How did your connection with Vietnam begin?

I had no connection with Vietnam until college. I just considered it a Southeast Asian country I wasn¡¯t familiar with. Even when I attended to study Vietnamese, I wasn¡¯t confident. But in my sophomore year, I visited Ho Chi Minh City, and I still remember the warm air mixed with the scent of cilantro. My favorite thing about Vietnam then was the weather because I love summer. Since then, I¡¯ve grown more interested in Vietnamese culture.

What aspects of Vietnam and Korea are similar?

Korea and Vietnam share many cultural and emotional aspects. I think K-pop and K-dramas are especially popular in Vietnam because of these shared emotions and cultures. ¡°Guardian: The Lonely and Great God¡± and ¡°Descendants of the Sun¡± have been the most popular K-dramas in Vietnam, with the latter even being remade as a Vietnamese series last year. When my subscribers tell me that Vietnamese dramas use extreme plots like Korean ones, this reinforces my impression that the two nationalities are alike. Both are passionate and interested in celebrities.

When did you realize how popular you are in Vietnam?

While most creators of Vietnam-related content are either Vietnamese or Korean residents of Vietnam, I¡¯m the only Korean creator living in Korea. I¡¯m not recognized in Korea but when I visit Vietnam, a lot of people surprisingly recognize me. In the past, just one out of 20 people recognized me, but today, half of young people I encounter in Vietnam know who I am. They¡¯re usually Vietnamese interested in Korea or Koreans interested in Vietnam. I¡¯m still not used to the attention.

You recently had a fan meeting in Vietnam. How was it?

I had two fan meetings. The first was to celebrate my milestone of reaching 500,000 subscribers. Registration was on a first-come, first-served basis and all spaces were filled literally within two seconds. I was overwhelmed by the attention, asking myself if I deserved it. The second meeting was for a Korean education textbook I published, so it was a combination of a book signing and fan meeting in which a lot of people came. I wish I could¡¯ve given notice earlier to let more people know about the event, though. That¡¯s why I¡¯m planning a similar event in May.

What do you think makes you popular?

I honestly still don¡¯t know. I still can¡¯t register that I¡¯m famous and a lot of people like me. But if I had to choose, I think my bright energy and entertaining storytelling method are factors. I always add Vietnamese and Korean to subtitles. I thought of getting rid of Korean subtitles because it takes a lot more effort to add them while editing. But when I read a comment saying, ¡°Your videos are amazing to learn Korean because of the Korean subtitles,¡± I decided keep them. One Vietnamese viewer recently told me that my videos are genuine and that by watching them, anyone can tell that I love Vietnam. So I think my effort to try my best is felt by my viewers, who always recognize it.

What are the downsides of being a full-time content creator?

I have to be strict with myself. I must decide when to wake up, sleep, rest or take a vacation alone. As a one-person business, I also have to take care of my job¡¯s business aspects, too. That I have to do everything by myself is the hardest part. My brother has a regular job, and we envy each other. He wants my job¡¯s flexibility and I want his regular lifestyle. Another problem is when I can¡¯t think of any ideas, and I¡¯m sure any creator would agree. When I can¡¯t come up with video content ideas and also don¡¯t see the number of my subscribers grow, I get frustrated. I understand, however, that every job has two sides and when I overcome these hardships I can eventually accomplish something.

What fun memories stand out in your video-making history?

I have a lot. The most fun experience I had was visiting Vietnam to interview leading actors and actresses shooting a joint Korean-Vietnamese drama. Back then, I had just started making videos and was nervous to meet them with just one small camera. I was a bit stressed by the pressure of having to do good job but looking back, it was a memorable experience. I also remember interviewing Luong Xuan Truong, a Vietnamese soccer player who played in the K-league for two years. Above all, I find the most rewarding moment being when people from the other side of the world react to the videos I post in Korea. When adding videos, I feel like I¡¯m communicating with my subscribers, which makes me excited.

Do you prefer certain content when making a video?

I have no preference for specific topics. All three channels I run are all unique and entertaining in their own way. The most popular content is K-pop, Korean culture overall and meokbang (a video in which a person eats while conversing with viewers). They like videos in which I eat Korean or Vietnamese foods. On the other hand, instructional videos on the Korean language have limited demand. Everyone is interested in different topics, so I try to cover as many as possible. All my content is important because there¡¯s always someone who needs or enjoys it.

In Vietnam, Cheri Hyeri is greeted by her fans when walking down the street. © Cherry Hyeri

What¡¯s your process of planning and shooting videos?

When I decide on a topic, I first write the script in Korean and then translate it into Vietnamese. I have my Vietnamese friend proofread the translated script to make it smoother. I start to shoot and edit videos afterwards, which usually takes one to three days depending on how much work is needed, to complete the entire process from planning to editing. I usually talk about events in Korea. For example, I do meokbang on a national holiday highlighting traditional Korean food on that occasion. I also cover new K-pop groups since K-pop always sees the highest demand.

What do you want your videos to convey?

I want them to be energetic, fun and informative. Since I know that simply giving information can be boring, I try to inject energy into my videos by editing them my own unique way. I feel fulfilled whenever I see comments like ¡°I learned so much about Korean culture.¡± I want my viewers to find Korean culture that I introduce in my videos easy to understand.