Seoul Vibe offers glimpse of Korea’s influencer future
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He went on to note that Korea's influencer ecosystem has not yet fully entered the commerce phase, in which influencers sell products directly through livestreamed channels. Pointing to developments abroad, Park said, "Japan has recently expanded TikTok's platform by introducing 'commerce,' where products are sold in a home-shopping-style format," adding, "Korea has yet to fully enter the commerce space, but I believe this market will continue to grow."
According to Park, rising global interest in Korean influencers underpins that optimism. "In that sense, TikTok remains a platform with significant growth potential in Korea," he explained. "As TikTok evolves toward revenue-generating models, we are also considering expansion into live commerce in line with that trend."
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The halls of Dongdaemun Design Plaza pulsed with star power Monday night as influencers, models and actors converged for Seoul Vibe, a high-profile influencer networking event held in the heart of the capital.
Decked out in statement dresses, polished glam and expertly styled hair, roughly 450 attendees turned the venue into a showcase of Seoul’s creator economy. The event brought together digital tastemakers across fashion, beauty, wellness and entertainment for an evening that blended business with entertainment.
Seoul Vibe was co-hosted by Choi Yoo-jin, chief professor of the Influencer MBA program at Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies and the Seoul Business Agency, a Seoul Metropolitan Government body established to boost Seoul's economy by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.
Designed to spotlight the expanding influencer commerce sector, the event combined networking with business-to-business meetings between brands and creators, alongside lighter programming such as dance performances, interactive games and quizzes with prizes.
Spanning two floors, the first level served as a marketplace and meeting hub, featuring various brand booths -- largely SMEs from the K-beauty sector -- where guests sampled trending K-beauty products while holding one-on-one discussions with marketers to explore potential collaborations.
Park Myung-wan, head of Pick Entertainment and organizer of the event for the second consecutive year, said this year’s edition placed a clear emphasis on global expansion. Pick Entertainment operates as an agency representing TikTok creators and influencers.
“Compared to last year, we placed a stronger emphasis on expanding our global business. Rather than stopping at networking and simply getting to know one another, the idea is to move toward real collaboration -- shooting advertisements, producing dramas, and ultimately working to build a ‘K-(commerce) live’ culture through continued exchange,” Park said.
He went on to note that Korea’s influencer ecosystem has not yet fully entered the commerce phase, in which influencers sell products directly through livestreamed channels. Pointing to developments abroad, Park said, “Japan has recently expanded TikTok’s platform by introducing ‘commerce,’ where products are sold in a home-shopping-style format,” adding, “Korea has yet to fully enter the commerce space, but I believe this market will continue to grow.”
According to Park, rising global interest in Korean influencers underpins that optimism. “In that sense, TikTok remains a platform with significant growth potential in Korea,” he explained. “As TikTok evolves toward revenue-generating models, we are also considering expansion into live commerce in line with that trend.”
Among the notable influencer attendees were On Oppa, a Seoul City ambassador and creator behind TikTok channel @korea.on, which boasts 20.9 million followers.
Opportunities for exchanges among influencers remain limited, according to Yoo On, better known as On Oppa.
“There really aren’t many dedicated networking spaces for influencers,” he said.
“Since this is still a relatively new profession, there isn’t an established roadmap for growth. That’s why gatherings like this, where people can exchange insights and create synergy, are incredibly valuable," said On.
He added that collaboration across niches can be particularly powerful. “Everyone has different audiences and specialties, and when creators work together, their fan bases cross over. That kind of cross-pollination leads to real momentum.”
“Wellness is no longer just about dieting, it’s expanding into a much broader concept,” said Park Ye-na, a wellness creator who runs the Instagram account @nana__fit_. “There’s growing interest in healthy beauty and a healthy body overall, and I came here hoping to connect with brands that share that vision.”
The second floor leaned into celebration, transforming into a lively social space where influencers, models and actors mingled over drinks and finger foods while participating in games and quizzes. The night was punctuated by special performances from fusion performance group Artif and rapper Jeong Sang-su, who delivered crowd favorites, including “Don’t Speak Informally.”
Seoul Vibe is part of Seoul City’s year-end cultural festival SeoulCon, which runs through Thursday. Alongside Seoul Vibe, the opening day also featured the 2025 SeoulCon X APAN Star Awards, a ceremony honoring achievements across Korea’s entertainment landscape, including terrestrial broadcasters, cable networks, general programming channels and streaming platforms. Additional programming included K-Beauty Boost, which brought international beauty creators to Korea for hands-on brand experiences, as well as a cosplay fan meetup.
Upcoming SeoulCon events include the Billboard 130 exhibition, hosted by Billboard Korea and tracing 130 years of Korean pop music, along with the SeoulCon Mega Influencer EDM Party alongside other flagship programs. For detailed information, visit the official SeoulCon website.
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