SOUTH KOREAN STREAMING IS NOW DIRECTLY IN YOUR HANDS

Before diving into your platform, strategy, and global ambitions, I’d like to begin with a broader question about the Korean entertainment industry — and more specifically, its global influence. In just two decades, Korean content has spread across the world. K-pop, K-dramas, and gaming have all found huge audiences in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. What used to be niche, appealing mostly to people interested in Asian culture or seen as an alternative to Japanese content, has now become a global cultural force and a model of innovation in entertainment. As someone deeply involved in driving the global expansion of Korean content, how would you describe the uniqueness of Korean culture and its content compared to global entertainment?

I completely agree with your observation. K-pop has certainly been one of the strongest drivers of this global phenomenon. Personally, when I first saw its international rise, I was quite surprised.

It began with a few songs, then “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide hit, and later BTS took that momentum even further. I remember being amazed at how quickly K-pop became a global topic. At the time, I was living abroad, and suddenly everyone around me wanted to talk about “Gangnam Style.”

Before that, Korean films had already started to gain international recognition, and I believed they had strong potential because their storytelling was universal. The success of Korean cinema showed that a well-crafted story could transcend cultural boundaries.

What surprised me later was the growing popularity of K-dramas like Crash Landing on You. I was living in Singapore then, and I noticed my American and European colleagues talking about that series, as well as Hospital Playlist. I was genuinely surprised because television dramas, unlike films, are more closely tied to daily life — they portray people’s lifestyles and relationships. Seeing international audiences so deeply engaged with stories rooted in Korean life made me realize that people were beginning to accept and even relate to the patterns and emotions of Korean society.

Now that I’m part of this industry, I believe live streaming has become a new opportunity for globalization. As for what drives this success — I think it comes down to the Korean work ethic and creative culture. Growing up in Korea means growing up in an extremely competitive environment. From a young age, people learn that if you want to succeed, you have to produce something excellent. That commitment to doing things well, to perfecting every detail, is deeply embedded in Korean culture.

I believe that sense of diligence and passion shows through in our content. It’s not that other countries lack quality or effort, but there’s something distinct about the intensity with which Koreans pursue excellence. That has become part of the DNA of K-content.

Today, many overseas creators collaborate with Korean producers, whether in K-pop, film, or television. It all began with strong storytelling, good content, when well-crafted, naturally travels beyond borders. Of course, not every Korean film or drama becomes a global hit, but we now have a deep pool of creative material that has potential for international success, and that variety is a real strength.

In the past, Korean creators often tried to “globalize” by adjusting their work to local markets. But now, I think originality has become the true strength of Korean content. Audiences appreciate authenticity — they want to experience the story as it is, not as an imitation of something else. The key is knowing how to preserve that originality while communicating it effectively to a global audience.

If I look back, K-pop was the spark. It became the main driver, but what makes it and all K-content, truly successful is this combination of authenticity, craftsmanship, and emotional sincerity.

Every successful form of content begins with its audience, they’re the ones who decide what to consume. You mentioned earlier that live streaming also has the potential to go global, but that it needs a different approach compared to K-pop or film. Could you elaborate on your vision for attracting international audiences to live streaming? What do you believe makes live streaming appealing on a global scale?

It depends on how we look at it, from a platform perspective or a content perspective. Since your question focuses more on content, I’ll answer from that angle.

There are roughly four types of content platforms. We have VOD-oriented platforms like YouTube; short-form platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Kwai; subscription-based services like Netflix or Wavve, which we can call long-form VOD; and then live streaming platforms like ours. Each occupies its own space in the ecosystem.

Our philosophical mission at SOOP is to be a truly global “Live Streaming-oriented one-person media platform.” We want to empower anyone, anywhere, to become a live streamer and to connect with the world through live streaming. Every person has a unique lifestyle, and that individuality itself can become valuable content.

Do you think live streaming content has an advantage in globalization compared to traditional media?

Not entirely, but it does have unique strengths. Just as K-dramas and films succeeded once creators learned how to tell their stories effectively to international audiences, live streamers are now learning how to communicate in ways that resonate globally.

Many Korean streamers, for example, understand very well what excites audiences, what moments capture attention, what makes people react. Even with something as simple as a mukbang or gaming stream, they intuitively understand the “dopamine points,” the moments that keep viewers engaged. They pay close attention to detail, from channel design and visual curation to camera angles, ensuring that every aspect is well-crafted. This focus on quality and presentation reflects that same “well-made” philosophy I mentioned earlier.

I’ve noticed differences across countries, too; between Korean, Taiwanese, and Thai streamers, for instance, in how they structure and decorate their channels. Korean streamers tend to emphasize refinement and precision in presentation, which I think adds to their global appeal.

From a platform perspective, however, our goal isn’t to promote only Korean content. We see SOOP as a welcoming platform, a pipeline that introduces local streamers  to the world. Globalization, in this sense, means helping streamers from different countries localize and grow using the know-how we’ve developed in Korea.

For example, we often share our experience and technology with local streamers abroad, helping them develop sustainable business models. In that sense, we’re both a platform and a partner.

SOOP has also been very active in forming partnerships, for example, with Korean baseball broadcasting, giving overseas audiences access to live games. Could you tell us more about that collaboration, and about other types of content partnerships that you believe are key for expanding globally?

Our content strategy has three main categories: streamer content, original content produced in-house, and licensed content. These categories complement each other and create a mutually reinforcing ecosystem.

When expanding globally, we often ask: what should come first, the users or the streamers? Both are important, but ultimately, content is the foundation. There must be water before fish can live, so to speak. Content creates that environment.

That’s why we started by focusing on overseas Koreans, they already know the language and have cultural familiarity with Korean content. Many also have strong emotional connections to Korea and an interest in things like Korean baseball. We realized that sports content, particularly baseball, was an easy entry point for them.

Even outside the Korean community, many international fans are curious about the KBO League, but until recently, there was no easy way to watch it abroad. Providing that access gave us a loyal and enthusiastic initial user base.

Licensed content like sports tends to attract a slightly more male audience, often people living alone who play content in the background, similar to how someone might leave a familiar show on after work. That insight helped us decide to expand our live sports coverage, including KBO and Japan’s NPB baseball.

We also work with other categories like billiards and e-sports, which have long playtimes and dedicated fans. In e-sports, games like League of Legends, PUBG, and FC have no geographical barriers, they’re already global. That makes them a natural fit for live streaming.

At the same time, we can’t rely only on licensed content. That’s why we produce our own original series: lifestyle shows, travel content, food challenges, and more. These feature our streamers, who might be comedians, former idols, or everyday creators. The goal is to build an organic connection between live interaction and produced content.

Live streaming’s biggest strength is its interactivity. Viewers can ask questions, chat in real time, and feel part of the experience. We use our streamers as catalysts to sustain that communication loop, between the company, the content, and the audience.

You recently rebranded from AfreecaTV to SOOP. Could you explain the reasoning behind that change? Was it to better align with international audiences or part of a broader strategic shift?

That’s a great question. When I joined the company in 2022, one of the first things I noticed was that many of my Western colleagues and partners found the name “AfreecaTV” confusing — even problematic. Some wondered why a Korean company was using the word “Afreeca,” and a few even questioned whether it carried unintended connotations.

In fact, “AfreecaTV” stands for Anybody can Freely broadcast TV. When it was first launched, the word “TV” helped people easily understand it as a new kind of media — a place where anyone could freely create and broadcast, just like traditional television. But as the global audience became more familiar with streaming and creator platforms, the “TV” part no longer reflected who we were becoming.

So, after gathering feedback and conducting surveys, we proposed creating a new brand identity for the global market. That’s how SOOP was born, initially as a global brand separate from AfreecaTV, which remains strong in Korea.

We wanted something short, simple, and distinctive. Interestingly, while many Korean brands have historically borrowed Western or European words to sound sophisticated, we decided to take the opposite approach, to use a Korean word globally. Soop means “forest” in Korean. It’s easy to pronounce, memorable, and carries a warm, natural image.

When we designed the logo, we worked with Western designers. We didn’t explain much about the meaning, only that we were a live streaming  platform. They turned the double “O” into an infinity symbol, representing endless content and creativity, which we thought was a perfect fit.

The name SOOP, symbolizing a forest, reflects our vision of an inclusive ecosystem, just like a forest that nurtures all forms of life. We want to be that environment for creators, streamers, and audiences.

How do you want SOOP to be positioned among other live streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube Live? What differentiates SOOP from the rest?

We have a few guiding principles. First and foremost, what makes SOOP different is our commitment to partnership. Many platforms have more transactional relationships with their creators — they pay them, share revenue, and that’s it. But we take a different approach. We work closely with our streamers, consulting with them, solving problems together, and helping them grow. SOOP exists because of our streamers, and we see them as true partners in building the platform.

That spirit of partnership is reflected in everything we do. Communication is at the heart of our platform — between the company and streamers, between streamers and their audiences, and among users themselves. We provide constant support to our streamers, 24 hours a day, to help them with technology, content ideas, and any challenges they face.

Technology is another key pillar. There should be no delay in streaming or chatting; smooth, real-time interaction is crucial. Our infrastructure is designed to make communication fast, stable, and seamless.

From the audience perspective, we aim to be a comprehensive content platform that caters to all kinds of interests — from e-sports and gaming to travel, lifestyle, and casual talk. We want SOOP to be seen as a place that offers something for everyone, across generations and cultures, while maintaining a consistent identity rooted in creativity and interaction.

If foreign streamers want to join SOOP because they share your vision, which regions do you see as the most promising for growth? And what is your long-term global ambition?

At the moment, our primary focus has been the Asia-Pacific market, as it allows us to expand efficiently and build localized experiences. But our long-term vision is absolutely global — we aim to be a truly worldwide Live Streaming-oriented one-person media platform, covering the U.S., Europe, and Latin America as well.

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How are you addressing the language barrier in global live streaming?

To address language barriers, we operated a separate global platform where we were able to actively test and refine new technologies. Since the Korean platform was already stable, the global platform provided the flexibility to experiment more freely and accumulate operational experience in international markets.

Building on those experiences, we recently integrated our previously separate domestic and global services into a single platform — what we call “One SOOP.” This integration enables streamers and users around the world to interact within the same environment, without regional or structural boundaries.

At the core of this unified platform is AI-powered real-time translation and automatic subtitle technology. SOOP currently supports multiple languages, including Korean, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Thai, allowing users to communicate seamlessly across languages in real time.

For example, Faker, one of the most well-known League of Legends players, streams in Korean, but global audiences can now watch his broadcasts with real-time translated subtitles in their own language. Likewise, chat messages from international fans are instantly translated into Korean, enabling true two-way communication between streamers and viewers.

Through this integrated platform, SOOP is connecting communities across Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and the Americas, and building a global live streaming ecosystem where language is no longer a barrier to participation.

Many people know Faker as the face of Korean e-sports. Are there other well-known Korean streamers currently active on SOOP who are engaging with global audiences?

Yes. While our ultimate goal is to merge the Korean and global platforms once the technology is fully stable, right now our main focus is e-sports professionals and gaming influencers, since that’s where the global audience base is strongest.

In addition to Faker, many top players from teams like T1, DRX, and others stream on our platform. These names are well-known in the e-sports community worldwide. Expanding this ecosystem to include more international streamers is one of our next priorities.

Finally, if we were to meet again in 2030, what would you hope to have achieved by then, both for the company and for yourself?

The most important keyword for the future is global. That doesn’t mean we’ll lose focus on Korea, but rather that we’ll increase our emphasis on the global market.

We want to make the interaction between users and streamers even more seamless through continuous innovation. Ten years from now, my goal is for SOOP to be recognized as the number one Live Streaming-oriented one-person media platform in the world. Hopefully, when that happens, we’ll be meeting for our next interview not in Seoul, but at one of our international offices.

Internally, we’re also investing in new technologies, especially AI. Currently, we’re using AI to assist streamers with convenience tools, but our longer-term vision is to develop fully AI-powered streamers who can coexist with human streamers, not compete with them.

We’ve already introduced three AI systems: SARSA, an assistant for streamers; SOOPi,  an assistant for users; and SAVYG, which supports AI functionality development. Our roadmap is to integrate these technologies to the point where AI streamers become a natural part of our ecosystem.

From a business standpoint, SOOP has four main pillars: streamer monetization, content licensing, production and events, and emerging sectors like e-commerce and digital solutions. Currently, about 70% of our revenue comes from streamer-related business, and we’re helping streamers transition from part-time streamers to full-time professionals.

We also see opportunities beyond streaming. Our peer-to-peer streaming technology significantly reduces network costs and can be applied in other industries. We don’t see other streaming platforms as competitors; we see them as potential partners or clients for our technology.

Ultimately, our business direction is to create a diverse, interconnected ecosystem where technology, streamers, and users all grow together.

Interested in learning more? Click here: https://www.sooplive.com/