S.Korean gov't unveils new K-tourism video ads

The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, along with the Korea Tourism Organization, announced on Tuesday that they have launched the Challenge Korea campaign. 

The goal of this campaign is to succeed in the Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 initiative and attract 30 million foreign tourists by 2027, with a particular focus on the global MZ generation.

As part of the Challenge Korea campaign, the new Korean tourism overseas advertisement for 2023 was unveiled on the same date at 10 a.m. through the Korea Tourism Organization's YouTube channel, Imagine Your Korea.

The Challenge Korea campaign features actor Lee Jung-jae, the honorary promotional ambassador for both the Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 and Korean tourism. The advertisement is segmented into four distinct parts: dance, food, photo spots, and future.

The ad will be broadcast on landmark billboards in approximately 10 countries globally, from July through October. In a precedent-setting move, 3D ads will be broadcasted on digital billboards at New York's Times Square and Tokyo's Shinjuku.

The campaign also targets the global MZ generation (born between the early 1980s and early 2000s) with broadcasts on digital media platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok in 22 countries.

In conjunction with the launch, the Challenge Korea Week will run at the HiKR Ground, an eXtended Reality Korea promotional hall set up by the Korea Tourism Organization, until July 2. Visitors can explore a variety of exhibits, including an overseas advertising archive zone showcasing the history of ads from 2010 to 2022, as well as the new 2023 ad.

The Challenge Korea Content Awards drew participation from 1,630 individuals, unearthing attractive video and image content that highlights the allure of Korea. Following expert evaluations, 26 works will be selected and celebrated in an awards ceremony on June 30 at HiKR Ground, with the winning content to be utilized in future Korean tourism overseas advertising.

Write to Young Chan Song at 0full@hankyung.com