Chairman Wearing a 'God' Hat Dancing the Malchum... 2.13 Million Chinese Viewed Korean Hotel Packages

Korean Special Live Show
Records 2,128,000 Viewers

'Superboss Live Show' Korea Special Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Liang Zhenzhang, co-founder of the travel agency Trip.com Group, appeared on a live broadcast dressed in the traditional Korean scholar’s symbols, the 'gat' and 'dopo'. Liang Zhenzhang, known for generating sales exceeding 100 billion KRW per broadcast episode, attracted local Chinese attention by dancing the horse-riding dance to a Chinese version of 'Gangnam Style' that he personally adapted.

According to the hotel industry and Trip.com Group on the 2nd, the 'Super Boss Live Show' Korean special aired live at 8 PM (China local time) the previous day recorded a total of 2,128,000 viewers. The number of reviews reached about 8,900, and the so-called 'likes' or hearts totaled approximately 447,000. The live broadcast lasted 1 hour and 44 minutes and was conducted via 'WeChat Live'.

Chairman Liang appeared in traditional Korean attire and, together with a female MC, jointly explained Korean hotel products. In the middle of the live broadcast screen, K-pop culture videos were played to stimulate curiosity about Korean tourism. The promotional video featured the Korean male idol group 'EXO' introducing Korea, showcasing hanok (traditional Korean houses), Korean traditional full-course meals enjoyed by foreigners, pojangmacha (street food stalls) culture, the so-called 'somac' drinking culture, and subway scenes. Surfing at Yangyang Beach and enjoying forested areas were also shown. Chinese viewers responded in real time with various comments such as 'I want to go to Korea,' 'The chairman is really dancing hard,' and 'EXO is so good.'

This Super Boss Live Show was led by the Korea Tourism Organization and Trip.com Group’s Chinese brand 'Ctrip' with the purpose of promoting Korean tourism products. Amid the air route closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it aimed to proactively secure travel demand and open the way for the recovery of Chinese travelers. In particular, the Super Boss Live Show featuring Chairman Liang only selects products with very high discounts or premium-priced items.

The hotel product lineup ranged from 5-star hotels to business hotels in the Myeongdong area. Among luxury hotels, the Shilla Hotel received the most positive response. As of 10 AM on the 2nd (Korean time), about 179 Shilla Hotel room products had been sold. The price was about 1,256 yuan per night (approximately 210,000 KRW), discounted roughly 50% from the regular price. The validity period was generous, lasting until March 31, 2021, and included refundable conditions. Following were InterContinental Seoul COEX (159 rooms), Four Seasons Hotel (64 rooms), Sheraton Hotel (18 rooms), and L’Escape Hotel (17 rooms).

Business hotels priced below 1,000 yuan per night were also very popular. PJ Hotel Myeongdong recorded the highest number of purchases with 233 rooms sold, followed by Hotel Gracery (176), Mercure Ambassador (113), and Sotetsu Hotel The Sprazir Seoul Myeongdong (25). Jeju Shinhwa World in Jeju Island also performed well with 51 rooms sold. Some Korean food products included in the list, such as ramen and seaweed, were also popular. Nongshim Shin Ramyun sold 507 units, and Samyang Foods’ Olive Jjajang Roni and Buldak Bokkeum Myun sold 450 and 18 units respectively.

A representative from a major domestic hotel said, "With the decrease in Chinese customers due to COVID-19, we expect this Ctrip live show promotion to expand hotel awareness in China and secure travel volume in advance for the upcoming recovery." They added, "At the same time, it will be an opportunity to check local responses to new untact marketing and sales methods."