South Korea on Thursday appointed K-pop girl band NewJeans "honorary ambassadors" as part of a drive to promote tourism, joining a long list of Korean celebrities to take up the role.
South Korea has seen tourism figures recover to nearly pre-pandemic levels this year, with around 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 as an ambassador to promote South Korean tourism today," band member Minji said, adding it would be a "great joy" for the group to promote their country's charms.