Sayart.net - South Korean Agriculture Ministry Officials Dance to K-pop in Viral Video to Promote International Summit

In an unexpected blend of government diplomacy and pop culture entertainment, South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture has created a viral sensation by featuring a senior government spokesperson performing a K-pop dance routine to promote an upcoming international summit. The ministry uploaded a video on Tuesday to its official YouTube channel that shows spokesperson Jeon Han-young dressed as Abby, a muscular K-pop boy band member from the fictional group Saja Boys featured in Netflix's animated series "Kpop Demon Hunters." In the entertaining clip, Jeon enthusiastically performs the "Soda Pop Challenge," a popular dance trend inspired by the Netflix show, energetically bouncing his shoulders to the infectious beat while fully embracing the character's costume and persona. The creative and lighthearted promotional video was specifically designed to generate buzz for the 10th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting, a significant international gathering that will bring together government officials and policy makers from 21 Asia-Pacific economies in Incheon this weekend. The summit will focus on critical discussions about food security challenges and agricultural innovation across the region. A ministry official explained their unconventional marketing approach, stating, "We wanted to highlight the event in a way that feels global and current, while encouraging public interest." The official added that the viral dance challenge "was perfect for it," demonstrating how the ministry is embracing contemporary digital culture to reach broader audiences. The strategy appears to be paying off, as the video had already surpassed 11,000 views by Wednesday morning, generating significant online engagement and social media buzz. This latest viral video represents part of a broader digital media transformation that the Agriculture Ministry began implementing in June of last year, coinciding with rising public concern over food prices and agricultural policies. Minister Song Mi-ryeong started regularly appearing in online videos as part of this initiative, using the digital platform to explain complex government policies and connect more directly with citizens in an accessible and engaging format. The ministry has consistently incorporated humor and popular culture references into their content strategy. In another notable example, spokesperson Jeon appeared as competition judge Ahn Seong-jae in a video inspired by Netflix's hit cooking competition show "Culinary Class Wars," where he humorously evaluated Agriculture Minister Song's cooking skills, creating an entertaining parody that resonated with viewers familiar with the popular series. This innovative digital communication strategy has proven remarkably successful for the government agency. The Ministry of Agriculture's YouTube channel has grown to more than 258,000 subscribers, making it the most popular channel among South Korea's 19 central government agencies, demonstrating how creative content and pop culture integration can effectively bridge the gap between government institutions and public engagement in the digital age.