By Honorary Reporter Rolly Garcia from Romania
Photos = Rolly Garcia

During my trip to Korea from July 2-17, I met Woo Yoon-sik, who is the co-founder and COO of the app “My Xyes,” a Korean-developed app for promoting Korean culture. I hooked up with Woo on July 15, and he spoke about his dedication to preserving and sharing the unique aspects of Korean heritage through technology.

Briefly introduce yourself.
I worked in different areas before I became the co-founder of My Xyes in February this year. I worked as a movie director from 2017 to 2019 and was nominated for awards at independent film festivals in Seoul and Busan. I also worked at Dreamchip Col Ltd, for the sales marketing and management team from 2019 to 2023.

From KOREA to the WORLD: Promoting Korean Culture With Mr. Woo Yoon-sik 

What inspired you to create the app My Xyes?
I wanted to create a photo-sharing app that ordinary people could enjoy comfortably. Instagram is used by 2.5 billion people around the world, but I felt like it had become a community where people posted fake photos of their face and body. The algorithm is also focused on good-looking faces.

We created the app My Xyes because we wanted to represent how the world is reflected in people's eyes. It is a faceless social media app and a community where ordinary people can comfortably share their daily lives with the world.

What unique feature does My Xyes offer that is different from other social media apps?
The biggest difference is that on My Xyes, users don’t have to share their own faces. They simply post what they see in front of them at the moment.

How does this app serve as a platform for promoting Korean culture?
The app creates an inclusive space for cultural exchange by encouraging users to share their own photographs, experiences and stories about Korea. This in turn breaks down barriers and fosters a global community based on appreciation and understanding.

The poster campaign of MY XYES: Virtual Tour To Korea - Enjoy K-Place only on MY XYES 

How do you ensure the users’ privacy and data security?
We are under the international agreement called the End-User License Agreement (EULA). This is a regulation that applies to all countries. Also, the app was built with such immaculate code that there is less than a 1 percent chance of being hacked.

How do you improve the service provided by My Xyes?
We receive feedback from our users through Instagram, WhatsApp and KakaoTalk, and try to solve their inconveniences with instant responses. An update is made at least once every two weeks unless it is an update for the user interface.

This is my content in the app as I wish to promote Korean Culture to the world 

Did you have any difficulties in the process of making the app?
App development is the hardest part as we have to work in detail to avoid any errors. Also, being cost-effective is also important in order to create maximum efficiency and value while saving costs for operating the server.

How successful is My Xyes so far?
I think the app is doing fairly well as users send us positive feedback saying that they enjoyed a virtual tour of Korea through My Xyes, or that they found the app to be quite relaxing. Also, the number of daily active users is continuously increasing as well as the number and frequency of posts.

What is your future goal for My Xyes?
Our goal for the next six months is to turn 10,000 of our community members who love photography and traveling into My Xyes users. We are currently collaborating with 10 community leaders, while continuously promoting the app on various social media platforms. Within three years, My Xyes will hopefully become a “No Face Social App” used across the globe. The fundamental goal of this app is to become a “real” social media app that focuses on ordinary daily life in Korea.

Mr. Woo Yoon-sik, COO & Co-founder MY XYES