It teaches international students practical video production to promote the province abroad.
Student-made videos are shared through the provincial government's social channels and local broadcasters.
The program’s future will hinge on consistency and the quality of its content.
“Who will watch and believe videos made by foreign students about Gangwon?”
Introduction and background
The purpose is clear.
The Gangwon Global Y-Creator Academy, organized by the RISE project at Kangwon National University (a regional university in South Korea), trains international students to produce K-content (Korean-style media) that introduces Gangwon Province’s tourism and local culture to overseas audiences.
Classes take place in the Digital Media Center at Seowam Hall. They focus on practical skills: planning, shooting, and editing. The program also provides production equipment.
Meanwhile, the program was planned as part of a broader strategy ahead of 2026, designated as a year to welcome visitors to Gangwon.
It also aims to encourage international students to stay in the region and to create links to startups and jobs.
However, questions remain about whether a short training course can produce locally grounded, competitive content.
This concern is the program’s central challenge in design and operation.
Arguments in favor
First, there is potential.
From the students’ side, hands-on training can raise practical skills quickly.
Learning camera techniques and editing tools lets students build portfolios and show their work to a global audience.
On the other hand, the community gains clear benefits.
Content made from a foreign viewpoint can feel fresh and authentic in ways domestic promotions sometimes do not.
That difference can be a useful edge for tourism marketing.
Especially before 2026, videos made in different languages and cultural frames could create new impressions of Gangwon among potential visitors overseas.
Economic ripple effects are also possible.
If student-made content connects with viewers locally or abroad, it can turn into real tourism demand.
Moreover, if some graduates stay and start businesses or work in related fields, they can help build a longer-term local employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
That virtuous cycle could become a meaningful driver of regional growth.
Finally, there is an institutional case.
If the university and local government link education with ongoing support—providing gear, broadcast partnerships, and official SNS channels—the initiative can grow beyond a one-off event into a sustainable model.
Consistency in support can create mid- to long-term impact rather than transient results.
Arguments against
Concerns are substantial.
Critics first point to content quality.
A short course may not yield professional-level video skills, and poor output could harm the region’s image rather than help it.
Moreover, the idea that students will settle locally is likely exaggerated.
Many international students return home or move to larger cities after graduation.
Therefore participation alone may not secure the long-term human capital the region hopes for.
This raises fundamental questions about the return on public investment.
Resource allocation is another major critique.
If limited university and municipal budgets prioritize support for international students, domestic students or other public projects might receive fewer resources.
In areas where local services are fragile, funding priorities will spark debate and demand clear justification and transparency.
There is also a danger of cultural misunderstanding and distortion.
If foreign creators produce content without deep local knowledge, they may spread superficial or inaccurate portrayals.
Over time, that can erode the authenticity of local identity and confuse outsiders about what the region truly represents.
Case studies and comparisons
Looking at other examples helps.
Programs that used foreign student or international creators show mixed results internationally.
Successful cases combined localized storytelling with sustained support.
By contrast, failures usually trace back to one-off events, low production standards, and weak local collaboration.
If community members are not involved in planning, content often stays at a surface level.
Thus, the Gangwon academy should design projects from the start with local stories and resident participation. Technical training alone will be limited.
International examples also show that distribution matters.
Even high-quality videos can be lost without a clear follow-up strategy for sharing them abroad.
Gangwon plans to use provincial SNS and local TV, but if the goal is a global audience, the program must add multilingual subtitles and platform-specific distribution plans for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Practical recommendations for operation
Concrete improvements are necessary.
First, the curriculum should move from basic to advanced in stages.
Start with planning and storytelling to set a strong conceptual base. Then add hands-on shooting and editing labs to raise production standards.
Second, strengthen mentoring and feedback.
Regular mentorship with active creators, structured pitch sessions, and critique loops raise final output quality.
Equipment is important but not enough.
Teaching creative planning and local context is equally crucial.
Third, make the distribution plan specific.
Produce both short-form clips for social feeds and longer documentary-style pieces.
Add multilingual subtitles and optimize each format for its platform.
Beyond provincial SNS and local TV, target YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram with audience-specific releases.
This multiplatform approach is essential if Gangwon’s tourism messages are to reach global viewers.
Risks and lingering worries
Long-term sustainability is the key worry.
If the program stays a single-term event, any initial buzz will fade.
Therefore stable funding and institutional backing are required.
Also, students’ limited perspectives can cause cultural blind spots.
To reduce this risk, incorporate local culture and history lessons and create joint projects with residents.
On the policy side, set clear metrics for success that blend qualitative and quantitative measures.
Without such an evaluation system, programs may either overstate achievements or miss real problems.
Policy suggestions
Consider a collaborative governance model.
Universities, local government, broadcasters, and community representatives should share decision-making and oversight.
Financial support needs to cover initial investment and ongoing operations, including incentives that encourage long-term engagement.
Also, publish transparent performance indicators.
Go beyond view counts to include participant skill growth, local job placements, and increases in tourism over time.
Clear reporting builds trust with residents and helps guide future investments.
Conclusion
In short, both promise and risk coexist.
The Gangwon Global Y-Creator Academy holds real value: it can build student skills and raise Gangwon’s profile abroad.
However, weak quality control, lack of continuity, and shallow cultural understanding could undermine its effectiveness.
Ultimately, success depends on the depth of the training, the strength of local partnerships, and the sophistication of distribution.
Three practical takeaways stand out.
First, structure the curriculum so it moves from fundamentals to advanced practice.
Second, require resident collaboration and formal mentoring.
Third, pair a diversified distribution plan with sustained funding.
If the program reflects multiple viewpoints and is well designed, it can deliver meaningful benefits to both the region and participating students.
How would you improve Gangwon’s strategy for using international student creators?
