◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 현 사회현상에 대해 학생들 시선에서 ‘왜’라는 질문을 갖고 직접 취재해 작성한 기획기사입니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단의 기획기사는 영문과 국문, 두 형태로 게재합니다.  

The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea is continuously rising. In the first half of 2026, the number of foreign tourists exceeded 10.7 million, which is a historical record for South Korea in terms of foreign arrivals. From January to July, the number increased by more than 20% compared with the same period last year. However, the tourists these days tend to visit the same places as everyone else compared to the earlier years. People can find these trendy locations more easily through access to social media. In fact, the influence of Social media on K-culture is being considered as the major reason for this growth. Through SNS, foreigners engage with and develop an interest in K-culture, and are more likely to visit. 

Then what form of social media has driven the proliferation of Korean content including K-pop and K-dramas around the world? Social media, especially YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, have done most of the work. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in January, 64% of tourists first got to know about Korea through video platforms. On the other hand, 56.6% of tourists did so through social media. There may be some overlap, but both forms of media still have considerable influence.

Short-form content increases the number of foreign tourist, and at the same time has a great economic impact on Korea. When foreigners come across Shorts and Reels that contain content about Korean food, fashion and culture, they become motivated to spend more on Korean products. These days, Korean influencers are major contributors to the expansion of the domestic marketing industry. SNS drives foreigners’ interests in K-culture and turns that interest into visits and consumption, becoming a vital part of Korea’s tourism industry. After their visit, foreign tourists started to upload their own short-form content, leading to more exposure of K-culture to foreigners. 

Then to what extent does this influence teenage tourists? Do Shorts and Reels actually have a great impact on their visit to Korea? How do foreign teenagers view Korea, and how has SNS influenced their spending? To investigate these questions further, I interviewed two 17-year-old tourists who had visited Korea: Kingsley Machin from the United Kingdom and Elvin Li from China.

Where do you usually get information when planning a trip?

Kingsley: Usually, I get most of my information online when I start planning a trip.

Elvin: Most of the time, I look for tourist places in instagram reels, since there are many influencers sharing good information about Korean tourist places. My parents on the other hand often use google and travel blogs.

How often do you watch short-form like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels? How often do you come across K-culture content?

Kingsley: I used to watch short-form content quite often, but now that I’m in Y12 doing the IB, I barely watch it anymore. When I used to doomscroll on Instagram Reels, I didn’t really come across that much K-culture content since most of the content I watch is based in the USA. However, I’d occasionally see accounts like Korean Englishman on YouTube, but not that often.

Elvin: Every day. Recently, my algorithm is mostly filled with short-form content about Korean tourist places to visit, food to eat, and products to buy. I’ve also recently seen content about Olive Young. 

What types of K-culture content do you usually come across, and does it make you more interested in visiting Korea?

Kingsley: Most of the K-culture content I come across is food-related, especially when watching Korean Englishman. I really enjoy his vlogs and the videos where he tries different Korean foods, as I find it interesting seeing the different places he goes and the food he tries.

Elvin: I mostly watch content about K-culture, K-food, and K-pop. I do think it encourages me and potentially other teenage tourists to visit Korea. I first got to know about Hannam-dong through Tiktok. I wanted to visit pop-up stores that I saw on Tiktok, and other SNS contents also made me want to try Korean food.

How much does short-form content influence where you go, what you eat, or what you buy while traveling? Can you give an example?

Kingsley: Personally, short-form content doesn’t really influence where I go since I’ve already been to most places in South Korea. However, it can influence what I want to eat or try. For example, I’ve seen the 두쫀쿠 online and it made me want to try it myself when I’m in Korea.

Although it isn’t influenced by social media, I would like to visit North Korea one day because I’m interested in experiencing the cultural differences between North and South Korea and seeing how different life is on the other side of the peninsula.

Elvin: I’ve never really thought about it before, but I guess there is to some extent. I saved some food recommendations from Instagram reels before visiting Korea to try them as soon as I arrived. When I also visited cafes that I saw from short form content but weren’t really popular among tourists, I still really liked them. 

Regardless of the significance of short-form content’s impact on his decision, the interview shows that social-media content not only advertises and promotes K-culture but creates great economic impact through tourism. Exposure to Korean goods and services through Reels and Shorts encourages tourist spending, leading to more short-form content about K-culture, which then helps Korea become a global tourist destination and generates further economic benefits.

Despite the benefits that the surge in foreign tourism gives to Korea, there are some considerable problems caused by it too. Since SNS content only reveals the best parts, visitors are sometimes disappointed when they visit the places themselves. These days, tourists are becoming overcrowded in certain areas, especially in towns of Seoul that are densely packed with buildings and stores. This is creating inconvenience for not only foreign visitors but local residents in those areas. Therefore, the surge in tourism driven by Shorts and Reels might not be entirely beneficial to the whole of South Korea, 

Have you ever visited a place you saw on social media and found it very different from what you expected—for example, much more crowded or commercialized?

Kingsley: Yes, the Jeju Green Tea Park. I had seen it on social media and expected it to be quite peaceful, but when I actually went, it was really crowded and felt much more touristy than I expected.

Elvin: Yes, Hannam-dong. I could only watch short clips of pop-up stores, which looked quite uncrowded. However, so many foreign tourists like me had watched the same dessert, the same cafe and the same reel on SNS, and I had to wait in such a long queue. 

Overall, do you think short-form content has a positive or negative impact on tourism in Korea? Why?

Kingsley: I think it has both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, it can make people more interested in Korea by showing them Korean food, culture, and places they might not have known about before. However, it can also make certain places extremely crowded when they go viral, like the Jeju Green Tea Park. Overall, I think it’s positive for tourism, but it can become negative if too many people visit the same places because of social media.

Elvin: First of all, I think the positive impact is greater. As foreign tourists like me are exposed to K-food, K-pop, and other Korean culture, we spend more and positive economic impact is created. Nevertheless, too much of this causes problems. If popular tourist places like Hannam-dong become too famous, overcrowding and congestion can cause problems for both the locals and tourists. I think tourists should start visiting a wider variety of places to prevent congestion and spread economic benefits over large areas. 

The short length of SNS content does not mean that it creates little impact but conversely it leaves greater influence on foreigners and are more attractive. Short-form content does not only stimulate tourists to visit Korea, but they also determine their destinations and consumption pattern by influencing trends; Ultimately, it leads to significant economic impact. Younger tourists from teenagers to those in their 20s are more responsive to trends and social norms, tending to visit popular places even when they are packed with tourists.

Negative effects should be worked on immediately. Congestion is a problem for both locals and tourists. Economic benefits do not fully compensate for overcrowding and social conflict between locals and tourists. Korea must therefore work on maintaining the beneficial impact of short-form content but at the same time should reduce the challenges created by them. Doing so will eventually promote sustainability and improve Korea’s economy in the long term.

ⓒ이코노미스트(https://economist.co.kr) '내일을 위한 경제뉴스 이코노미스트' 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지