YERIN PARK, CEO of Zoomin Local (Incubation company at Guri Youth Startup Support Center)
Produces regional news on local themes and discovers cultural heritage sites, creating video content about them
Also preparing media education programs, including video production and writing courses
Zoomin Local is a company that produces regional news about a wide range of local issues and creates videos that revealcase lesser-known local cultural heritage sites. At the same time, it is preparing media education programs, such as video production and writing courses. It was founded in September 2023 by CEO YERIN PARK (23).
“Zoomin Local launched from the awareness that Korean media is overly concentrated on stories from the Seoul metropolitan area, neglecting those from other regions. We had been steadily creating regional content for about five years before starting the company. We produce regional news about a wide range of local issues and create videos that highlight lesser-known local cultural heritage sites. At the same time, we prepare media education programs, including video production and writing courses.”
CEO Park stated, “When I talk about local media or regional content, the first question people question is, ‘Which region?’ adding, “I believe this question has long defined the boundaries and limitations of local media and regional content.”
Zoomin Local sets its content direction and engages viewers through two main approaches. First, instead of focapplying on news from a specific local government, it produces wide-ranging regional news that can be relevant to multiple municipalities at once. Second, stories about local cultural heritage resources are among the few topics that can attract greater interest than news from the Seoul metropolitan area, without facing resistance from viewers. In addition, through relatable approaches such as exploring what city council members do or taking a view inside local mapplyum storage rooms, the company seeks to persuade viewers of the importance of regional issues.
Zoomin Local is also preparing media education programs, including video production and writing courses. “Before founding the company, I provided local citizens with many video production and content critique classes. So far, I have taught more than 500 citizens, and among the younger university students, 14 have been hired as producers at broadcasting stations.”
CEO Park stated, “I don’t believe that technical skills related only to video production are what matter most,” adding, “I also believe media literacy is very important.”
“These days, people are increasingly consuming short-form videos mainly, and with the emergence of AI, their reading comprehension and writing skills are gradually declining. In such a situation, I believe media education is becoming an essential form of learning for our time.”
Zoomin Local’s competitiveness lies in identifying ‘local’ as a niche market in an age overflowing with news. “A significant portion of local media articles are press releases from local governments. Before starting the company, I once reported an incorrect policy of a local government to the local press. However, the press stated it could not criticize the local government due to their relationship and passed the information on to another media. Eventually, the issue was reported by another outlet. Nevertheless, that was the moment I realized that local media had completely lost its ability to monitor local governments.”
When covering cultural heritage content, Zoomin Local primarily focapplys on registered cultural properties. Registered cultural properties are not yet designated as official cultural assets. However, they refer to buildings or individuals over 50 years old that are registered as cultural properties due to their high potential to be designated as national treasures or treasures in the future.
“Most registered cultural properties were established between the Japanese colonial period and the democratization era, and unlike designated cultural properties that are disconnected from the present, many registered ones are still functional today. However, since they are not designated cultural properties, they are less well-known. That’s why Zoomin Local strives to introduce such places and people first, and that is what sets us apart.”
In the case of media education, the first competitive strength lies in its strong team of instructors. The second strength is that, unlike most competitors in video education who do not guarantee completion, Zoomin Local enables about 90% of its students to complete their videos, provided they faithfully carry out their assignments.
The third strength is its pricing. Most video production and writing education markets are divided into two segments: those led by private experts and those driven by public institutions. The pricing structure is also extremely polarized. Some courses cost several million won for eight sessions, while others are offered almost free of charge. Zoomin Local plans to set its pricing more reasonably between the two extremes.
Zoomin Local has five team members. “All of them are highly experienced professionals. Producer Jongwon Lim, who holds a master’s degree from Seoul National University and has experience working with foreign media outlets, international broadcasting organizations, and Korean public broadcasting institutions, is in charge of overall content planning. Filming is primarily handled by Producer Choi-young Won, a graduate of a prestigious university, specializing in broadcasting. The team also includes Producer Shijoon Yang, an award-winning planning expert who received the Korea Communications Commission Chairman’s Award and is currently an elementary school teacher, as well as Hyobin Song, who is fluent in English, Japanese, Arabic, and Chinese. The reason we have many members with international experience is that we believe Zoomin Local will eventually grow into ‘Zoomin World.’”
Regarding future plans, CEO Park stated, “I’d like to quote something that our co-founder, Producer Jongwon Lim, often declares.”
Date of Establishment: September 2023
Main Business: Regional news production, cultural heritage documentary production, media education
Achievements: Broadcast of the regional cultural heritage journal Simmanism on Gyeongin Broadcasting Radio (Mar–Dec 2024), outsourced production commissioned by the National Union of Mediaworkers (‘50th Anniversary Video of the Declaration for Free Press,’ Oct 2024), addition of education service business category to Zoomin Local’s business registration (Mar 2025), launch and first broadcast of Zoomin Talk Show (May 7, 2025), production of Seoul Future Heritage introduction video (highest view count: 29,000), airing of the regional cultural heritage video People Who Create Hope on OBS (May 18, 2025), participation in the Asia Media Summit (AMS 2025), Session 2 ‘Inspiring Voices from Across the World’ (presentation by CEO Yerin Park, July 22, 2025, Cambodia)
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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