In the ‘cultural trip with local celebrities’ contest promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, Heo Ho, CEO of Sangju Heo’s Silk Textile, was selected as a local person and took on the role of a storyteller who tells the history of the region. (Courtesy of Sangju City) 

Heo Ho, CEO of Sangju Heo Silk Textile, was selected as a local celebrity in the 2018 Cultural Travel with Local Celebrity contest project.

This contest project is promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, and is a project that reflects the new trend of tourism that utilizes human resources (human wear) as tourism resources.

Discovering and nurturing celebrities who shared the history and life of the region as high-quality storytellers, and combining ‘life stories’ with ‘regional cultural tourism contents’ to revitalize and enhance local tourism.

When tourists recruited by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism visit, CEO Heo explains the process of making pongee (silk) and provides opportunities to experience making scarves. He also takes on the role of a storyteller who tells the history of the region, such as why Sangju's myeongju is famous.

Hamchang-eup, Sangju-si, where the Silk Museum and Theme Park are located, is the only production area in Korea that produces silk, the best natural fiber, in a traditional way. Although the production volume is small as it insists on the traditional method, it is a place that continues the tradition of traditional silk by distributing high-quality high-quality silk throughout the country.

CEO Heo Ho, who was selected as a new local celebrity this time, is continuing the tradition of traditional silk here for the fifth generation. He is the best craftsman in Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Sangju City holds the 'Hamchang Silk Festival' every year to publicize the excellence of Hamchang Silk, and is making various efforts to promote Hamchang Silk and inherit its legacy, such as nurturing human resources related to silk through the Hamchang Silk Weaving Project. .

Sangju City plans to promote Hamchang Myeongju more systematically through the selection of local celebrities, and develop it as an attractive tourist resource that can present the beauty and fun of Korea to not only Koreans but also foreign tourists through high-quality tourism products.

Lee Jeong-baek, mayor of Sangju City, said, “We will spare no effort to establish Hamchang Myeongju as a core tourism content in Sangju in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.”