it will continue to support young entrepreneurs to gain sustainable opportunities.
The Demo Day showcased the challenges and innovations of young entrepreneurs combining wellness and technology, and was a meaningful event where various opinions and ideas were shared to revitalise the entrepreneurship ecosystem and solve social problems.
Developing a wellness-focused tourism market, the key to Jeju's economic recovery
The number of foreign tourists visiting Jeju has been increasing in recent years, but the impact on the local economy has been minimal. Considering the ripple effect of tourism and employment creation, it is urgent to develop a new tourism market centred on wellness.
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has put forward a strategy to expand tourism promotion to Mongolia, Australia, the Americas, and Europe, and to strengthen various customised contents such as wellness, medical care, and luxury. It plans to activate direct and charter flights and target potential global tourism markets.
Based on the popularity of the Korean Wave, represented by K-pop and K-dramas, Jeju's tourism industry has great potential to expand into new forms of tourism that combine traditional culture, rural experiences, wellness and medical tourism. The medical tourism sector, in particular, has the potential to grow into an international medical tourism hub in combination with Jeju's unique natural environment.
For the success of Jeju's tourism industry, it is essential to develop high-quality tourism products that combine various fields such as wellness, food, and experiential tourism. This is expected to revitalise Jeju's local economy and create new added value.
Attracting Taiwanese tourists with wellness tourism and experiential contents
From 29 August to 1 September, Chungbuk-do hosted a briefing session for Taiwanese travel agencies and media to develop staycation tourism products in Chungbuk. The briefing was part of the province's efforts to meet tourism demand from Greater China, especially Taiwan, in preparation for the Taipei International Women's Fair (ITF) in November.
The briefing helped major Taiwanese tour operators experience various tourism contents in Chungbuk and plan their tourism products based on them. Major tourist destinations in Chungcheongbuk-do were introduced, including Cheongnam University in Cheongju, Wine International and Rainbow Healing Centre in Yeongdong, Belfore Resort in Jeungpyeong, Chungcheongbuk Aquarium in Goesan, and Cheongpung Lakefront Cable Car in Jecheon. This is expected to help Taiwanese media report on Chungbuk's abundant tourism resources to raise tourism awareness and boost sales of tourism products.
In particular, Chungcheongbuk-do plans to actively promote international events such as the 2025 Yeongdong World Gugak Expo and the 2025 Jecheon International Hanbangcheon Natural Products Industry Expo to attract Taiwanese tourists.
Considering the demand for group tourism in the Taiwanese market, Chungbuk officials said they plan to develop and actively promote tourism courses tailored to the preferences of Taiwanese tourists, including experiential tourism, wellness tourism, and folklore tourism. The briefing is seen as an important step to attract Taiwanese tourists by utilising Chungbuk's diverse tourism resources to focus on wellness and experiential tourism.
Wellness-focused healing camp, Yangsan Forest Ae Seo, recruiting participants for the second half of the year
The Yangshan City Facilities Management Corporation will hold a wellness healing camp for adults interested in metabolic diseases in the second half of 2024. The camp will be held from 19 to 20 October and will offer a variety of healing programs along with accommodation in a cabin in the forest.
The programme will consist of special lectures on metabolic diseases and wellness-focused activities such as forest healing and Yangsan flower tea tea therapy. Participants will also have the opportunity to use the facilities such as the thermal healing room and the shame healing room.
Participants must be between 30 and 65 years old and able to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity, and the fee is set at 90,000 won for a single room, 160,000 won for a double room, and 300,000 won for a four-person room. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until 9 October at the Forest Ae Seo Nuri House.
The Yangsan Facilities Management Corporation said that the wellness healing camp will help citizens manage their health and provide special memories to welcome the warm autumn, and asked for a lot of interest and participation.
**Wellness and medical tourism: Local governments compete to attract foreign patients**.
Local governments across the country have been actively competing to attract foreign patients as medical tourism has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 605,768 foreign patients visited South Korea last year, the highest number since 2009. The number of medical tourists from Japan, in particular, surged 762 per cent year-on-year.
Local governments are combining wellness and medical tourism to boost local economies. Daejeon City has opened the Daejeon Medical Tourism Support Centre in Tokyo, Japan, to focus on attracting Japanese patients through medical and wellness tourism promotion, consultation, and networking. Daejeon also conducted activities in Vietnam to promote Daejeon's excellent medical and wellness tourism infrastructure.
Incheon is focusing on attracting medical tourists by holding overseas briefings, strengthening networking, and providing customised translation and interpretation services and one-day healing tours, while Gwangju has secured a regular Chinese airline route to Muan Airport and is offering rewards for attracting tourists. Busan has selected 50 key partners for medical tourism and is promoting intensive promotion and attraction.
Experts praise local governments for their active attraction efforts, but emphasise the need for differentiated strategies by region. They also point out the need for countermeasures against adverse effects such as illegal stay of foreign patients and illegal procedures.
The efforts of local governments are expected to be the basis for a major leap forward in medical tourism in Korea.
**Wellness and Yachting Experience: Hyundai Yacht's Healing Programme at Wangsan Marina, Incheon
The yachting experience offered by Hyundai Yacht at Wangsan Marina in Jung-gu, Incheon has recently attracted attention as a ‘wellness tourism healing spot’. Hyundai Yacht operates the 30-seater Dante, the 10-seater Holiday and the Cosmos, and offers a unique experience of watching the sunset over the West Sea. The yacht experience offers a 20 per cent discount for Incheon residents, and regular sailings are available in 40- or 60-minute increments. The interior of the yacht is equipped with the amenities of a luxury hotel, providing a relaxing and romantic time away from everyday life.
Hyundai Yachts' special programmes include the “Vacation Package”, “Proposal Package” and “Yacht Wellness Programme (Yacht Nidra)”. The Vacation Package is a summer-only programme that allows guests to enjoy nautical activities such as waterslides and paddleboards on board the yacht. Yacht Nidra is a relaxation and meditation programme that stimulates the five senses on board the yacht and includes aromatic oil making and meditation time. This programme can help you relax your body and mind at the same time.
Hyundai Yachts offers these wellness experiences to provide guests with a healing and unique experience, and reservations can be made through the Hyundai Yachts website.
**Promoting wellness and childbirth: Seoul City Councilor Kim Yong-ho receives the Minister of Welfare Award**.
Seoul City Councilor Kim Yong-ho has received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award for his contribution to encouraging childbirth and improving the health of citizens through the ‘Kookmin Danjo’ (dance + gymnastics) movement. Kim received the award at the 2024 Wellness Awards held recently at Seoul Plaza. The Wellness Awards recognise individuals and organisations that have contributed to the development of policies and industries to improve people's physical and mental health and strengthen social safety nets.
Kim's ‘National Danjo’ is a programme that aims to encourage childbirth by using Kegel exercises. The exercises involve efforts to address the declining birthrate by strengthening the sphincter and promoting physical fitness. ‘Let's improve the environment for childbirth by promoting uterine health and overall body health,’ he said.
However, the movement has been controversial among some netizens and politicians. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea criticised the campaign, saying it undermines human dignity. Nevertheless, the award recognises Kim's consistent activism and efforts to improve the health of citizens.
Kim said she plans to use the award to continue her interest and efforts to improve the health of citizens and encourage childbirth.
**Wonju Trekking Bus Tour with Wellness to Start on 7 September
The Wonju Trekking Bus Tour will begin on the 7th of next month. The tour will offer a variety of experiences related to ‘wellness’ and will be organised into four themes. According to the Wenzhou Cultural Centre, the first course is titled ‘Wenzhou, Breathe in Nature’ and includes walking along the old roads of Sailichi and riding a tractor. The second course is themed ‘Wenzhou, Ageing, Wellness’ and includes a walk through the Ungok Pine Breeze Forest and a tea ceremony experience.
The third course is themed ‘Wonju, a thousand years of time’ and includes a walk along the Dadun Trail and a Pilates experience, and the fourth course is themed ‘Wonju, mindful wellness’ and includes a walk through the garter pine forest and a bath salt experience. All of these courses are available by appointment from September to December.
Regular tours are held every Saturday, and group tours can be booked from 25 people or more. Tours depart from Wonju Station and in front of the Wonju Cultural Centre and run until 4pm. Wonju Cultural Centre officials hope that the tours will help promote Wonju's major tourist attractions. For more information, visit the Wonju Cultural Centre website.
**Wellness and 15 minutes of exercise a day can make a big difference to your fitness and sleep quality
A new study has found that 15 minutes of exercise a day can make a surprising difference to fitness and sleep quality. A team of researchers from the University of South Australia conducted the ‘15 Minute Challenge’ project among office workers and found that short bursts of physical activity have a positive impact on physical health and well-being.
The study involved 11,575 office workers aged 18 to 65 from 73 organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, who were encouraged to exercise for 15 minutes every day for six weeks. Participants logged their physical activity and measured their fitness, sleep quality, and mood. The study found that 95 per cent of participants met or exceeded physical activity guidelines, with an average increase of 12 minutes of physical activity per day.
At the end of the programme, participants experienced a 14% improvement in fitness, a 12% improvement in energy, a 7.7% improvement in overall health, a 7.6% improvement in sleep quality, and a 7.1% improvement in mood. The results suggest that short bursts of physical activity are effective in improving sedentary behaviour and developing healthy wellness habits, the researchers said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week for adults. Dr Ben Singh emphasised that 15 minutes of exercise a day can be an important starting point for developing a regular exercise habit.
**Wellness and Gariwangsan National Garden, a glimpse into the future of Jeongseon-gun
Jeongseon-gun is in full swing with a project to turn Gariwangsan Mountain in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, into a national garden. The project aims to revitalise the local economy and utilise wellness tourism resources. Based on the basic planning service data submitted to the Korea Forest Service, Jeongseon-gun is focusing on making Gariwangsan a representative garden city in Korea.
Gariwangsan is famous for its 1381 metres above sea level, magnificent mountain range, and ever-changing clouds and scenery. The area offers its beauty to visitors via a cable car that was used as an alpine venue for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Jeongseon-gun uses the cable car as a local tourism resource, offering special experiences such as sunrise and sunset every year.
Jeongseon-gun's national garden project will consist of eight theme gardens, including the Olympic Garden and Arirang Garden, on a 1.83 million square metre site. If successfully implemented, the project is expected to generate an economic impact of 1.5 trillion won ($1.5bn) and create employment for more than 5,500 people. The military believes that the project will make a significant contribution to reviving the local economy and revitalising the abandoned mining area.
‘The Gariwangsan Cable Car is an important legacy of the Winter Olympics, and we will do our best to preserve it in perpetuity and attract national gardens,’ said Choi Seung-joon, Jeongseon-gunsu. ’We will leapfrog into Korea's leading healing tourism city by utilising wellness tourism resources.’
The project is seen as an important opportunity to utilise the region's excellent natural environment and tourism resources to heal the stress of modern society and achieve balanced national development.
**Wellness and Azerai Resort, Vietnam's luxury high-end resort
Azerai Resort in Vietnam has recently stepped up its marketing efforts to target Korean travellers. Azerai Resort is a luxury high-end resort with unique wellness programmes and gastronomic experiences, which are part of its unique concept and brand philosophy.
Azerai Resorts was founded in 2017 by renowned Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha and currently operates three boutique resorts in Vietnam - Hue, Can Tho and Khe Ga Bay.
**Azerai La Residence is located on the banks of the Perfume River in Hue, Vietnam, in a restored 1930s French colonial mansion that blends art deco style with modern amenities. It offers a range of wellness experiences, including tours of the Demilitarised Zone, traditional wooden boat cruises and gastronomic excursions.
**Azerai Canto is located on a private island with stunning views of the Mekong Delta and offers unique activities such as visiting an organic cacao plantation and experiencing a traditional floating market.
**Azerai Khe Ga Bay is set in 4.5 hectares of tropical gardens and offers a range of activities including white sandy beach walks, visits to Khe Ga Lighthouse and cooking classes. The resort offers a luxurious retreat to experience the charm of Vietnam's southeast coast.
Azerai Resorts is strengthening its sales and marketing efforts through the Heavens portfolio of global luxury hotel sales and public relations marketing agency, and will offer deep relaxation through a range of wellness programmes and cultural experiences targeted at the Korean market.