'Korean Englishman' / SHINee Twitter
‘Korean Englishman’ (‘영국남자’ in Korean) and ‘JOLLY’ are two of the biggest and most successful YouTube channels with 5.63 million and 3.24 million subscribers respectively to date (May 30, 2023). Over the last ten years on ‘Korean Englishman’ and six years on ‘JOLLY’, the channels have served as a means of bridging cultural gaps between east and west by showcasing Korean culture and, at times, even introducing British culture as well. Their videos are a cultural exchange delivered in an entertaining format, allowing people who are already interested in Korean culture to expand their knowledge while enticing people who were previously unaware of Korean culture to learn more about it.
The success of each video is a testament to their popularity. Most of their videos receive millions of views and all of their videos receive positive engagement from its viewers.
Who Are The Faces Of ‘Korean Englishman’ And ‘JOLLY’?
Both channels are run by Josh and Ollie, two friends from the UK who met in university. They are as close as two friends can get, having known each other since their university days and having a working relationship over the past decade.
Josh is known for his consistent enthusiasm regardless of what they are doing and his deep knowledge of Korean culture and language. Ollie is known for his unfailing witty humour and his genuine interest in both Korea and the guests they feature on their channels.
‘Korean Englishman’ began with Josh’s love for Korea. Growing up, he was surrounded by lots of Koreans and fell in love with the welcoming nature of the culture, particularly the commensality of Korean food. In his second year of university, he spent a year in Korea studying at Korea University. He has excellent command of the Korean language and due to his passion for and connection to Korean culture, he feels that it is an essential part to his identity and his perspective of the world.
As for video making, Josh and Ollie shared great memories making funny videos during their time at university. They lived together with some other friends and made lots of videos pranking each other or trying weird experiments like making a potato launcher.
About ‘Korean Englishman’ And ‘JOLLY’
‘Korean Englishman’, which was launched in 2013, is the go-to channel for a multi-faceted exploration of Korean culture.
The channel has a plethora of videos centered on all sorts of Korean food to suit everyone’s palette. They have eaten well-known, popular dishes including chimaek, K-BBQ, tteokbokki and army stew as well as unique street food.
Their videos also take us to places in Seoul and all around the country such as Suwon or Cheongju. They engage in different activities such as going to a traditional Korean medicine centre, trying flying yoga and even hiking up Cheonggyesan. Korea is a place where traditional culture meets fun, modern trends and ‘Korean Englishman’ covers all this.
Their second channel, ‘JOLLY’ (a mashup of both their names) was launched in early 2017. ‘JOLLY’ allows Josh and Ollie to show their crazy sides with more spontaneous content. Some of their most entertaining videos on the channel have involved them trying the smelliest cheeses available, eating a tarantula, reacting to memes and trying snacks sent from their subscribers all around the world.
Videos With K-Pop Stars
Many loved K-Pop stars have featured as guests on ‘Korean Englishman’ and ‘JOLLY’. They discuss their experiences living in Korea and their personal stories of life as a K-Pop star while indulging in delicious Korean food. The guests always have a good time with Josh and Ollie, engaging in funny yet insightful conversations and savouring the taste of the food they eat.
There have been several stars who have guest starred on ‘Korean Englishman’ and ‘JOLLY’. Below are some of the videos with K-Pop stars from the channels.
Videos About The Korean Language
While Josh is a fluent Korean speaker having grown up with Koreans and spending a year at Korea University, Ollie has been learning the language over the last few years. With the help of Josh, and a few others who have acted as substitute teachers, Ollie started off with the basics; learning to read and write Hangeul and basic grammar. Now, he is able to find his own way around Korea and communicate with native speakers. Below is one of the videos from the ‘OLLIE ALONE IN KOREA’ series on ‘Korean Englishman’.
As the videos show, learning Korean is not always easy, as is the process of learning anything. Funny mistakes are bound to be made and things previously learnt are bound to be forgotten but each time it is a Korean lesson, Ollie always shows up with the right spirit and eagerness.
The videos of Ollie learning Korean are a fun way for subscribers to make progress on their own Korean language learning journeys.
Videos About Korean Culture
Whether it’s trying out a giant crab at a seafood market, visiting iconic landmarks like Gyeongbukgung Palace or singing out loud at a noraebang, there is something for all types of viewers wanting to learn more about Korea. Josh and Ollie have shared the joy of experiencing Korean culture with their family and friends. Everyone who has featured on their channels show so much interest during their time there and come back from each adventure raving with endless words to describe their happiness.
As they’ve gained a larger audience and earned a solid reputation as promoters of Korean culture, they have been able to feature Western celebrity guests too. The likes of which include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Ryan Reynolds and David Beckham amongst many more.
Recently they have also blown up on YouTube for their extensive series of British high schoolers exploring Korean culture.
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