The Island in Korea that Has More Foreigners Than Koreans

✅ Nami Island (남이섬)

One of the most famous attractions in Korea among tourists. In fact, it’s a tourist attraction that international tourists are more interested in than locals. The island is small yet full of nature, where each season has its own beauty. It only takes about 60 to 90 minutes to take a walk around the Island (5km).

Why do people love Nami Island so much?

It’s a perfect place for a one-day trip, not too far from Seoul, where you can easily enjoy beautiful nature and fun activities.

In the 1970s, it was famous as a recreational area near the Bukhan River.

In the 1980s, it was famous for holding the MBC Gangbyeon Song Festival, one of the most famous music festivals of that period of time.

In the 2000s, it became a famous tourist spot for Hallyu fans after the K-drama “Winter Sonata (겨울연가)” was filmed on the island.

Today, it has the largest number of foreign visitors among a single tourist destination in Korea. 

In 2016, about 1,300,000 foreign visitors across 122 countries visited Nami Island. It’s is also beloved by Koreans too, especially lovers, for a picnic spot. The island is most famous for its stunning Metasequoia-lined road.

What’s interesting about this island 

is that the entire island is a private property owned by Nami Island company. There’s not a single resident except Nami Island employees.

It’s officially called “Naminara Republic”

It’s a cultural tourism brand introduced by Nami Island company. It’s an imaginary world that declared its cultural independence from Korea.

People have to pay the VISA fee of 16,000 won (entrance free + round trip ferry fares) to enter the island. There’s no bridge connecting to the island, so you either have to take a 5-minute ferry or ride a zipline.

What activities can I do in Nami Island?

1. Riding so many different types of bicycles

2. Visiting museums, galleries, and libraries 

3. Going to gardens and parks, including the world’s 14th UNICEF child-friendly park

4. Making ceramics, glassware, wood crafts, dye crafts, and paper crafts at Handicraft studio 

5. Riding a tour train or bus that goes around the island

6. Sleeping over at Hotel Jeonggwanru, which features guest rooms by different artists, including painters, craftspeople, writers, and singers

7. Do adventurous activities including zipline, trampolines, swings, and barrels 

???? Where did the name “Nami Island” come from?

The origin of the name of Nami Island is based on a long-standing folk tradition that General Nami, a military commander in the early Joseon Dynasty, was buried in a pile of stones on a hill in the north of Nami Island. 

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