On September 6, the Korea Foundation released “2021 Sound Healing with Korea-Listen to Jeju,” online non-verbal video content to promote cultural public diplomacy, via its YouTube channel.

“2021 Sound Healing with Korea” is ASMR video content designed to spread Korean-style healing at a time when the demand for arts and culture is increasing due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. It is composed of two series: one about Jeju Island and one about art and culture. Entitled “Listen to Jeju,” the first series focuses on scenery and daily life on Jeju, an island with a million years of history, featuring sounds of birds, waterfalls, dolphins, horse drivers, and women divers.

“Brown-Eared Bulbul and Fairy Pitta in Seonheulgot Dongbaek-Dongsan” features the crystal-clear sound of the brown-eared bulbul and the fairy pitta, famous birds endemic to Jeju, along with the beautiful scenery of Seonheulgot Dongbaek-Dongsan forest.

◦ “Eorimok Moss Waterfall” captures the sound of the moss waterfall in Eorimok Valley, not easily accessible to the general public due to access control measures. It offers viewers a chance at an online experience of the refreshing sound of water and various sounds of the forest in Mt. Halla, known for its well-preserved ecosystem.

◦ “Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins” shows dolphins living under the seas of Jeju, freely moving around off the coast of Moseul Port in Daejeong-eup. It showcases the precious natural scenery that has been slowly vanishing from sight.

◦ “Malterui” presents the energetic sound of shouting by malterui, a Jeju dialect word for those who tend horses professionally. These horse drivers have been considered very important in dry-field farming on Jeju. Along with the sound of horse driving, the video features the island’s horses that have grown far stronger due to the ever-changing weather of Jeju.

◦ “Sumbisori of Jeju Haenyeo” focuses exclusively on the breathing sound of haenyeo, women divers in the water, a different approach from other similar videos featuring haenyeo. It enables viewers to relax in a calming way by featuring the daily life of the women divers of Daepyeong-ri Beach.

Currently, the teasers and main videos in the “Listen to Jeju” series are available on the KF’s official YouTube channel (youtube.com/TheKoreaFoundation). The KF plans to release the second ASMR series on art and culture in October.