K-pop idols take on new challenge with YouTube language and culture project
BTS performs at the Grammy Awards ceremony held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April. AFP-Yonhap
K-pop idols are stepping beyond the stage to explore Korean language and culture through a three-part YouTube series produced by the King Sejong Institute Foundation in collaboration with SBS.
The series features popular artists engaging with Korean language learners worldwide through competitions, proficiency assessments and special lessons.
The second episode, set for release Saturday at 2 p.m., will feature Ricky of AND2BLE and Mǎ Jingxiang of CLOSE YOUR EYES competing against eight outstanding Korean language learners.
The participants were selected from the winners of the 2026 King Sejong Institute Korean Speaking and Writing Contest, which attracted 3,715 applicants from 75 countries and 178 institutions. The episode will also reunite Ricky and Mǎ Jingxiang, who previously competed on the same team in an audition program in 2023.
In November, boy group VERIVERY will become honorary Korean language teachers at the King Sejong Institute in Jakarta, Indonesia. The five members will conduct a special class using their own song lyrics, explaining their meanings and introducing useful everyday Korean expressions.
The first episode, released on Oct. 17, featured RESCENE members Minami and May taking the Sejong Korean Language Assessment speaking test. The video surpassed one million YouTube views within seven days.
The collaboration aims to connect global interest in K-pop with Korean language learning and cultural experiences. The foundation currently supports 273 King Sejong Institutes across 89 countries.
The episodes are available on the foundation’s official YouTube channel.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.