Why 720 Applicants Flocked to Join Gyeonggi’s KkiTour Reporter Group: Insights Revealed

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Public Times—On the afternoon of the 8th, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization kicked off the launch ceremony for the 15th ‘Kkittour Press Corps,’ its team of specialist writers, at the Trade Tower in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, Seoul.

About 720 people applied, making for fierce competition—roughly 24 applicants for every spot. Candidates were evaluated on writing ability and their activity across platforms such as Naver Blog, Instagram, and TikTok. In the end, 30 people were selected, up from 20 last year.

This year the organization widened the roster and expanded the activity channels to boost social media marketing—prioritizing Reels and other short-form formats to match current trends.

Through November, the press corps will visit a variety of destinations across the province and turn those experiences into review-style travel content. They’ll publish on the ‘Gyeonggi Tourism Platform’ and their personal social channels, and take part in Gyeonggi fam tours. Members will receive monthly writing fees, appointment certificates, and priority access to fam tours and major events for coverage.

The group’s name was formed by combining the two initial consonants ‘ㄱ’ from ‘Gyeonggi.’ It also plays on the word ‘kkit’ (talent), conveying the idea that members will use their unique flair to create simple, fun, and useful travel content about Gyeonggi.

A Gyeonggi Tourism official said they hope the press corps, serving as ambassadors, will uncover lesser-known but irresistibly charming local attractions and turn those experiences into distinctive content that helps revitalize the tourism industry.

Senior Reporter Han-su Song onekorea@public25.com