[Short-Form Golden Age] ① ‘No.1 in Korea’ TikToker Wonjeongman with 51 Million Subscribers

Interview with TikTok Creator 'Wonjeongman' Seo Wonjeong

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A college student who dreamed of becoming a sound engineer joined the ranks of global influencers by diving into short-form video production after discovering TikTok. As of the 15th, ‘Wonjeongman’ (real name Seo Wonjeong), who ranks second in TikTok followers in Korea (51.8 million) after the group BTS (56.2 million), has grown into a major TikToker with the most followers among ordinary TikTok creators in Korea within just two years of starting. Uploading two new videos daily on a consistent basis, he introduced himself by saying, “Following trends is important, but I have always tried to infuse my own personality into the videos.”

TikTok creator Wonjeongman.
Photo by Wonjeongman

In an interview with Asia Economy earlier this year, he said that he initially started with YouTube video production, but in 2019, when he was a senior in college and classes shifted online due to COVID-19, he applied to become a TikTok supporter with the mindset of trying everything he wanted before employment. “When I first encountered TikTok, I thought it was a platform full of flashy vertical videos and cute content like hand dances,” he said. “Through supporter activities, I was exposed to new types of videos and thought I could create something fun and unique, so I started producing and uploading one video a day.”

Wonjeongman, who did not expect the success of short-form videos at first, focused on the fact that short videos are concise and easy to edit, making them accessible for anyone to create. He said, “YouTube requires specialized skills in editing software, but TikTok’s application itself makes editing easy, so there was no stress in video production.” He added, “In that process, short-form videos brought more anticipation than pressure, and if a video didn’t get a good response, I could delete it and quickly upload another, which was also an advantage.”

TikTok’s meta of ‘making ordinary users famous’ is even more prominent in the recommended video feed based on users’ selected interests. TikTok’s feed algorithm, which recommends videos to larger user groups if they perform well in smaller groups, became a great opportunity for Wonjeongman. “After a video I posted in December 2021 reached 50 million views, I focused on characters and concepts that work well in short-form, and analyzed one or two users with strong global influence,” he said. “I decided it was better to aim globally rather than just communicate domestically, and since then, I have devoted myself to monitoring and facial acting to build a clear character,” he said with a smile. Indeed, viewers of Wonjeongman’s videos are enthusiastic about his unique reactions when an ordinary-looking person faces unexpected situations.

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Because the speed of trend changes is extremely fast in this industry, he is always thinking about “what to shoot.” He plans every day and shoots immediately once his ideas are set, so he has been living a life focused solely on content every moment without distinguishing between work and rest. He said, “My MBTI is ENFJ (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging), and it seems to perfectly fit the current environment where I plan and produce interesting videos.” He confessed, “I was a boxing athlete until high school and had high personal standards for achievement, but while working on TikTok, I have been watching my planned goals come true and fully enjoying the life changes that followed.”

Despite consistently uploading two videos daily and having produced over 100 videos, he has often felt anxiety while monitoring public reactions and fatigue from running without rest, which sometimes led to burnout. Wonjeongman said, “Because TikTok videos are short and easy to produce, many people see only the dazzling side and think it must be ‘super easy,’ and try it. I also started enjoying it, but there were tough times. TikTok creators face many concerns behind the glamour, so planning is fundamental, and it is important to keep trying one step at a time without stopping.”

As advice for those newly challenging themselves as TikTokers, he emphasized, “First, it is important to consistently monitor people you want to resemble or who are good at it, then decide your own concept.” He stressed, “Since there are various categories and genres, you should decide whether to focus on communication with domestic users or aim globally regardless of country, and then produce content by applying what you want based on the response.”

Wonjeongman, who has mainly focused on indoor shooting content so far, wants to increase outdoor shooting this year. He expressed his ambition, saying, “As they say, the important thing is an unyielding spirit. I plan to keep challenging and, once challenged, enjoy it, dedicating myself to producing new content this year as well.”