Feel the Rhythm of Korea
South Korean tourism campaign blending tradition and modernity.
Feel the Rhythm of Korea is a marketing campaign run by the Korea Tourism Organization, a government agency of South Korea. The campaign features videos showcasing locations in the country, often blending modern adaptations of traditional Korean folk music with performances by media personalities, singers, and dancers in iconic or scenic settings. It has accumulated hundreds of millions of views across various platforms and has been met with acclaim for its mix of traditional and modern elements of Korean culture.
- Field
- Tourism marketing campaign
- Nationality
- South Korean
- Known for
- Videos blending traditional Korean music and modern performance to promote tourism
- First video release
- July 2020
- Total views by march 2021
- Over 600 million on YouTube and Facebook
Lore & Background
The campaign's first season ran between 2020 and 2021, with a second season beginning in September 2021 and continuing until 2022. A mini-series featuring songs selected by K-pop group BTS was released in October to November 2022. The full songs composed exclusively for the advertising campaign have also been released; in September 2021, the album Feel the Rhythm of Korea Part 1 and the two-track single Feel the Rhythm of Korea Part 2 were released.
Reader's Guide
Feel the Rhythm of Korea represents a significant government-led effort to promote South Korean tourism through culturally rich, visually engaging content. Its success is evidenced by the hundreds of millions of views accumulated across platforms, with the first video alone receiving over 200 million views within months. The campaign's blend of traditional Korean folk music with modern genres and performances helped boost the popularity of featured artists, such as Leenalchi and the Ambiguous Dance Company, the latter later collaborating with British band Coldplay. The campaign also received international praise for its energetic portrayal of Korean culture and destinations. In March 2021, the head of the Korea Tourism Organization and organizer of the campaign, Oh Chung-seop, received a presidential award in recognition of its success. The campaign's ability to generate significant viewership and cultural impact underscores its role as a modern promotional tool that leverages both heritage and contemporary pop culture.
Did You Know?
- The first video, covering Seoul and featuring pansori–hip hop fusion by Leenalchi and dance by the Ambiguous Dance Company, received over 200 million views across several platforms by October 2020.
- An October 2022 video covering Busan featuring BTS received four million views on its first day and surpassed 100 million views by December 2022.
- The Busan video was played on billboard ads in the United States, Britain, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and Qatar.
- In March 2021, campaign organizer Oh Chung-seop received a presidential award for the campaign's success.
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