[DigitalToday reporter Lee Ho-jung] Naver is launching a locally tailored linked campaign in partnership with local governments and public institutions to maximise convenience for foreign tourists visiting South Korea.

Naver said on Tuesday it will run its 'Be Local (BE LOCAL)' campaign through July 19, introducing hotspots so foreign tourists can experience South Korea's local culture.

The 2026 Be Local campaign will be rolled out with Busan Metropolitan City and the Korea Tourism Organization under the concept of 'how to enjoy Busan in the most local way'. Naver will introduce about 300 hotspots across Busan, including Haeundae, Seomyeon and Gijang, as well as Seoul. Users who set the Naver Map app language to a foreign language can see recommended places at a glance in the Be Local tab at the top of the app.

Naver, the Busan city government and the Korea Tourism Organization will work with popular restaurants in Busan to offer discount coupons for local eateries, including Michelin-selected restaurants, and support reservations, orders and payments in one stop.

The company will also provide a coupon pack for foreign tourists called the 'Be Local Pass (BE LOCAL PASS)' in partnership with lifestyle brands and convenience stores. The pass can be used at Amorepacific, CU, Juno Hair, Busan Lotte World and the Beach Train, among others.

It also increased accessibility so foreign users can easily use Naver O2O (online-to-offline) services through a recently introduced 'passport verification' feature. According to the company, foreign-language users of Naver Map, which supports multilingual maps, rose 16.4 percent as of April this year from September last year, when Be Local campaign Season 2 began, reaching a record high.

Choi Seung-rak (최승락), a Naver vice president, said Naver Map is an all-in-one platform that makes it easy and convenient to search for hotspots and local trends, as well as handle reservations, orders, payments and travel at once, and that the company is continuing to enhance it so foreign visitors can enjoy more satisfying trips and richly experience South Korea's local culture. With various global events such as concerts and festivals scheduled in Busan in June, he said Naver Map is expected to become a useful travel guide for foreign tourists visiting Busan through the Be Local campaign.