How a K-Pop Star Made Seoul the World's Coolest City (Again)

SEOUL — On a humid August morning in Seongsu-dong, a former industrial district turned Instagram paradise, twenty-something tourists from Manila clutch their phones, frantically matching camera angles to a music video. They're hunting for the exact spot where JENNIE—the BLACKPINK member turned solo superstar—stood in a now-viral tourism campaign that has racked up more than 600 million views.

"We came to Seoul because of her," says Maria Santos, 24, a graphic designer who planned this trip three weeks after watching the "Absolutely in Seoul" videos. "She made the city feel… possible."

Possible. That's the word the Seoul Tourism Organization bet on when they appointed JENNIE as their 2025 Honorary Tourism Ambassador. And judging by the numbers—600 million digital views, 1,181 international press mentions, and two major advertising awards—the gamble paid off spectacularly.

But this wasn't just another celebrity endorsement. It was a masterclass in how cultural capital, when strategically aligned, can transform a city's global perception overnight.

The Campaign That Felt Like Cinema

Unlike traditional tourism ads—montages of landmarks narrated by soothing voiceovers—"Absolutely in Seoul" plays like a short film. JENNIE stars as "DALTOKKI," a moon rabbit from Korean folklore who loses her moon and embarks on a whimsical journey through Seoul to find it.

The seven-part series, directed with music-video aesthetics, features JENNIE gliding through Dongdaemun Design Plaza's futuristic curves, wandering Gyeongbokgung Palace's ancient corridors, and riding a Han River bus as her own song, "Seoul City," pulses through the soundtrack.

"We didn't want to make an ad," says Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization. "We wanted to make something people would choose to watch."

The strategy worked. On YouTube alone, the main episode has garnered nearly 50 million views—numbers typically reserved for music videos, not government-funded tourism promotions.

[SEOUL x JENNIE] Main Episode - Absolutely in Seoul

Why JENNIE? The Science Behind the Star

The choice of JENNIE was hardly arbitrary. In interviews dating back years, she has repeatedly called Seoul "my city of inspiration" and described its aesthetic as "my style." This pre-existing authenticity—what marketers call "narrative congruence"—proved crucial.

"Celebrity endorsements fail when the connection feels transactional," explains Dr. Yoo Seung-chul, a professor of media and advertising at Ewha Womans University. "JENNIE's relationship with Seoul is biographical, not contractual. That's why audiences believed it."

The campaign also tapped into what cultural theorists call "aspirational identification." JENNIE isn't just a K-pop star; she's a global fashion icon, a Chanel ambassador, and a trendsetter whose Instagram posts move markets. When she explores Seoul, she doesn't position it as a foreign curiosity but as the epicenter of contemporary cool.

"She codes Seoul as a place where things happen," says Dr. Yoo. "Not a place you visit to see the past, but a place you visit to imagine your future."

The Numbers Behind the Hype

The campaign's reach extended far beyond social media. The Seoul Tourism Organization orchestrated a multi-channel blitz:

Television: Ads aired on NBC Universal channels across 50 countries, generating over 100 million impressions.

Outdoor Media: Billboards in New York's Times Square, Melbourne's Federation Square, Shanghai's Nanjing Road, and Tokyo's Shibuya.

Digital: Multi-language subtitles in nine languages, from Spanish to Hindi, ensuring global accessibility.

The campaign also won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Korea Digital Advertising Awards and was named a finalist at the Seoul Video Advertising Festival—beating 800 rival campaigns.

But perhaps the most telling metric is anecdotal. On TikTok, the hashtag #AbsolutelyInSeoul has spawned thousands of user-generated videos: tourists recreating JENNIE's scenes, locals offering "JENNIE tour guides," and travel bloggers dissecting every frame for hidden gems.

"It's not just marketing anymore," says content creator @seoulcityvibes, whose JENNIE-inspired tour guide video hit 2 million views. "It's a movement."

Seoul's Identity Crisis—and Resolution

For decades, Seoul has struggled with a branding paradox. It's a city where 600-year-old palaces stand beside neon-lit skyscrapers, where Buddhist temples neighbor K-pop agencies, where street food vendors share sidewalks with Michelin-starred restaurants.

This cultural "in-betweenness" has long puzzled marketers. Should Seoul be sold as a historical destination? A tech hub? A fashion capital?

The "Absolutely in Seoul" campaign embraced the contradiction. By showing JENNIE—a figure who herself embodies East-meets-West, traditional-meets-futuristic—navigating this layered cityscape, the campaign reframed ambiguity as Seoul's unique selling point.

"The city's complexity became its charm," notes Dr. Kim Ji-hye, a cultural geographer at Seoul National University. "JENNIE didn't simplify Seoul. She celebrated its messiness."

The locations featured in the videos reflect this strategy:

Historical Layer: Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Bukchon Hanok Village

Modernist Layer: Dongdaemun Design Plaza, COEX

Subculture Layer: Seongsu-dong's cafes, Euljiro's retro bars

Ecological Layer: Han River, Nodeulseom Island

Each represents a different Seoul, yet the campaign suggests they're all equally "authentic."

The Global Impact

Tourism officials have been cautious about directly attributing visitor increases to the campaign—foreign tourist data for late 2025 is still being compiled. But anecdotal evidence is mounting.

At Incheon International Airport, customs officers report that an increasing number of arrivals cite "K-pop" and "JENNIE's video" when asked about their visit's purpose. Hotels in Seongsu-dong—a neighborhood featured prominently in the campaign—are booked solid through early 2026.

Travel agencies have noticed a shift, too. "We're getting requests for 'JENNIE tours,'," says Lee Min-jung, a tour operator at KTO Travel. "People want to eat where she ate, stand where she stood. It's like the 'Hallyu' wave, but hyper-personalized."

The campaign's success has also sparked debate among urban planners. Some worry that over-tourism, fueled by viral moments, could erode the authentic neighborhood cultures that made those places attractive in the first place.

"There's a risk," admits Dr. Park Sang-min, an urban studies professor at Yonsei University. "When a place becomes 'Instagrammable,' it often becomes commodified. The question is whether Seoul can scale this interest sustainably?"

The Future of Destination Marketing

The "Absolutely in Seoul" campaign signals a broader shift in how cities market themselves. In an era of infinite content, destinations must compete not just with other cities but with Netflix series, TikTok trends, and video games for attention.

"Tourists today don't just want to visit a place," explains Dr. Yoo. "They want to inhabit a story. JENNIE gave them that story."

Other cities are taking note. Officials from Paris, Dubai, and Tokyo have reportedly reached out to the Seoul Tourism Organization to study the campaign's blueprint. The lesson? Stop making ads. Start making culture.

But replicability is questionable. The campaign's success hinged on a unique confluence: a globally beloved star with genuine local ties, a city with rich narrative material, and a marketing team willing to prioritize creativity over caution.

"You can't manufacture authenticity," warns Dr. Yoo. "Seoul and JENNIE worked because the connection was real. If cities just copy the format without that foundation, it'll feel hollow."

What JENNIE Herself Says

In a brief video interview released alongside the campaign, JENNIE reflects on her relationship with Seoul.

"This city raised me," she says, walking through a traditional market. "It's where I learned to dream, to create, to become who I am. When people ask me what Seoul is like, I tell them: it's a city that says yes. Whatever you want to be, Seoul makes space for it."

It's a sentiment that echoes the campaign's tagline: Absolutely in Seoul—a phrase that functions both as a location marker and a philosophical stance. In Seoul, everything is not just possible but absolute.

Whether that promise holds true for the millions now planning their pilgrimages remains to be seen. But for now, at least, Seoul has achieved something rare in the crowded attention economy: it made people care.

Epilogue: The Morning After

Back in Seongsu-dong, Maria Santos finally finds her shot—the alleyway where JENNIE rode a vintage bicycle in Episode 2. She poses, her friend snaps, and the photo is uploaded to Instagram within seconds.

"Seoul feels different now," Maria says, scrolling through her grid. "It's not just a place I'm visiting. It's a place I'm becoming part of."

As she walks away, past cafes filling with morning light and murals being painted by local artists, it's clear that Seoul's gamble on one star has lit up the whole city.

And somewhere, perhaps, JENNIE's moon rabbit is smiling.