Budding influencers gain experience by promoting Korea to an international audience

In an age when all you need is a smartphone and a thirst for fame to make a name for yourself, it's hardly a surprise that more and more people are turning to content creation. To foster a better environment for all these budding influencers...

Dawn Naval, a participant in the 2022 Wow Korea Supporters program, poses during the closing ceremony last year. [DAWN PATRICE JAMILA NAVAL]

In an age when all you need is a smartphone and a thirst for fame to make a name for yourself, it's hardly a surprise that more and more people are turning to content creation. To foster a better environment for all these budding influencers, many local organizations are offering programs to support this growing cottage industry.

International students that aspire to be content creators in Korea are welcome to tap into the programs that the following organizations provide.

A poster for the Asia Exchange Association’s 2023 Content Creator Academy Recruitment [ASIA EXCHANGE ASSOCIATION]

Asia Exchange Association

The Asia Exchange Association’s Content Creator Academy offers a month-long educational program in media management through two courses on using Adobe Premier Pro and content creation assignments. Participants can utilize information from the courses to create freeform video on environmental, social and corporate governance issues and have their content evaluated by the course instructors.

The academy started its second round of recruitment this February. Although the program is currently offered exclusively to Korean nationals, the organizers plan to expand the program to include other Asian students in the future. The program is sponsored by Lotte Home Shopping and the Korea Radio Promotion Association.

The academy starts its recruitment process every February and participants may apply in pairs or individuals. Interested students can apply through the Google form on the Asia Exchange Association website (asiaea.or.kr) and receive additional information on the Instagram account (@aea_gram).

An Instagram post for the Indonesian Wow Korea supporters’ program shows how to eat one meal in Seoul for under 10,000 won ($7). [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Korea Tourism Organization

Individuals who are interested in creating and promoting social media content on Korean tourism and culture can take a close look at what the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has to offer. The KTO accounts dedicated to almost every country in Southeast Asia and the Middle East hold supporter programs every year. Supporters working in Korea have a chance to network with other influencers based in the other country.

For instance, KTO’s Indonesian branch held their Wow Korea Supporters 2023 program this February and selected 40 individuals to promote Korean tourism to an Indonesian audience.

Every KTO account has different policies and recruitment periods, but most countries start in February or March, so it is advised to follow the KTO Instagram account of the country of choice and look out for application notices.

Koreaz Honorary Reporters participating in the 2022 Koreaz Global Festival. [KOREAZ HONORARY REPORTERS]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Korea holds the Koreaz Honorary Reporter Program every April. The program selects 15 Korean students and 10 international students to create content related to Korea's public diplomacy. The content includes attending the Koreaz Global Festival, writing articles on Korean culture and creating card news or reels promoting Korean student life.

The program is recommended to those who have a high level of understanding and interest in Korea and digital public diplomacy, enjoy using social media and can actively cover and produce video content.

A poster for JeongSun social media supporters’ recruitment, part of the Gangwondo Transportation Leaders program [GOGOGANGWON]

Programs by province

Regional supporter programs are available within different provinces as well. For instance, Gangwon has the Gogogangwon Tourism Program that sponsors posts by content creators that introduce different places within the province.

Interestingly, for this program, cities in Gangwon hold separate auditions to recruit “GT Leaders,” which stands for Gangwondo Transportation Leaders. New influencers can apply to be supporters in different cities to participate in field trips around the province via public transportation.

The application for GT Leaders is typically held from July to August. New content creators who have an interest in promoting Gangwon are advised to follow the Gangwon Instagram account (@gogogangwon) for further notices.

Outside of Gangwon, the Busan Foundation for International Cooperation invites interested individuals to join their Expat Community Support Team where students can take part in cultural events supporting foreign communities (bfic.kr). Gyeonggi Tourism Organization also invites supporters to write for their newsletters and create Instagram posts (@gyeonggi_tour_en).

BY STUDENT REPORTER RYU JI-HYO [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]