Chae Su-hee (sitting eighth from left in front row), director general of the Global Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on April 29 poses for a group photo at the induction ceremony for this year's K-influencers at KOCIS (Korean Culture and Information Service) Center in Seoul's Jung-gu District.

By Margareth Theresia
Photos = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

About 2,800 foreign promoters of Korean culture from around the world have launched their activities.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 29 hosted the induction ceremony for the K-influencers at KOCIS (Korean Cultural and Information Service) Center in Seoul's Jung-gu District. About 1,300 global content creators took part in the event both on- and offline and received certificates of appointment.

At the same venue the next day, Korea.net Honorary Reporters will also receive their certificates to start their official activities.

This year's class comprises 1,303 K-influencers from 95 countries and 1,498 Honorary Reporters from 101 states. They will take the lead in promoting tourism in Korea like tourist attractions, food and cultural content as well as government policy and lifestyle in 10 languages.

Since their inception in 2020, K-influencers have created over 20,000 pieces of video content. Among this year's class, Asia led all regions with 41.5% of the appointees, followed by Africa with 17.5% and North America 14.5%.

Notable K-influencers include Pragati Verma, a YouTuber from India with 24 million subscribers, and vlogger Paola Valencia from Mexico.

Known for her witty shorts, Verma said, "My aspiration is to authentically showcase the richness of Korean culture by creating unique content that brings them closer to its traditions, trends and everyday life from a fresh, personal perspective."

Valencia pledged to "produce diverse content ranging from K-pop cover dance to interviews of Korean figures in culture and arts."

This is the official poster of the induction ceremony for this year's class of Korea.net Honorary Reporters at KOCIS Center on April 30 in Seoul's Jung-gu District.

Launched in 2011, the Honorary Reporter program has foreign content creators living in or out of Korea cover Korean culture, events and policy in 10 languages. This year's class will begin activities after their induction ceremony on April 30.

To back K-influencers and Honorary Reporters, the ministry plans to offer education on content creation and interactive programs. This year, the focus is on promoting diverse cultural assets such as tourist attractions in small cities and regional cultural heritage.

"K-inlfuencers and Korea.net Honorary Reporters are messengers who connect the world and Korea," said Chae Su-hee, director general of the ministry's Global Public Relations Bureau. "The ministry will support them to allow them more in-depth and diverse experiences."

margareth@korea.kr