- Background
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For many Indonesians, Korea has long been associated with one thing: transformation through beauty. From the “Korean look” popularized in K-dramas to celebrity vlogs and surgeon-led clinic tours on social media, Korea became widely known as the go-to destination for cosmetic surgery.
This perception took root so strongly that Korea’s broader medical excellence remained largely unseen. Yet behind the familiar image lies a much bigger, world-leading reality. South Korea is home to advanced medical systems, robotic surgical technology, globally accredited hospitals, and holistic wellness cultures that connect mind, body, and soul. It is one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world, attracting patients from Japan, China, the U.S, and beyond
But for Indonesia, a country deeply in love with Korean culture, however, awareness is still very limited. Despite a strong emotional connection to K-Pop, K-dramas, K-beauty, and K-food, Indonesians have not yet discovered Korea as a place for health, healing, and rejuvenation. Not because of lack of interest but because the narrative they’ve always been shown is incomplete. For Indonesians, “Medical Korea” has long carried a single meaning, cosmetic surgery. The strong influence of K-dramas, beauty creators, and celebrity transformations has shaped a perception where Korea is seen as a place to change how you look, rather than a place to care for your health,
Even though Korea ranks among the top medical tourism destinations globally, this is not widely known in Indonesia. Meanwhile, when Indonesians think about travelling for medical reasons, they tend to consider places that feel closer, easier, and more familiar.
At the same time, when Indonesians think about wellness in Korea, they associate it with entertainment, shopping, cafes, and cultural sightseeing not with healing retreats, nature therapy, spa experiences, or integrated wellness care.
This perception gap means that a world-class medical and wellness experience is hiding in plain sight overshadowed by Korea’s already beloved cultural exports.
Korea has always touched the hearts of Indonesians. Now, it has the chance to heal them too. Because beyond the lights, the music, the fandoms, and the drama there is Korea that restores, balances, and renews.
A Korea that does not just change how you look, but changes how you feel. This is time to shift the story. From beauty on the outside to well-being from within.
- Creative Idea
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While in Korea
We often travel to Korea to feel inspired to wander through the neighborhoods we’ve seen in dramas, to taste food we’ve watched on screen, to chase the energy of music, lights, and youthful excitement. Korea has always been a place to escape, to play, to feel alive for a little while. It’s a country we know for its entertainment, its beauty innovations, its medical and wellness excellence, and of course, its irresistible culinary culture. But what if you could experience all of that and beyond? What if, while in Korea, you could go shopping then heal, savor a culinary adventure then head for a medical checkup, or spend a night at a concert before finding zen in a quiet temple stay? What if, during that same trip, you didn’t just have fun, you also found a sense of peace, clarity, and renewal you didn’t know you were missing? This is where the idea begins. “While in Korea” invites travelers to discover the Korea beneath the familiar surface, the Korea where wellness is not a luxury, but a natural part of daily life. Korea where advanced medical care meets warmth and attentiveness. The Korea where healing doesn’t feel like work, but like something that happens effortlessly, as you move through your day. It is Zen, the softer, quieter side of Korea, the opposite of what we usually see. A version of Korea that heals you from the outside and from the inside. Healing in Korea isn’t something you have to search for; it’s already there, woven into the texture of its culture, waiting to be experienced.It happens naturally. Softly. Almost without you realizing it. Not in dramatic breakthroughs but in small, grounding moments that stay with you long after you return home.This is not travel that helps you escape your life. It’s a travel that helps you come back to it; fresh, clearer, calmer, and more aligned with yourself “While in Korea”.
- Insight & Strategy
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Indonesia Gen MZ has always looked to Korea for inspiration. It’s where they find music that understands them, dramas that heal them, food that comforts them and fashion that helps them express who they want to be. Korea has long press experiences fueled by FOMO and pop culture curiosity not health or well-being. Not just in trends, but in well being. Not just in how they look, but in how they feel and live.
Because while Gen MZ seeks beauty, they are also seeking balance. They want to sleep better, breathe easier, reset their mind, feel lighter, healthier and more present. They want to step away from burnout and step into a version of themselves that feels more grounded and whole.
And this is where Korea’s medical and wellness ecosystem naturally shines yet remains unseen. Here, cutting edge healthcare exists alongside centuries-old healing rituals.
Clinics feel like lifestyle videos.
Check up feels like personal care.
Wellness isn’t a luxury, it’s built into everyday life.
So instead of asking Gen MZ to change their behavior, we extend what they already love:
The calm of Korean cafes -> into meditation and forest therapy
The curiosity for beauty ->into skin health and regenerative treatments
The love for K-culture -> into health practices shaped by heritage
The aesthetic travel content -> into storytelling of real personal transformation
This is not about convincing them to choose medical tourism. It’s about revealing a Korea they already belong to just one layer deeper. We tell real stories, from real travellers, guided by voices they trust. We let the audience feel the transformation, not just see it.
- Execution
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The campaign took form as a cinematic travel film, told through the eyes of a traveler who came to Korea seeking experiences and found healing instead. From the moment she steps off the plane at Incheon Airport, the world opens up in slow motion sunlight spilling through glass walls, her eyes glimmering with anticipation. Every movement feels effortless the way her scarf sways, the train glides along the coastline, the camera breathing softly with her curiosity.
The film mirrors the rhythm of a quiet journey from excitement to serenity. Viewers are carried from bustling cityscapes and neon-lit streets to the peaceful hush of spas, hospitals, and forest trails. Each transition from skincare therapy to traditional medicine, from tea ceremony to gentle waves brushing the shore embodies seamlessness, care, and clarity.
Visually, it’s a dialogue between light and calm. The warm tones of Korea streets meet the muted whites of wellness spaces. Natural light glows across glass and water, creating a sense of balance and a visual metaphor for Korea itself: modern yet mindful, vibrant yet peaceful. The film’s sound design deepens the immersion, blending tactile layers like the rustle of a hanbok, the sound of folding paper, the steady rhythm of footsteps, and the soft closing of clinic doors. Every sound feels intentional, grounding the emotional tone in sensory realism. Through this journey, the protagonist doesn’t just discover places, she discovers herself.
On social and digital platforms, storytelling took the form of short videos and creator-led narratives that showed how “healing moments” could happen anywhere. Every asset was designed to remind the audience:
“While in Korea, you can feel and heal.”
- Results
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The film touched audiences in the way data rarely can through emotion. Across platforms, Indonesians connected with its message instantly. They recognized familiar desires to travel, to pause, to breathe but now tied to a new realization: that Korea is not just a land of idols and excitement, but a sanctuary for renewal. The calm visuals and honest storytelling sparked waves of organic engagement. Comments turned reflective, with viewers describing how they “felt seen,” how the film made them “want to heal in Korea,” and how the story captured a side of the country they had never known existed. In just a few months, the narrative shifted from “Korea = entertainment” to “Korea = experience.”
The campaign redefined KTO Indonesia’s role, not as a promoter of destinations, but as a storyteller of well-being. It built emotional bridges where marketing alone couldn’t. It reminded people that wellness isn’t just a place you go, it’s something you find along the way. And as the final frame fades to white, one truth lingers:“Korea answers with open arms because While in Korea, you’ll find healing waiting in between the moments.”