K-pop sensation NewJeans has become an honorary ambassador to promote Korea to the world, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Thursday.
“It is a great honor to be appointed as honorary ambassadors for Korean tourism,” the group said during the appointment ceremony in Seoul. “We will take the lead in promoting Korean culture and tourism to the world.”
The ministry and the KTO appointed the K-pop group as honorary ambassadors to broaden Korea’s reach to the younger generation of inbound travelers, who account for one in every three visitors to Korea.
According to the ministry’s survey, 35.6 percent of inbound visitors last year were under 30, while an overwhelming 84 percent were independent travelers.
The survey also showed that hallyu, or the Korean wave, was the biggest motivating factor for travelers to visit Korea, with 32.1 percent of respondents saying so.
NewJeans appeared in two videos the KTO released on its YouTube channel, Imagine Your Korea, on the same day.
Titled “Koreans’ Korea,” the two commercials are each themed around Korean gastronomy and experiences Koreans enjoy and recommend.
For example, members visit traditional markets to dip gimbap in tteokbokki, enjoy a cup of instant noodles after hiking and eat Chungmu gimbap at the beach.
They are seen traveling the countryside, touring coffee shops and experiencing a one-day class on making lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
The videos will be displayed on electric signboards at 14 major cities’ tourism landmarks in 12 countries, including New York’s 토토 Times Square, Tokyo and Beijing, until October.
During the Paris Summer Olympics, short-form versions of the videos will be shown on digital screens throughout the city.
The ministry has appointed renowned celebrities, such as actor Lee Jung-jae in 2023 and BTS in 2022, as honorary ambassadors for Korean tourism.
“The ministry hopes that NewJeans’ ads will inspire young people around the world to imprint Korean tourism in a sophisticated manner and motivate them to visit and experience the real Korea,” Culture Minister Yoo In-chon said.