VANK Launches ‘Seoul Scenes,’ Showcasing 95 K-Content Destinations: ‘A Pilgrimage to Netflix Filming Locations’

A new digital platform is making it easier for global fans of Korean culture to visit in person the Seoul landmarks they have encountered on screen. The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), led by Director Park Gi-tae, announced on the 12th that it had officially launched Seoul Scenes (koreamountain.one/scenes), a specialized travel guide platform designed to help foreign visitors explore cultural heritage sites and popular-culture filming locations across Seoul.

Bringing on-screen settings to life with detailed map visualizations

Seoul Scenes covers three key areas of Korean popular culture: dramas, films and K-pop. It has built a structured database featuring 95 itineraries and 100 major destinations selected in connection with popular works that have gained worldwide attention.

The platform uses storytelling to deepen user engagement. It follows Brian, a fictional traveler from the United States, as he uses the platform as a guide to visit Nodeul Island, a setting for the drama Start-Up, and explore Seoul’s backstreets, bringing the pleasures of travel vividly to life.

Locations are marked with color-coded pins—red for dramas, orange for films and green for K-pop—and displayed on Google Maps and OpenStreetMap for intuitive navigation. Selecting a pin provides details along with nearby subway exit numbers, recommended walking routes and estimated travel times—all in one place. A section titled “Why Seoul Scenes: 30 Reasons to Love It” further boosts the reliability of the information by carefully distinguishing actual filming locations from sites associated with artists and places used only as backdrops.

Smart infrastructure and multilingual support expand global public diplomacy

The platform also stands out for its technical features. It includes an AI Travel Guide that analyzes users’ available time and specific preferences to map out optimal routes, as well as a Walking Assistant that uses real-time GPS signals to recommend routes tailored to users’ walking pace, making it easier to get around on foot.

To reduce language barriers, the service is available in five languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian. Together with Seoul Peaks (koreamountain.one), VANK’s previously launched platform introducing Seoul’s mountains, it completes a digital ecosystem where foreign visitors can experience the city’s scenic natural environment and contemporary popular culture in depth.

“We designed the platform so foreign visitors can experience Seoul through the eyes of the protagonists they see on screen, rather than as mere spectators,” Director Park Gi-tae said. “We hope Seoul Scenes will become a bridge connecting 20 million foreign visitors to Korea with 250 million global fans of Korean culture, and a key hub for private-sector public diplomacy that showcases Korea’s true value to the world.”