KUALA LUMPUR - Korean Now has announced the launch of a Foreigner-Friendly Store Campaign, a practical initiative aimed at improving the everyday experiences of foreigners living in and visiting South Korea.

The campaign builds on the company’s experience publishing and operating Korean Now Magazine and is designed to qualitatively enhance how foreigners access and use services across the country, as reported by NewsWire.

At the core of the initiative is a shift in perspective, viewing foreigners not as tourists but as fellow city users and neighbours.

The campaign focuses on lowering language, information and usability barriers in spaces most frequently used by foreigners, including shops, restaurants, cafes and accommodation facilities.

Drawing on its experience producing content for foreign audiences, Korean Now said it aims to create an environment where foreigners can understand services clearly, feel safe and use facilities with greater convenience.

Korean Now Magazine has provided curated local, cultural, culinary and travel information for foreigners visiting or residing in Korea.

While the magazine has served as a guide, the Foreigner-Friendly Store Campaign goes further by establishing an information system that operates at the point of use, from entrances and dining tables to hotel front desks and information counters.

Rather than simply directing people where to go, the system is designed to help them understand how to use facilities on the spot.

Korean Now cited the recovery of inbound tourism and changing travel patterns as key drivers behind the campaign.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism in Korea has shifted from group tours towards independent travel, with visitor satisfaction increasingly shaped by real experiences at stores, restaurants and accommodations rather than by well-known tourist attractions.

The company believes small improvements at the store level can have a significant impact on creating a foreigner-friendly environment.

The campaign prioritises the accuracy and standardisation of information over staff language proficiency.

Instead of relying on individual employees’ foreign language skills, essential information such as menus, prices, payment methods and usage rules will be provided through QR-based multilingual pages.

Foreigner-friendly signage and QR information are expected to serve as a welcoming signal for overseas visitors while lowering barriers for first-time users.

The campaign is designed to operate organically, linking ordering points such as restaurants and cafes, lodging points such as hotels and guesthouses, and information hubs including tourist centres and large hotels.

Korean Now Magazine will be placed in accommodations and major landmarks to encourage regional travel and spending among foreign visitors.

As individual store-level improvements accumulate, Korean Now expects certain commercial districts or entire regions to be perceived as areas with strong accessibility and information support for foreigners.

“The Foreigner-Friendly Store Campaign is one of Korean Now’s practical campaigns to enhance the quality of the Korean experience at key points of contact with foreigners,” said Sim Young-bo, head of Korean Now.

“We will steadily expand our field-oriented model so that creating an environment that is considerate of foreigners can lead to the competitiveness of local commercial districts and a sustainable tourism and living environment,” he said.

Korean Now describes itself as a company that seeks to open a new chapter in K-culture by integrating Korean history, culture and identity, guided by the belief that “what is most Korean is most global.”