South Korea on Thursday named K-pop girl band NewJeans “honorary ambassadors” as part of a campaign to promote tourism, joining a long list of Korean celebrities who have taken on the role.
South Korea has seen a surge in tourism this year to near pre-pandemic levels, with about a third of visitors citing K-pop or K-drama (the so-called Hallyu or Korean wave) as a major motive for traveling to the East Asian country.
“We are very happy to be appointed today as ambassadors to promote tourism in South Korea,” said band member Minji, adding that it would be a “great pleasure” for the group to promote the charms of their country.
