Describe your video content. Who are your targeted viewers?

I have a Russian-language YouTube channel targeting Russians interested in Korea and its culture. My channel covers ordinary Korean things such as travel, cosmetics, K-pop and food. My subscribers are in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Korea in that order by number.

How did your connection with Russia begin?

I was a Russian major in college. In the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, I worked as an interpreter for International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, as well as doing medical interpretation as an exchange student in Russia. While looking around Olympic stadiums, a big guy approached me and asked who I was. I shouted ¡°I¡¯m Korean,¡± a scene that went viral on YouTube. I didn¡¯t realize how big of a deal it became on the internet because I returned to Korea shortly after

How did you start your YouTube channel?

In 2016, I was invited to appear on my friend¡¯s YouTube channel. Some viewers recognized me and told the big guy who spoke to me at the stadium that ¡°the Korean lady¡± is on the video. He turned out to be the Russian radio host Sergei Stillavin. After all this had occurred, I was invited to appear on the popular Russian TV show ¡°Mayak,¡± where I introduced Korean soju and instant ramyeon. This led me to start my own YouTube channel ¡°Kyungha, Korean Woman,¡± which I later shortened to ¡°Kyungha MIN.¡± One of Russia¡¯s biggest websites showed my videos and I luckily attracted a lot of Russian fans.

I hear your subscribers helped you get to where you are now.

Now that I¡¯m more popular, I can¡¯t even look at my first video. It¡¯s embarrassing. I didn¡¯t know how to properly make videos and just uploaded them without editing. My subscribers gave me ideas on video and audio editing. I tried their ideas and their help brought me to where I am now. I still constantly check comments and try to make my videos more engaging with viewers. My viewers asked me to interview a popular singer from Kazakhstan. They gave me the contact information of the singer¡¯s manager and begged for the interview. I landed the interview only because of people who supported and helped me. So in that sense, my subscribers truly brought me to where I am now.

Isn¡¯t all the attention overwhelming?

While studying in Russia, I organized a meetup called ¡°Meet Kyungha¡± since I loved hanging out with friends. I notified them of when and where to meet and we always did fun things like skating and eating. That way, I could connect with friends from all over the world. I think YouTube offers the same experience on a bigger platform. I have many interesting stories from my meetings with subscribers, as 100 to 500 people usually come. On my way to one meeting, I got in a taxi where the driver was watching my video. Coincidentally, he was on his way to the same event and I happened to be his final passenger before going. (Korean-Russian singer) Anita Tsoy, who sings the Russian national anthem, also came to another of my meetings. Being able to meet people is truly a blessing for me.

What do your viewers want to know about Korea?

Passion and love for Korean culture are sky high in Southeast Asia but Russia and Central Asia aren¡¯t far behind. My viewers want to know about Korea in general. Despite the global boom in K-pop and K-beauty, interest in the Korean language is also growing in the Russian-speaking world. To meet this growing demand, I¡¯m running an online Korean-language school for Russian speakers. I wrote the textbooks myself. I¡¯m also managing an online store on Vkontakte (Russia¡¯s version of Facebook) to provide access to Korean items unavailable in Russia. This has grown so popular that I opened another store on Instagram. I cover a lot of Korean topics including K-pop, K-beauty, general cultural aspects or the daily life of a Korean. I prefer introducing traditional Korean culture like tea etiquette or table manners over creating reaction or food videos. I¡¯ve seen my channel grow over the past 2.5 years by sharing ordinary things. I think people find my videos interesting since original Korean content is unavailable in Russian anywhere else, and they¡¯re the best way to follow the rapidly growing popularity of Korean culture.

Describe the reactions from your viewers.

feel so grateful when I see comments from viewers that my videos brightened their day in the morning. I do occasionally get negative comments saying my Russian is bad, but my fans always defend me. I¡¯m now more comfortable with speaking Russian than Korean but conversing in one¡¯s second language is always difficult, especially Russian with its challenging pronunciation and grammar. Though speaking Russian in my videos can be a bit intimidating, I honestly don¡¯t mind sharing my mistakes. A fake rumor circulated that Korea holds a dog slaughter festival, and I made videos debunking it. My subscribers helped me correct this bit of news. I find it a pleasure to communicate and work together with my viewers and subscribers.

How are your videos produced?

I sometimes have a crew make more elaborate videos but I like shooting them myself. I¡¯ve learned from experience that viewers find my videos pretentious if too much is added. I think they like who I am and the style of video I make since the beginning. So I try to look for interesting ideas from different angles and make and edit the videos on my own.

What would you like to do in the future?

Russians are emotionally reserved. Even how they clap at a concert looks completely different from how Koreans do it. At the same time, Russians are considerably advanced in contemporary arts, music and performing arts. They might seem cold on the outside but have deep affection once you get close to them. This distinguishable difference in sentiment means companies need customized marketing strategies in Russia. I want to continue consulting for companies or hosting festivals to invite Korean companies to Russia and Central Asia so that small Korean businesses can penetrate both markets. For example, a festival in Russia where I was the main host attracted more than 40,000 people. I also hope to promote the outstanding quality of Korean medical services and health food.

Do you have any advice for aspiring video creators?

Fully utilizing one¡¯s creativity is fantastic. Meanwhile, I think it¡¯s not important to prioritize fancy gear when you start, what matters most is quality of content. Fans will come as long as you provide useful and substantial information rather than making time-consuming videos for the sake of getting more views. In addition, don¡¯t lose the beginner¡¯s spirit even if you reach peak popularity.