Tourists can now flock to the filming locations of KBS 2TV's blockbuster drama, "Descendants of the Sun," starring Song Joong-Ki and Song Hye-Kyo. On Aug. 12, Friday, the drama's filming site in Taebaek City, Gangwon Province, opened to the public.
The set location, which was built on the site of an old mine, was torn down after the shooting for the drama ended on Dec. 30, 2015, after city officials initially plan to reforest the area.
After Taebaek City received a substantial number of inquiries from tourist agencies and individuals
Now, the drama's filming site, where the medical camp led by Dr. Kang Mo-Yeon (Hye-Kyo) and the Taebaek military troop headed by Captain Yoo Si-jin (aka Big Boss) was stationed, finally opened to the public, The Kpop Herald reported. It is said that Taebaek City invested about 270 million won ($245,000) in the project.
Much to the delight of many, tourists can wear respective costumes with the same design as those worn by the drama's cast, while touring the medical and military base. The military camp is furnished with complete combat uniforms, military blankets, bullet-proof helmets and ammo belts. Several trucks and helicopters were also visible outside the camp.
"The film set should be created as a sustainable tourist destination rather than a one-time location," Korea Tourism Organization CEO Jung Chang-Soo said in a statement obtained by The Korea Times. "The site should be connected with other regional tourist products for the long run."
The officials from Taebaek City aims to invest 13.1 billion won ($11,872,006) into building several restaurants, storage for fermented food, replica mine facilities and a gigantic park by 2018.
Set in the anecdotal war-torn country of Uruk, "Descendants of the Sun" follows a one of a kind love story between Special Forces Captain Yoo Si Jin and Dr. Kang Mo Yeon. The hit-Asian drama contained the universal values of humanity, sacrifice, and love.
The melodrama, which aired on KBS2 from Feb. 24 to April 14 for 16-episode, was a major hit in South Korea. It also received immense popularity across Asia, most notably in China.
Check out KBS 2TV's "Descendants of the Sun" below: