Enlisting celebrities, influencers, Seoul aims to rebrand itself as haven for families

Facing the world’s lowest birthrate, the city of Seoul is deploying an unconventional set of ambassadors to show that raising children in the capital is not only possible, but enjoyable.

Municipal officials announced, Thursday, the selection of eight families — an eclectic mix including veteran film actor Shin Hyun-joon, a national paper airplane champion and an "infant stroller running" enthusiast — to serve as the faces of the city’s promotional campaign for family-friendly policies.

Selected from nearly 500 applicant households — a fierce 60:1 competition ratio — the group forms the fourth cohort of "Seoul I Ambassadors" ("I" meaning child in Korean).

Over the next six months, these families will create social media content, test municipal child care programs and participate in public campaigns aimed at normalizing and encouraging parenthood in an increasingly expensive urban landscape.

The initiative reflects an expanding strategy by City Hall to tackle demographic problems through lifestyle marketing alongside direct cash subsidies.

Crucially, officials expanded this ye ...