[News Today] Convenience stores draw foreign tourists

[LEAD]
Foreign tourists used to flock to Korea's palaces or the Han River to experience the culture. But now, many are heading somewhere quite unexpected. It's none-other than convenience stores. What's so special about convenience stores? We take a look.

[REPORT]
Ramyeon packets are tightly packed on every shelf.

This convenience store sells around 220 types of ramyeon and over 70% of its customers are foreigners.

Isabel / American Tourist
I love how everything is ramyeon-themed. The tables are super cute and cool and I love this whole shelf of ramyeons. I think it's super cool.

As videos of visits to Korean convenience stores went viral on social media, the stores have become a tourist destination.

Carly / British Tourist
I came here especially to eat ramyeon. We saw it on Instagram.

A combination of sweet coffee and banana-flavored milk.

Such delicious combo recipes popular overseas have also become a must-do activity at these convenience stores.

Alena, Violeta / Russian Tourists
Something popular in TikTok and social media and we want to try it every day.

In the first quarter of this year, overall sales at Korean convenience stores declined for the first time.

But sales from foreign customers increased by 50 to 60%.

Subsequently, convenience stores are trying to attract foreigners by adopting currency exchange kiosks or AI translators.

"What is the popular snack in Korea?"

The number of overseas branches has also grown significantly.

In 2018, 47 convenience stores opened abroad.

The number more than doubled in just one year.

There are now some 1,300 stores operating in four Asian countries.

This trend stands in contrast to the decreasing number of stores inside Korea.

Vietnamese YouTuber/
Tuna kimchi rice ball!

Convenience stores, which had continued to grow even amid slumping local consumption, are in decline now.

Attention is now on whether the convenience store industry can find a breakthrough.