By Honorary Reporter Katrina A. Noble from the Philippines
Photo= Katrina A. Noble

Do you want to tour Korea, learn about Korean history or learn the Korean language through K-dramas? 

The recently launched Korea.net Live is a 24-hour livestreamed YouTube channel featuring Korean content such as culture, dramas, music and food. True to its motto, it is the gateway to Korea.

Last month, my fellow K-influencers and I were tasked with monitoring the channel at specific times and reviewing the content aired. In my case, I monitored Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time (KST) and Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. KST. The experience proved that I still have much to learn about a country I want to discover more of.

The following are my five favorite programs on the channel.

1. 'Sarangbang Talk' by KCC in Australia

The episode I watched was during Season 2 at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Sydney. Participants tried a wide range of Korean cuisine and shared their experiences when they were in Korea. As a viewer, I felt it was motivating to see that they learned the language well. Though they were Aussies, they were quite fluent in Korean. Additionally, I liked how they integrated a bit of Australian culture, especially when they mentioned the Australian seasoning vegemite and compared it to the taste of doenjang (soybean paste).

2. Interview with Krew TV Seconds at KCC in Philippines

When the KCC in the Philippines aired these videos, I felt proud as a Filipino. The editing was superb and entertaining to watch, and I was glad that K-culture in my country was introduced to Korea.net's global audience so impressively. The raw footage showed just how Hallyu has affected life in the archipelago. Many Koreans joined in on the games and the interview as well, thus it represented the connection between Filipinos and Koreans.

3. 'Follow Follow Me' 

This program features interviews with famous and successful YouTubers who deal with Korean topics like DKDKTV, We Fancy, Megan Bowen, Nalu, Sean Pablo, Hyun Woo of TalkToMeInKorean, Sissel, Q2han and Gotoe. They give tips to K-influencers and other makers of Korea-related videos. Their words of wisdom have inspired and motivated beginners like me, and I'm sure other K-influencers enjoyed the interviews and gained new insights as well.

4. 'Learn Korean through K-dramas' 

King Sejong Institute's K-Academy always provides videos helpful to students of the Korean language who want high quality content. The ones teaching the materials in the videos are linguistically accomplished professionals like announcers and reporters, so proper guidance on Korean pronunciation is assured. Furthermore, the "Learn Korean through K-dramas" segment allows people to learn Korean while watching dramas. The idea is for students to hear common conversations in Korea through dramas, after which common patterns or phrases are explained. Sounds fun, right? The K-dramas featured are provided by the cable channel KBS Drama.

5. Korean cultural heritage 

My interest in Korean history is why I love this content. For Korea lovers who want to delve deeper into Korean history and heritage, this is a must-watch. Such heritage includes landscapes, artworks, artifacts, traditions and the Korean language. The episode I watched featured the history of Hangeul from the classic textbook of Hangeul, Hunminjeongeum (The Proper Sounds to Instruct the People)." Moreover, it also featured rock carvings of Korea's ancestors and even the fashion and history behind Hanbok.

Korea.net also has three subchannels: K-influencer, Korea Trend and Korea in the World. K-influencer is a playground for creators of Korean content worldwide and features tutorials and other interesting topics. Korea Trend presents reports on the latest Korean trends popular abroad. And Korea in the World highlights videos from KCCs in 28 countries as well as presents online concerts, art exhibitions, movies, K-pop, sports, animation and food. 

chaey0726@korea.kr


*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.