skchin

How about revisiting this topic again, to create a Korea Forum. Korea Forum serving both South and North topics. Since there are less than hand-full of North Korea related threads per year, creating guidelines on clear titles can be enforced. With so few NK topics, confusion I would think will be minimum. I would suggest that If demand for NK topics become more popular, future review for subforum can be considered.

Drawing from example of Spain/Portugal/Gibraltar Forum, Korean Peninsula sub-title should work.

With Dining Forum and Asia Forum filled with travelers wanting to know more about Korean cusine, culture, and travel, will no doubt keep the Korea Forum bustling with traffic.

Who will benefit from Korea Forum?:
1. Skyteam and Star Alliance Mileage Runners. KE and OZ!
2. Air travelers connecting via ICN (Voted as top 3 best airport in the world 5 years running)
3. Visitors to Korea
4. US service members stationed in South Korea.
5. Business travelers. (Korea is home to Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, and others... Ranked 15th largest economy.)
6. Everyone else interested Korean food, K-Pop, and dramas...

Upcomming Major World Tourist Events:
South Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
http://www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018-winter-olympics

Past Major World Tourist Events:
Having already hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics.
http://www.olympic.org/seoul-1988-summer-olympics
Co-hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2002.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive...395/index.html

Current FT Korea-based Airline Forums:
Korea is home to 2 of FT's favorite Asia-based airlines: Asiana and Korean Airlines.
Don't forget the less known North Korean Flagship, Goryo Airline.

Asiana Forum currently has 1544 Threads with more than 14,335 posts.
Korean Airlines Forum currently has 951 Threads and 6,614 posts.
In Asia Forum, Korea related questions are a regular fare.

Tourism Stats:
According to "wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings"...
In the Asia and the Pacific region, South Korea had the 7th most tourist arrival in the region, with 9.6 Million people in 2011. Ranking above India with 6.29 million and Japan with 6.22 million tourists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

How is South Korea ranked among world economy?"
Based on "2011 List by the International Monetary Fund"...
Ranked 15th with $1,116,247 (Millions of US)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...y_GDP_(nominal)

In the last 3 months, what kinds of topics are being raised by FlyerTalk members in Asia Forum, regarding Korea?

"First trip to Seoul - therefore noob questions!"
"Seoul and Paris - what to do? Where to stay?
"Expo 2012 - Yeosu, South Korea"
"Early Arrival into Seoul, what can I do?"
"ICN transit hotel?"
"Metro Hotel Seoul"
"5 hour layover in ICN Seoul"
"South Korea begins work on high speed rail for 2018 Olympics"
"Busan - Korea"
"Seoul - Taipei - Tokyo"
"Best way to get Won currency in South Korea?
"If you could only eat one meal in Seoul...where?
"North Korea"
Connection Time in Seoul ICN"
"Seoul hotels"

Are FT Members in terested in North Korea?:
"North Korea" key word shows 102 Threads and 499 Posts.

You want to go where?

I am sure someone will be along shortly who can provide the standard recommendations for what kind of information can help you convince the Talkboard of the value of this forum.

Based on other successful requests for forums that I have seen, you may want to justify it further by counting the number of threads in the past month which would have been included in the Korea forum, had it existed. I presume that the thread counts you listed were for the Asiana and Korean Airlines forums as a whole, which doesn't really inform people as to how much the Korea forum itself would be used.

That said, I find it hard to believe that there would be sufficient traffic to justify a separate North Korea subforum, as there simply isn't enough traffic to the country. The fact that it is hard to travel to (and that, as a consequence, among other things, a reason that few people actually go there) is a reason not to create a forum. Regarding the idea of an overall Korea forum, I did a quick review of the Asiana, Korean Airlines, and Asia forums over the past two months. There were no threads in either of the airlines forums which were not airline related other than the two threads you created to point to this one. In the Asia forum, there were 10 threads about South Korea. There were no threads about North Korea. I don't know whether the Talkboard would consider that sufficient volume to justify a separate forum.

skchin

FT members have been traveling to North Korea and there are threads regarding how to get there.
1. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...stination.html
2. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...rea-maybe.html
3. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...rth-korea.html

tcook052

skchin has made a good case for the creation of a Korea forum and it has my support. ^

I travelled to ICN in 2010 and of course did plenty of FT research and having all the topics consolidated into a single forum would be a huge convenience to others planning future trips or keeping up with Korea topics.

Cholula

I'll fully support the creation of this new Forum.

Dovster

As do I -- the business traffic alone between the US and South Korea warrants it. The tourist traffic would be the icing on the cake.

You want to go where?

Yes, they do. I have read at least one trip report, possibly two, from travelers who have been to North Korea. However, three threads (or even the 10 I count since 2006) are not the basis for a sub-forum. If there is enough interest to sustain a Korea forum, which I am uncertain of, but I can conceive of the possibility, then it would make sense for North Korea to be included there, but to carve out a sub-forum just for North Korea which would have one thread every year or two just doesn't make sense.

To quote the Talkboard's posted criteria, "one living forum is more valuable than two mostly dead ones."

MVF Trekker

Will the forum be split in North and South Korea? It may be organized and relevant for some if it is.

lin821

FWIW, here's the previous lengthy discussion thread on the same proposal from OP almost 3 years ago:

Proposal: Destination Korea Forum (North and South)

Other than we have a new TB to review this "revived" proposal, I am not sure if things have changed significantly as far as Korea threads go on FT.

bhatnasx

Although I wasn't as supportive last time around, I'm more now.

skchin

Since 2007, several things have changed.
1. US and South Korea has signed a free trade agreement.
2. South Koreans no longer requires a tourist visa to visit US.

You want to go where?

The question I would ask is: Have things changed here on flyertalk? I don't question that the outside world has changed, but what has changed (or do we expect to change) here on Flyertalk to justify a different decision from last time?

I still reiterate my objection to the idea of a separate North Korea subforum. It would make more sense to create a subforum for every country in Europe before creating one for North Korea. If there is sufficient reason to create a Korea forum let it cover both North and South Korea.

skchin

Bulk of the Korea Forum will be regarding South Korea, probably less than 10% of content will be regarding North Korea. In that sense, North Korea subforum may not be necessary. Thus I'm pulling back on the subforum idea.

You want to go where?

Having resolved the North Korea forum issue, then let's take a look at some of the things that make a successful forum.

It is obvious that you are passionate about this issue. Are there others who will also involve themselves in this forum to help make it successful?

I also reiterate my suggestion that you identify the number of threads over the last few months which would have been located in the Korea forum, had it existed. That is one of the easiest ways to demonstrate that there is an unmet need.

stimpy

I support a Korean Forum. My gosh if we can have a Singapore forum, we can have a Korea forum. Let's examine why we have a Singapore forum. It is because we have a heavy number of Star Alliance posters, mostly United. And people like mileage runs to Singapore due mainly to the distance. If that is enough to justify a forum, then all the things the OP listed certainly qualify for Korea. And I do think there will be traffic to this new forum.