A YouTuber from Sweden who runs the channel Swegukin in Korea / Captured from YouTube
Korea is doubling down on its global cultural reach by enlisting more than 1,000 foreign content creators to flood YouTube with videos about Korean life, from subway rides to pop choreography.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it selected 1,152 participants from 98 countries for the seventh cohort of its “K-influencer” program, a government initiative that recruits foreign YouTubers to promote Korean culture worldwide.
The program launches at 3 p.m. Thursday with an inauguration ceremony at the Arirang International Broadcasting Studio, with overseas participants joining via livestream.
Officials said the scale of this year’s recruitment marked a record high in applications, reflecting surging global interest in Korea’s cultural exports.
A total of 4,184 applicants from 134 countries applied during the March 27 to April 17 recruitment period. The ministry said Asia accounted for 37.3 percent of applicants, followed by South America at 19.6 percent, Africa at 19.4 percent and Europe at 11.6 percent.
Participants will produce videos on Korean culture, history and daily life, and cover cultural events overseas. The ministry said it will provide artificial intelligence training, expert consultations and workshops to support content production.
Five top performers will be selected at the end of the year and awarded a Korea travel package.
A ministry official said the program has become more than a content initiative, describing participants as cultural ambassadors who introduce Korea to global audiences.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
