□ A project that supports foreign online opinion leaders to learn about Korean culture, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), was carried out in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do from September 23 to 30.

□ Nine YouTube creators from Greece, Mexico, Morocco, the United States, Argentina, Egypt, India, Thailand, and the Philippines participated in this year’s project. They are creators interested in Hallyu with over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, the main platform through which Hallyu fans abroad consume Korean cultural content.

□ Over seven nights and eight days in Korea, the online influencers experienced a variety of Korean culture from traditional to daily life and Hallyu. In addition to K-beauty and K-pop, they tried on Korean traditional clothing called hanbok, made kimchi, experienced a temple stay, and will share their experiences with their subscribers abroad to quench their thirst for Korean culture.

□ KOFICE president Kim Yong-rak notes, “I hope this becomes an opportunity for the invited YouTube creators to deepen their understanding of Korean culture and for their subscribers around the world to encounter diverse aspects of Korean culture. I expect them to continue delivering various Hallyu content to Hallyu fans abroad who love Korean culture.”

□ One of the Indian participants, Anukriti Lamaniya, notes, “I had encountered Korean culture before only through dramas or music, and this opportunity has allowed me to better understand Korean culture by experiencing various sides of it. Based on what I learned this time, I will deliver more creative Hallyu content to my subscribers around the world.”