By Kim Hyelin

Photos and video = Korea.net's official YouTube channel

Live broadcasts on Korea.net's YouTube channel, which offers real-time communication with Korea lovers around the world, along with information about various aspects of the country, have been reorganized. 

After the reshuffle on Feb. 13, the former three broadcasts a week have been changed to a streaming format four times a week from 2 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. Korean Standard Time (KST), Mondays through Thursdays. Foreign hosts will also now emcee the live programs.

On Mondays, "Hide and Seek with KOCNUNI" will air, highlighting local streets in real time while searching for a hidden KOCNUNI, the fluffy bird mascot of the Korean Culture and Information Service, based on hints found at numerous spots. 

"New Wave Busan," which promotes Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo and introduces the stages for preparing the bid, has been launched for Tuesdays. 

"K-pop Star Showcase," featuring real-time communication between K-pop idols and their global audience, and the "HAYIK Show," starring expats in Korea discussing their daily lives here, are streamed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, respectively. "HAYIK" is an acronym for "How are you in Korea."

A show featuring K-pop rookies introducing the genre's charms has also been reborn; while "K-influencers," foreign creators who produce promotional videos for Korea on their own, will continue to appear on programs.

Amazon gift cards worth USD 20 will be presented to viewers selected through comments and real-time events during the live streaming. The number of winners depends on each program's respective policies. 

This is the thumbnail for the first episode of Korea.net's live show "Hide and Seek with KOCNUNI."

In the opening week of the reorganized channel, the most popular show among viewers was "K-pop Star Showcase" featuring K-pop boy band BLANK2Y. The real-time communication between the K-pop group and its global fans via the show's segments, which included a self-introduction from each member, and an explanation of the Korean lyrics in their songs, drew a frenzied response. 

The talk-show in radio format "HAYIK Show" recorded the largest number of concurrent users with 2,544. Hosted by Lea, a former member of K-pop girl group Viva, K-influencers from Turkiye and Mexico discussed their daily lives in the previous month. 

Korea.net's YouTube channel opened a Multi-Channel Network (MCN) in May 2020 to transmit videos related to Korean culture 24 hours a day. The live broadcast targeting the global community features programs with English-speaking hosts communicating with audiences in real time. While the average number of concurrent users engaging in the broadcast was 333 in 2020, it increased to 1,170 this year. 

This is the schedule of Korea.net's live streaming in the first week of March.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr