Seoul's official Instagram is most-followed among profiles of top 10 global cities
The main page of Seoul's official Instagram account / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced, Sunday, that its official Instagram account had surpassed 454,000 followers as of October, making it the most-followed among the profiles of top 10 global cities.
Seoul outpaced the followers of other highly-ranked cities in Japan's Mori Memorial Foundation's “Comprehensive Competitiveness Evaluation of World Cities,” including London, New York, Tokyo and Paris.
After launching in June 2014, the account gained over 100,000 subscribers in 2017 and reached 450,000 in September this year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributes the steep growth to the increased use of short-form content and Reels optimized for Instagram. These forms of content allow users to enjoy video clips of less than 60 seconds that provide information or highlight scenes of a longer recording.
From January to October this year, the city posted 94 Reels, doubling from 2022. As of October this year, the total number of Reels views on the city's official account tripled compared to a year ago, reaching 11.27 million.
Among the most-viewed Reels are videos of N Seoul Tower adorned with purple lights ahead of the BTS Festa in June and the inaugural Han River Drone Light Show event.
A screenshot from Reels of the N Seoul Tower decorated with purple lights ahead of the BTS 10th anniversary Festa / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Reels with the highest number of views include a video of N Seoul Tower decorated with purple lights ahead of K-pop boy group BTS's 10th anniversary Festa in June and footage of the inaugural Han River Drone Light Show.
The use of various filming techniques, including drones, is also becoming popular among followers. A video filmed using a drone that captures the night landscape of Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, Seoul, has garnered considerable attention, showcasing Seoul's scenery.
In addition to promoting Seoul's scenery through various contents, the city encourages citizens’ participation in environmental campaigns.
One such campaign, picking up trash along the banks of the Han River, aimed at raising awareness of waste issues and promoting recycling, achieved a record participation of 7,000 people during the fall of 2022 and spring of this year, coinciding with the increased number of visitors to Han River Park following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
The account also serves as an information hub for citizens, offering content that offers the latest information, including the Climate Card, an unlimited public transportation pass set to be introduced next year.
For this year's Chuseok holiday, the city shared various cultural events and recommended places to visit in Seoul.
A team of Generation Z members, who are well-versed in social media, built a system to create and post content. The team utilizes photos and videos reflecting the latest trends, effectively combining interest and information, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Choi Won-seok, director of public relations at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, emphasized the importance of targeting the young generations who seek information on Instagram, including activities and dining options.
“The goal is to not only provide valuable municipal information, but also to create a communication space where people can discover Seoul's Instagram account as their primary source of information,” Choi said.