How South Korea Attracts Tourists Using Squid Game and NewJeans as Tourism Ambassadors

Tourism ambassadors, such as the K-pop group NewJeans and Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae, are generating promotional videos with hundreds of millions of views, opening doors for South Korea to welcome more international tourists.

On July 21st, a representative from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam stated that South Korea's tourism ambassadors are currently designated as honorary ambassadors and are selected by KTO's headquarters. These ambassadors typically sign contracts for one to two years and are often influential singers or actors in Korea and globally.

Furthermore, KTO branches worldwide can also select honorary ambassadors who are influential Koreans residing in the respective countries. For instance, in Vietnam, national football team head coach Kim Sang-sik was appointed South Korea's Tourism Ambassador to Vietnam in June. However, ambassadors chosen by KTO branches generally have fewer activities compared to those selected in Korea.

Meanwhile, ambassadors based in South Korea often leave a significant mark in tourism promotion. In July 2024, the K-pop group NewJeans was appointed as South Korea's Honorary Tourism Ambassador with the goal of targeting global tourists aged 20-30. Statistics show that among international visitors...

The photo of NewJeans was once placed at Incheon Airport to promote South Korean tourism while the group served as ambassadors. Photo: News1

According to Nate, the primary reason tourists visit South Korea is "exposure to Hallyu content (Korean films, music, and culture)," accounting for 32.1% of interest. This is why NewJeans was selected to launch a tourism campaign specifically targeting the younger generation, a group that makes up one-third of international visitors.

Four promotional videos featuring NewJeans, themed "Streets," "Night," "Adventure," and "Rest," garnered approximately 300 million views within a year of their release. This demonstrates the success of leveraging the popularity of K-pop idols to boost tourism demand. Before NewJeans, KTO had appointed other major stars like Lee Jung-jae (2023), the lead actor from the Squid Game series, and even the globally renowned group BTS in 2022.

The 2023 South Korea tourism advertisement "Challenge Korea - Lee Jung-jae" achieved a staggering 540 million views globally. This immense appeal contributed to South Korea's international tourism promotion YouTube channel, "Imagine Your Korea," becoming the first national tourism organization (NTO) channel in the world to reach one million subscribers in February 2024.

A report titled "The Impact of Hallyu Content Exports on Overseas Tourism," published in the "May 2024 Financial Forum" by the Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF), indicates a significant correlation between the export of Hallyu content and an increase in the number of foreign tourists.

Analysis from the Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF) consistently shows a strong link between the global popularity of Hallyu content and an increase in foreign visitors to South Korea. Specifically, a 1% increase in the export value of Hallyu TV programs leads to a 0.176% rise in the number of international tourists. For the music industry, a 1% growth in album exports corresponds to a 0.074% increase in foreign visitors.

A Q4 2023 survey by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute further corroborated these findings, revealing that 31.9% of international tourists cited "exposure to Hallyu content" as their primary reason for being interested in visiting South Korea, making it the highest-ranking factor. Earlier, in 2018, the Hyundai Research Institute estimated that the global phenomenon BTS contributed to attracting an average of 796,000 foreign tourists annually.

In early July, according to Allkpop, a promotional poster featuring NewJeans at Incheon Airport was reportedly replaced with an image of IU, the lead actress from the hit drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" that premiered earlier this year. While no official announcement has been made, many Korean social media users believe that IU is set to become the next Honorary Tourism Ambassador for South Korea.

"IU is the best star Korea has," one user commented, with another adding, "This is IU's year." Meanwhile, many others are also hopeful that BTS will once again take on the role of tourism ambassadors, highlighting the significant impact these globally recognized figures have on promoting South Korea as a travel destination.

Hoài Anh