Source: Dong-A Ilbo · 여행

What happened

According to Dong-A Ilbo, South Korea’s Ministry of Interior and Safety will run an island travel expense support program from next month through November 4 as part of this year’s “Year of Island Visits” campaign. Travelers who spend at least one night on eligible islands and submit receipts can receive reimbursement of up to 100,000 won per application.

The ministry announced the plan on September 7. Support is aimed at visitors who reach islands by passenger ferry or shuttle boat, not at day-trippers who never stay overnight. Covered spending includes ferry fares, lodging, meals, and grocery purchases made on the island — essentially any local travel expense tied to the trip, not just the boat ticket.

The breakdown

Eligibility is team-based, not individual: applicants apply as a group, and the maximum payout is 100,000 won total per team, not per person. That cap matters for families or friend groups budgeting a weekend escape — one shared reimbursement pool, not stacked personal refunds.

Geographically, the program covers 163 islands across 29 municipalities nationwide. Only islands that require a boat to reach — with no road bridge or land access — qualify. Jeju Island’s main island is excluded because it is reachable by air, but Jeju’s outlying islands, including Udo and Marado, are included.

Pre-registration opens September 8 at 10:00 a.m. and closes September 21 at 6:00 p.m. The ministry told Dong-A that if applications exceed the program budget, winners will be chosen by lottery, and selected teams will receive individual text-message instructions. After selection, travelers must complete their island trip within the validity window stated in that guidance, then submit round-trip ferry tickets, receipts, and other proof. Once verified, teams receive up to 100,000 won.

The full list of eligible islands is published on the campaign site visitisland.kr.

Why it matters outside Korea

Korea’s domestic tourism incentives often fly under the radar for expats and short-term visitors, yet they can materially change the cost of a fall weekend. This program is one of the clearest ferry-first island subsidies tied to overnight stays, not a generic “visit Korea” voucher usable only in Seoul hotels.

For English-speaking residents planning October or early-November trips, cooler weather and quieter ferry schedules on many coast islands overlap this window — when 163 destinations compete for the same reimbursement budget. Understanding the team cap and lottery gate helps set expectations: this is a limited fiscal nudge, not an open-ended travel grant.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Registration window is short and front-loaded: pre-applications run only Sept. 8–21. Missing that window means no reimbursement path, even if you later take a qualifying island trip before Nov. 4.
• Proof requirements are receipt-heavy: Dong-A specifies round-trip ferry tickets plus receipts for on-island spending. Save lodging, restaurant, and market receipts in Korean or English; partial documentation could delay payout after the verification step.
• Jeju main island vs. satellite islands: flying into Jeju City does not qualify the main island, but Udo or Marado ferry trips from Jeju may — confirm your exact island on visitisland.kr before booking.
• Team structure and the 100,000-won ceiling: coordinate who applies as one team and how costs split; the 100,000-won limit applies to the group total, so larger parties may still net only a partial offset against combined ferry and hotel bills.

Context

Read this as a lottery-gated, team-capped island rebate for ferry travelers, not as automatic cash back for any Korean island holiday. Dong-A’s core facts are Oct.–Nov. 4 travel window / up to 100,000 won per team / 163 boat-only islands / Jeju main excluded, Udo and Marado included / Sept. 8–21 pre-registration / lottery if oversubscribed. Korelay’s frame: the actionable signal is whether “Year of Island Visits” money actually shifts overnight demand to smaller ferry-served islands — or whether the 100,000-won team cap and lottery keep the benefit symbolic for most applicants.

Source

Dong-A Ilbo: 섬에서 1박 이상땐 최대 10만원 돌려받는다 — Korean original; paraphrased for briefing; read the original for full detail.