Seoul targets Muslim tourists with Malaysian YouTube stars

The Ming brothers / Courtesy of The Ming Thing

By Hong Dam-young

Seoul plans to promote the city to Muslim tourists by featuring YouTube stars from an Islamic nation in a promotional video that is due out next month.

The city, aiming to brand Seoul as a familiar and comfortable city for Muslim tourists, will use the Ming brothers from Malaysia -- Ho Ming Han, 28, and Ho Ming Yue, 27 -- local YouTube stars and content directors.

The brothers are visiting Seoul’s major tourist spots, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower and Lotte World, from Oct. 25-27. They also will visit the city’s Muslim venues, including halal restaurants and oratories.

The brothers’ Seoul experiences will be made into videos and shared on their YouTube channel,

“The Ming Thing,”

and

Seoul City’s official YouTube channel

early next month.

N, the leader of K-pop boy band Vixx and a Korean Wave celebrity in Malaysia, also features in the videos.

“We hope Muslim tourists can perceive Seoul as an attractive and comfortable city after they see the videos,” a city official said.

Meanwhile, “The Ming Thing” has been earning global popularity, featuring Malaysian talent in lighthearted and comical videos. The channel has recorded more than 320,000 viewers.