1 of 5 | NewJeans members Hanni, Haerin, Danielle and Minji, from left to right, appear on stage at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday. The K-pop group was named honorary ambassador for Korean tourism for 2024. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, July 11 (UPI) — K-pop superstars NewJeans were appointed honorary ambassadors for Korean tourism for 2024 on Thursday in an effort to attract young visitors to the country.
The quintet — consisting of members Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Danielle and Hyein — took on their new roles in a ceremony held at a hotel in Seoul. New commercials and print campaigns featuring the group were also unveiled.
At the event, South Korean Tourism Minister Yu In-chon said the country is looking to capitalize on the global popularity of K-culture to entice travelers as the industry rebounds from a pandemic lull.
“We announced that we want to welcome 20 million tourists this year, and so far, about 7.65 million people have visited Korea,” Yu said. “We have recovered from the pandemic by nearly 90% compared to the previous year.”
According to the ministry, more than 35% of visitors in 2023 were under 30 years old and members of that demographic cited Hallyu, or the “Korean Wave” of popular culture, as their top interest.
“We have high expectations that more people from all over the world will visit us in the second half of the year as NewJeans serves as an honorary ambassador for Korean tourism,” Yu said.
NewJeans, which debuted in 2022, has rapidly become one of the most popular girl groups in the world with hits such as “Super Shy,” “Bubble Gum,” “Ditto,” “Attention” and “OMG.”
Last month, the band made their debut in Japan with the single “Supernatural.”
“I am really happy to have been appointed as an ambassador for promoting Korean tourism,” Minji, one of four members present at the ceremony, said. “I will happily take the lead in promoting Korea’s diverse charms.”
A fifth member, Hyein, was unable to attend.
New commercials unveiled Thursday by the Korea Tourism Organization feature the band as insider guides to attractions that can’t be found by simply searching online.
Under the banner of “Koreans’ Korea,” one of the new spots highlights hip cafe tours, esports events, mother-of-pearl craft courses and rural experiences. A food-themed commercial has the group showcasing soups at traditional markets and fried chicken picnics along Seoul’s Han River.
The videos will be shown on electronic billboards in 12 cities around the world including New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Dubai and Mexico City. During the Paris Olympics, they will play on digital screens throughout the French capital.
Leveraging the popularity of the country’s biggest stars has become a key component of South Korea’s tourism drive.
Last month, the country introduced a new K-culture visa for foreigners to receive entertainment industry training. The visa, which will be launched on a trial basis this year, allows visitors to stay in South Korea for extended periods while studying in fields such as K-pop, choreography and modeling.
The government has set a target of 30 million tourists visiting Korea and $30 billion in tourism revenue by 2027.
Previous honorary tourism ambassadors include A-list figures such as K-pop boy band BTS and Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae.