InterviewAspiring TV producer turns Winter Games assignment into breakthrough

Kim Min-seo, a Yonsei University student and member of the Woori Financial Group–sponsored Team Woori Supporters, poses while covering the women’s singles figure skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena during the 2026 Winter Olympics, Feb. 18. Courtesy of Kim Min-seo

Kim Min-seo, an aspiring television producer in her early 20s, says the 2026 Winter Olympics gave her invaluable hands-on experience through a Woori Financial Group-sponsored university media team, letting her develop producing skills that can only be gained in the field.

A Yonsei University junior, Kim found that her hard-fought efforts paid off, with the team’s clips and videos exceeding 1 million views on social media and achieving viral success.

The achievement was especially celebrated on university campuses, sparking curiosity among students about how their peers were able to cover the world’s largest winter sporting event and capture action-packed moments by Korean athletes.

Of the clips and videos produced, Kim noted, her work contributed to more than 650,000 clicks on Instagram and YouTube.

Kim Min-seo, a Yonsei University student and member of the Woori Financial Group–sponsored Team Woori Supporters, poses with Milan Cathedral in the background before filming at Korea House, Feb. 16. Courtesy of Kim Min-seo

During a phone interview with The Korea Times earlier this week, she said, “The process was often painful, but through this experience, I realized that I still love video production and have grown to cherish this world even more.”

She added, “It ultimately helped me solidify my career path.”

Kim was one of eight Team Woori Supporters who qualified through a rigorous selection process to cover the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The group — comprising undergraduate students and staff from ChungAng University, Sogang University and Yonsei University — was tasked with covering Team Korea’s competitions and related events during the final seven days of the Winter Games.

Woori Financial Group took care of all expenses, including airfare and accommodations, and organized the daily roles and assignments.

Of the three members from Yonsei University, one handled administrative tasks while another provided media support, assisting only with filming in the field, leaving Kim to tackle production, filming and editing virtually single-handedly.

Nevertheless, she said, “I learned to navigate demanding circumstances, finding alternatives and turning constraints into opportunities,” while completing an assignment of three short clips and one long-form production, and voluntarily creating two additional clips, all under a tight deadline.

For one clip, Kim switched things up by hitting the streets of Milan to interview international tourists about Korean short track speed skating, after realizing that her original plan might not get the response she expected.

To comply with copyright restrictions during the women’s singles figure skating competition, she filmed only moments involving the two Korean competitors — Lee Hae-in and Shin Ji-a — before and after the performance, capturing behind-the-scenes footage rather than the competition itself.

Kim also secured interview footage of Kwak Yoon‑gy, a Yonsei University alum and former Olympic short track athlete who served as a commentator at the 2026 Winter Olympics, despite the challenges posed by large crowds of fans.

“All these experiences helped me understand the more practical aspects of being a TV producer, working under pressure while keeping deadlines, and realizing the reality behind vague fantasies, such as the idea that producers often get paid to travel abroad for fun,” Kim said.

“Shooting abroad wasn’t always easy, but I was incredibly happy to be filming and honored to cover the Olympics as part of the press. I felt truly grateful to our sponsor, Woori Financial Group, for supporting me.”

Regarding her peers, she said she was happy that her work contributed to more than 650,000 views overall — including over 4,500 for her long-form video — despite the relatively lower public interest in and engagement with the 2026 Winter Olympics compared to previous editions.

“Since the Team Woori Supporters are made up of university students, many of them watched the content and were curious about what could be produced by people of their own age, as well as about athletes in the same age group,” she said. “I think the fact that these questions sparked genuine interest was meaningful in itself.”