BTS and Seoul say ‘Your Seoul goes on’

BTS and the Seoul city government have released a video to promote tourism for the city, as the global K-pop phenomenon continues to serve as honorary tourism ambassadors for the South Korean capital.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it has worked with the K-pop stars for a fifth year to carry out this year’s promotional campaign, including launching a promotional video titled “Your Seoul Goes On.”

The promotional video seeks to deliver the message that Seoul does not stop despite the COVID-19 pandemic and that the city has continued to improve and transform to adjust to the virus outbreak and stay vibrant.

The title refers to the boy band’s “Life Goes On,” a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 that was released in 2020. The video featuring BTS and various people of Seoul was released at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

The city government said it plans to release a making-of video for the promotional clip on Sept. 16, followed by a taekwondo version on Sept. 23. The film focuses on a phrase that reads “Eo-gi-yeong-cha,” a Korean onomatopoeia equivalent to “yo-heave-ho” in English.

The Korean phrase is used to suggest Seoul will keep pushing forward no matter what, hinting at the vibe of traditional work songs.

Subsequent promotional videos to be released will contain unique choreography aimed at creating new popular trends among K-pop fans, and the city government said it plans to hold more events in the future to promote the dance moves and help spread positive vibes throughout Seoul.

The city government added it is also preparing a video to look back on the five years of service BTS has provided for Seoul as honorary tourism ambassadors, noting that most ambassadors end their contracts after just one year of service.

The film on BTS’ work as tourism ambassadors is set to be released late this month.

This year’s campaign follows last year’s collaboration between the Seoul city government and BTS that produced a promotional video titled “See You in Seoul” aimed at inviting the global population to visit Seoul as their first tourist destination once the pandemic is over.

The promotional clip for 2020 featuring BTS surpassed 140 million views in 10 days after it was uploaded on the city government’s YouTube channel, Instagram and website.

Choi Kyeng-ju, director general of Seoul city’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said the campaign with BTS will be a means to deliver a message of hope to people who are exhausted and tired from continuing outbreaks of the coronavirus.

He added that Seoul will continue to transform to meet global tourism demand when the pandemic is over, while aiming to use the campaign to encourage and motivate those in the medical and tourism sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)