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'Food hunters' sparks enthusiasm for K-food with 10 mil. views on social media
Participants look around a special exhibition titled “Our Table” during a press preview at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, June 30. Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
The Korea Tourism Organization said Wednesday that its "K-Local Food Hunters 33" project surpassed 10 million cumulative views across major digital platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and YouTube. The organization gathered 33 prominent creators representing 13 countries and regions spanning China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas for the project, conducted in June, garnering an audience of around 29 million followers.
A captivating video by a Vietnamese creator featuring raw Korean beef claimed the top spot as the most popular content from the major international tourism initiative. The campaign, which generated roughly 900 social media posts promoting Korea’s diverse regional cuisine and culture, achieved massive global reach by connecting international food culture with authentic travel experiences across the nation.
Divided into groups, the content creators embarked on an immersive five-day, four-night journey across Gangwon, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces. They explored local attractions while sampling signature regional dishes and capturing authentic culinary moments. The standout hit of the entire campaign was a creative showcase of "hanwoo mungtigi" — thinly sliced raw Korean beef — which alone garnered approximately 447,000 views. Their culinary adventures captivated audiences with posts highlighting unconventional traditional delicacies such as "beondegi" (silkworm pupae) and "seonji guk" (congealed blood soup), generating significant online engagement and curiosity.
Capitalizing on this viral momentum, the KTO plans to launch a comprehensive global online promotional event on its integrated digital platform, VISITKOREA. Available in four languages including English, Japanese, and Chinese, the web event will highlight project moments, curate regional dining content and present an official list of 33 essential local foods to inspire prospective international travelers.
"K-food has the power to inspire travel when paired with compelling regional experiences," said Min Byung-sun, head of the KTO’s tourism industry division. "To turn interest in K-food into actual visits to Korea, we need specific content that helps travelers plan their routes. We will spread attractive food tourism content around the world by combining local food and travel in Korea."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.