The Seoul Metropolitan Government is working to develop Magok as a business tourism hub for overseas companies, and held a three-day, two-night workation event for Japanese startup representatives and others.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization invited representatives of Japanese startups, business associations and the media to experience a Seoul workation through a tour centered on Seoul MICE Plaza in Magok.
Over the three-day, two-night itinerary, participants used workspaces for work, meetings and workshops, and also took part in seminars and networking events. At the seminar on the first day, participants shared updates on South Korea's workation industry and examples of corporate adoption, while Japanese companies exchanged views on the potential for introducing workations in Seoul and available support measures.
After working hours, participants visited Seoul Botanic Park, a cooking class, the Hongdae area and Seoul Dal, the tethered balloon in Yeouido, incorporating work, tourism and cultural experiences into a single stay.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that, given Magok's convenient access from Gimpo Airport and active business exchanges, it plans to prioritize efforts to develop the corporate workation market.
Kitamura Nobuyuki (北村 信行) of The Nikkei said he had not expected the idea of staying in Seoul for an extended period to work there, and viewed the program as an opportunity to experience working in a new environment and engage with others, rather than simply as tourism.