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Strange Question: Are there any English-language YouTuber Academies Still Around?
When I was last in Seoul a few years ago, there were several YouTuber/influencer academies that offered at least some classes in English. They seem to be much less common n… I have a strange question.
When I was last in Seoul a few years ago, there were several YouTuber/influencer academies that offered at least some classes in English. They seem to be much less common now.
I wonder if any still exist? I ask because I am visiting Seoul with a few friends for the next few weeks, and thought it would be fun to spend a day exploring influencer culture.
Along those lines, we are not really interested in actually taking one of these courses so much as arranging for someone very familiar with the Korean YouTuber space to spend a few hours giving a deep dive into it, it's history and how it works.
I wonder, is there anywhere is Seoul that would still be a good match for something like that?
Thank you!
fwiw the whole academy thing was always kinda surface level, even back then. the people who actually know the scene are the ones running the big fan channels or the anti-fan communities, weirdly enough. you could try reaching out to someone who does youtube consulting for korean brands, theyre usually ex-creators or ex-agency and can give u the real tea on how the algorithm and mcn contracts work. i'd search for "유튜브 컨설팅" on naver and just email a few, english is common in that world. also check out the seoul museum of art or the ddp, they sometimes host media art exhibitions with panels about digital culture, might scratch that itch without the awkwardness of a private tour. if u want a physical spot, the old kbs or mbc broadcasting stations have tour programs but theyre more about tv than youtube, still fun for the history angle though. honestly the fastest route is just bribing a korean friend whos deep into it with a nice dinner, theyll talk for hours.
You could try the YouTube Space in Gangnam, though I think it's mostly for creators with existing channels, not really for visitors. Another idea is hitting up some of the English-speaking Korean creators on Instagram or YouTube directly, a few of them do paid meetups or private sessions if you slide into their DMs with a decent offer, that might be more fun than any academy anyway.
The academies were always a flashy thing for tourists, but the real culture is around the agencies and editing houses in Hongdae or Sangsu. You might have better luck asking a smaller English-speaking creator to walk you through their process over coffee, a few of them do paid sessions if you reach out on Instagram, that's way more authentic than any academy tour.
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Dogdogdog's Secret?
the whispering thing is real but its not about the sauce lol. that guy runs a 2am handoff with the chicken supplier, they drop off fresh birds from a farm near Chuncheon three times a week instead of using the frozen stuff most hongdae spots rely on. thats why the texture hits different, not the sauce itself. if u go back ask for the neck & wing combo off menu, its cheaper & honestly the best cut they do
the thing nobody mentions is that Dogdogdog's sauce gets its body from cheong, the Korean rice syrup, not sugar. thats why it coats the wing so thick and stays glossy instead of going sticky. i asked a guy who worked there and he said they also add a splash of maesil (plum) extract at the end off the heat. that fruity tang under the garlic is what you're tasting. go on a weekday before 6, weekends the wait hits 40 min easy.
honestly the "secret sauce" thing is prob just marketing. every fried chicken place in Seoul has a version of that story. the real difference at Dogdogdog is they double fry in rice bran oil and toss the wings in the sauce twice, once right out of the fryer and again after a 30 sec rest. thats where the crunch comes from, not some mystery ingredient. if u wanna taste the actual base, order the banban half plain half spicy and dip the plain one in the spicy sauce yourself.