For today's youth living in such an unstable and unpredictable world, stability has great value. Nonetheless, is it reasonable to indefinitely put off your dreams just for a stable life? With this question in mind, three alumni of Korea University (KU) began a YouTube channel that grew to have over 600,000 subscribers. Under the channel name Blimey, the three creators are establishing themselves as a brand by persevering through infinite challenges. The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed the team behind Blimey to discuss their adventure as YouTube creators.

About Blimey

Blimey is a popular YouTube channel opened in 2017 by Yang Da Sol (’12, Korean Language and Literature), Choi Hye Rim (’12, History), and Han Joo Hui (’12, Korean Language and Literature). Early on, they produced daily vlogs such as "Holiday Nagging Invincible Defense." They then solidified their success through content exploring various Southeast Asian cultures, starting with videos on Malaysian snacks. Blimey is now primarily known for their videos on Malaysian culture, which include travel vlogs to places such as Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, as well as content about Malaysian beauty, language, and songs. As they have hundreds of thousands of Malaysian subscribers, they promote Malaysian culture to Koreans, but also Korean culture to Malaysians.

GT : What is the meaning behind the channel name Blimey?

Blimey: Blimey is an exclamation that means “Oh my God!” When we first created the channel, we wanted to change people's prejudiced ideas and deal with issues that those in their 20s, like us, could relate to. Therefore, we named the channel Blimey, which showcases our ambition to surprise the world.

GT : What was the motivation behind establishing your own YouTube channel?

Blimey: All three of us like to tackle new challenges and enjoyed creative work such as making videos or writing. Although YouTube is a popular platform these days, when we first started out four years ago, it was just getting in fashion. Being interested in the field of media, we noticed YouTube’s potential. With all of us having wished to run a YouTube channel, we eventually established a channel together.

GT : What made you shift the focus of your channel from daily vlogs to Malaysia?

Blimey: As you mentioned, for the first six months, we created videos that questioned people's prejudices, such as “Living as a vegetarian for a week." Then, a friend who went on a trip to Kota Kinabalu brought back snacks for us, and we uploaded a video titled “Malaysian Snack Reaction.” That video recorded surprisingly explosive views, so we became interested in Malaysia. We discovered that Malaysians were interested in Korea and how Koreans view Malaysia. To satisfy their curiosity, we created videos based on Malaysian subscribers’ requests in the comment sections, and that led to the current Blimey.

GT : How is your channel managed? Who is involved and how do you organize your channel and its content?

Blimey: The three of us run the business as co-representatives, and having hired two employees last year, now a total of five people work together. Thanks to the channel's concept of Koreans dealing with Malaysian culture, we are partnered with parties from both Korea and Malaysia. We are currently working with Korean public organizations in the domestic brand and tourism sector to introduce Korean products or tourist attractions to Malaysia. In addition, we have been supported by the Malaysian Tourism Administration in recognition of promoting Malaysian culture, and we are collaborating with entertainment companies to introduce various artists to the Malaysian public.

GT : How do you come up with ideas for your channel?

Blimey: We feel that it is genuinely important for a producer to understand what viewers want. Thus, we try to listen to the voices of viewers by communicating through comment sections and Social Networking Services (SNS).
For example, we learned through comments in the Malaysian music video reaction video that subscribers wondered if Malaysian songs were also enjoyable for Koreans. Therefore, we made a series called "Trail to Busan," during which we busk with famous Malaysian singer Sarah Suhairi while traveling throughout Korea. Among them, the video where Sarah Suhairi sings Dangdut, a popular Malaysian pop genre, topped the trending videos chart on YouTube Malaysia for more than a week, achieving a total of 3.47 million views.

GT : Did your experience of running a channel that focuses on exploring another country change your perspective? If so, how?

Blimey: As many Malaysians are Muslim, a large portion of Blimey’s subscribers is Muslim as well. Because we recognize them as a friend, we experienced a change in our perspective. For example, just as we do not eat shrimp when we meet a friend with shrimp allergies, it has become so natural for us not to eat pork when we are filming with Muslim friends. Following through, we made a video about places in Korea to eat at if you have food restrictions, like our subscribers do. We received feedback that the video made people understand Korea better, and became proud that our sincerity worked.

GT : Please tell us any stories about Blimey that are worth sharing!

Blimey: As we work on Blimey, we often wonder, "If we hadn't done this job, would we have had this experience?" The most impressive moment was when we had a fan meeting in Malaysia. The first meeting was limited to 50 people and the second to 100 people, but more than 1,000 Blimers─a nickname for Blimey subscribers─applied each time. We still vividly remember the unchosen applicants standing throughout the event just to see us. Some even cried when they saw us. Meeting Malaysian fans in person made us feel proud and rewarded, and that our videos were adding happiness to people's lives.

GT : Do you have any advice for KU students who want to start their own business?

Blimey: For many juniors who want to set up their own business, we recommend a bold approach. The reality might be harsher than what you thought since we also took six months to reach merely 500 subscribers. However, persistently digging into one field will pay off. Also, there are support systems to help young entrepreneurs up when they collapse, such as programs that provide mentoring and subsidies for startups, so don’t struggle alone; look around for help.