As K-Culture continues to expand across borders, its global presence is increasingly shaped by digital platforms, fan communities, and creator-led narratives. No longer confined to traditional cultural exports, Korean culture today travels through interaction, participation, and shared experiences, reshaping how global audiences engage with language, music, esports, and everyday cultural practices.

Within this evolving landscape, recent developments provide important context. The conclusion of SeoulCon 2025, marked by record-level global participation, highlights how Korean cultural platforms are maturing into sustainable global spaces. Built through long-term collaboration between public institutions and global influencers, SeoulCon reflects a model grounded in trust and shared vision rather than short-term visibility. This continued growth is also why anticipation is already building for SeoulCon 2026, as the platform moves further into its next phase of international cultural exchange.

This shift toward sustained, community-driven engagement is closely connected to the rise of influencer-driven storytelling. As K-Culture extends deeper into digital communities and global fan networks, culture is no longer promoted but co-created. At the centre of this transformation is Hugh Gwon, CEO of YIK (Yours Influencers in Korea) Media, a global influencer media house dedicated to connecting Korean culture with international audiences through authentic, community-led narratives.

Originally formed as a creator community, YIK Media has evolved into an international platform working with creators and partners across more than 50 countries. Under Hugh Gwon’s leadership, the organisation has maintained a strong emphasis on cultural understanding, trust, and local context, prioritising meaningful engagement over one-directional communication. This approach reflects a broader shift in global cultural communication, where influence is shaped through relationships rather than reach alone.

A recent global collaboration clearly illustrates this philosophy. YIK Media partnered with T1, one of the world’s most recognised esports teams, and VPBank Vietnam to support a campaign that brought Korean esports culture closer to Vietnamese audiences. The strong local response demonstrated how K-Culture increasingly thrives through emotional connection and shared fan experiences. Engagement surrounding players such as Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok highlighted how digital fan communities actively participate in sharing cultural meaning rather than consuming it passively.

Beyond esports, YIK Media has also led short-form influencer campaigns and digital challenges within the K-pop and youth culture space. These initiatives emphasise participation and co-creation, allowing creators across different regions to engage with Korean culture in ways that feel personal, relevant, and culturally grounded. Through YIK Media’s work, influencer-driven storytelling functions not just as promotion but as a bridge connecting Korea with the world through shared experiences and community engagement.

The interview was conducted via email on January 5 and 21. 
 

Interview Questions:

1. YIK Media began as a creator community and later evolved into a global influencer media house. What inspired this transition? 

YIK Media started very organically as a creator community. In the early days, our main focus was helping international creators understand Korea more deeply and share their experiences in an honest and personal way. Over time, we realised that this community itself had strong value not just as a network, but as a platform for cultural exchange. As global brands, public institutions, and partners began approaching us for collaboration, it became clear that we needed a more structured role. The transition into a media house was not about scaling influence for marketing purposes but about building a sustainable system that could support global projects while protecting the community-driven spirit that YIK was built on.

2. From your experience, what role does influencer-driven storytelling play in expanding K-Culture to global audiences today?
Influencer-driven storytelling allows K-Culture to move beyond information and into experience. Today’s global audiences do not simply want to learn about Korean culture; they want to emotionally connect with it. Creators act as cultural interpreters. They translate Korean culture into their own language, local context, and personal perspective. This builds trust, because the story comes from someone the audience already relates to. In this sense, influencer-driven storytelling is no longer optional; it is essential to building meaningful and long-term cultural engagement.

3. Your recent collaboration connecting Korean esports culture with Vietnamese fans received strong engagement. What did this project reveal about global fan communities?
This project highlighted how emotional and participatory global fan communities have become. Fans are no longer passive audiences; they want to be part of the story itself. In Vietnam, we saw strong connections not only to the competition but also to the personalities, values, and shared moments surrounding the players. Digital platforms amplified this engagement and turned admiration into active participation. It reinforced our belief that when cultural projects respect local fan culture and invite participation, engagement happens very naturally.

4. As short-form digital content becomes dominant, how has this shift influenced the way you approach storytelling and campaign strategy?
Short-form content has transformed storytelling from something that is delivered into something that is experienced quickly and repeatedly. This requires clarity, emotion, and authenticity within a very limited time frame. At YIK Media, we now focus on creating participatory formats rather than a single, fixed narrative. We share a clear core message but allow creators the freedom to adapt it in their own style. In today’s environment, alignment is more effective than control.

5. How do you see the future of K-Culture evolving, and what role do media houses like YIK Media play in shaping that future?
I believe the future of K-Culture will be more decentralised and community-driven. Rather than being shared in one direction, Korean culture will continue to evolve through collaboration with global audiences. Media houses like YIK Media play the role of connectors. Our responsibility is to create meaningful, respectful spaces where creators, fans, institutions, and brands can engage with Korean culture together. If done well, this approach allows K-Culture to grow not just globally but sustainably.

 

For Hugh Gwon, influencer marketing is fundamentally rooted in trust. As global audiences become more selective and culturally aware, authenticity has become essential to meaningful communication. By working closely with creators who understand their local environments, YIK Media positions influencer-driven storytelling not merely as a promotional strategy but as a cultural bridge connecting Korea with the world through shared experiences, digital participation, and community engagement.