"Dad, why are you doing this?"... The 'extremely introverted' Manager Kim whose performance sent FKI's social media soaring

[Financial News]  This man has clearly decided to make a fool of himself. He shockingly parodied actor Oh Jung-se's viral "I like you" video from the film "Wild Sing," and in the video series "Manager Kim," he comically portrayed the struggles of a father in his 40s and 50s who is trying to get by while still enjoying each day. His many "self-deprecating" appearances are being steadily uploaded to Kkeujeok, the official YouTube and Instagram accounts of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI). His youngest son is one of his biggest fans. He leaves comments such as, "Dad, why are you doing this?" and adds his own playful response to his father's performance. As the videos spread by word of mouth, he has become a hot topic in business circles. Thanks to that, FKI's monthly views on YouTube and Instagram have surpassed 600,000. In today's slang, it has gone viral. The response from people in their 20s and 30s has been especially strong.
Kim Yong-chun, head of FKI's public relations team, is the man behind the viral "Manager Kim."

In an interview at FKI Tower in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, on the 30th, Kim said, "We reworked our online social media strategy in March this year with the goal of introducing FKI's name more effectively to younger generations." He added, "We mainly plan videos that focus on communication between office workers and younger people by showing job hunting, which is a major concern for young people, and life after employment. That is also why I ended up appearing in them."
Thanks to Kim's efforts, FKI is being credited with communicating with younger audiences more actively than at any point in its 65-year history. Kim said, "All of FKI's activities begin with earning public support," adding, "We especially focused on winning support from younger generations, who will form the core of the future." So far, he has appeared in videos such as "I Like You," "A Tough Day for Manager Kim," "Manager Kim Gets Too Deep into Spider-Man," and "Promoting the Energy Diet (Day 1 of Bullying the Manager)."

His appearance in "I Like You" must have taken courage. Kim said, "I believe that if younger employees ask me to do something, I should never refuse and should just do it," adding, "If I can't match the sensibility of younger people who lead social media, I at least follow what my staff asks me to do." Comments such as "I want to work under a manager like that," "I can't even imagine how much pressure they were under to make this content," and "Go, all the Manager Kims and Deputy Managers of the world" have continued to pour in, further boosting his motivation to film.
In fact, he is a deeply introverted person, with an MBTI profile that leans extremely toward I, and he holds a doctorate in law. He has spent years working in policy areas such as the Commercial Act, the MRFTA, labor, and regulatory reform. The approachable image of the Manager Kim he plays is meant to symbolize familiarity. On-site ad-libs are his responsibility. "Humor is more powerful than anything else," he said. "For a video itself to be funny, our staff on set also have to enjoy it."

Kim completely revamped FKI's social media channels in March. It now runs three major video series: the Manager Kim series, Salon de Kkeujeok, and Curious Major Company Y. That is a far cry from the old image of the Federation of Korean Industries as a rigid, authoritative organization. Curious Major Company Y became especially popular for its hiring tips from corporate recruiters. A video featuring a recruiter from the LX Group drew 1.46 million views on Instagram Reels. The result came from focusing closely on the main interests of younger generations.

As of August, monthly traffic to FKI's YouTube channel Kkeujeok was up 270 percent from March, while Instagram traffic surged 1,730 percent. Combined monthly traffic across the two platforms has exceeded 600,000. For an organic channel that attracts views and followers through word of mouth alone, without spending on marketing or advertising, it has been a major success. Recently, more and more people have been saying they want to meet Kim in person. Interestingly, many of them are in their teens and 20s. Kim said, "For those who first encountered us through the videos, it feels rewarding that they are opening their hearts and approaching us first."
 
Kim said with a smile, "I want to grow it into a channel with 1 million subscribers," adding, "We will continue to welcome even bold scripts brought in by our staff."


[email protected] Jo Eun-hyo Reporter