KOREAN NET

Season three of "Star K-influencer Boot Camp," a series created by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and filmed from Sept. 20-21 in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, promotes the thousand-year legacy of the ancient Silla Kingdom.

By Jeon Misun

Photos and video = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Season three of "Star K-Influencer Boot Camp," an original series run by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, ran from Sept. 20–21 in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, a city that preserves a thousand years of the culture and history of the ancient Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935).

Coming before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Gyeongju, the participants sought to promote the city to the world.

Twelve K-influencers from among 1,303 in 97 countries were selected for this season. They were divided into three teams of four each named after a leading cultural heritage site of Gyeongju: Cheomseong, Hwarang and Wolji. Each group spent two days using cameras to complete missions alongside an invited professional video producer and staff.

Team Cheomseong is in front of Cheomseongdae Observatory. From left are Mohammad Iqbal Jerusalem from Indonesia, Ana Paola Pacheco Chacon from Mexico, Albert Bustil from Spain and Ahn Esra from Turkiye.

The first team Cheomseong began filming against the backdrop of Cheomseongdae Observatory, a symbol of Gyeongju and the world's oldest astronomical observatory, completing its mission to "introduce Gyeongju to the world" by capturing the site's mystical beauty and historical significance on camera.

"The scenery of Cheomseongdae at sunset was so unforgettable that I will remember it for life," Mohammad Iqbal Jerusalem from Indonesia said. "Cheomseongdae is a truly special cultural heritage that must be seen in person."

Team Hwarang poses for a photo in Gyochon Traditional Village. From left are Priyal Gupta from India, Zahra Kazemzadeh from Iran, Silham Warrad from Morocco and Saurabh Thapa from Nepal.

The second team Hwarang went to Gyochon Traditional Village, which is known for quiet alleys and Hanok (traditional houses). With camera in hand, members sought to capture Korea's traditional beauty in everyday life to deliver a familiar but unique charm to audiences around the world.

Perhaps inspired by the animated blockbuster film "KPop Demon Hunter," the team wore men's Hanbok (traditional clothes) for their shoot.

"The scenery of Gyocheon Village felt like traveling through time and the city's natural surroundings and well-preserved Hanok created scenes that were simply unbelievable," Priyal Gupta from India said. "I hope that after watching our content on YouTube, more people will be inspired to visit Korea and experience it for themselves."

Team Wolji poses for a photo around the traditional street of Hwangnidan-gil. From left are Rana Adil Mushtaq from Pakistan, Ceren Polat from Turkey, Lisa Santini from Italy and Tsetska Plamenova Pashovska from Bulgaria.

The third team Wolji was assigned to capture via photos and videos Hwangnidan-gil, a street lined with traditional Hanok and modern cafes and galleries. Considered one of Gyeongju's trendiest hotspots, this area is especially popular among Gen Z and millennials for its unique and sentimental atmosphere.

Lisa Santini from Italy said, "The Hanbok I wore on Hwangnidan-gil was much more diverse than what I saw in Seoul, which was refreshing."

Other members agreed, saying the village was impressively decorated under a Hanok theme and that they felt emotional while walking around on what felt like a romantic K-drama set.

A participant in season three of "Star K-influencer Boot Camp" takes a photo of the Roof-end Tile with Human Face Motif of Gyeongju, a national treasure displayed at the National Gyeongju Museum.

The first episode of the show's third season was uploaded on Oct. 23 on the K-influencer YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@Kinfluencer).

msjeon22@korea.kr