Photo courtesy of Yonhap News

 

[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] TikTok announced plans to invest more than $50 million (approximately KRW 75 billion) in South Korea this year, aiming to significantly expand creator rewards and strengthen partnerships across media and sports. The initiative is designed to accelerate the global reach of Korean content and capture the next-generation creator market.

TikTok Korea made the announcement on April 2 during the “K-Impact Summit 2026” held at Eliena Hotel. The investment will be directed toward enhancing creator compensation and supporting the onboarding and development of new creators on the platform.

As part of the initiative, TikTok will offer up to sixfold increases in rewards for creators producing content in Korean.

On April 1, the company launched its “Creator Rewards Program 2X,” which allows eligible creators—those with at least 10,000 followers, 100,000 views over the past 30 days, and original content of at least one minute—to earn up to twice the existing rewards for Korean-language content.

Go Gi-won, Head of Emerging Verticals & Creator Marketing at TikTok Korea, stated that the program applies exclusively to accounts created in Korea. “While similar programs exist in other countries, Korea is the only market where rewards are being increased up to twofold,” he said.

In addition, TikTok will introduce a “Special Reward Program” starting May 1, offering up to three times the rewards based on content quality for creators in categories such as TV/film and sports. Combined with the 2X program, creators can receive up to six times higher rewards compared to current levels.

The company also unveiled new initiatives to attract and nurture creators. These include the “Creator Growth Challenge,” designed to support creators transitioning from other platforms, and the “Creator Incubator Program,” which aims to develop mid-tier creators into mega creators with over one million followers. The incubator program will provide one-on-one consulting and support from TikTok’s advertising sales team.

Furthermore, TikTok plans to strengthen collaboration with professional partners across media, sports leagues, and entertainment sectors. The company refers to these partners as “Amplifiers,” which help extend the reach of creator-driven content to global audiences.

TikTok will also expand its sports content offerings, including behind-the-scenes and original content, as well as live streaming coverage for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. It will also operate official content and fan engagement programs for KBO League and K League.

 

 

 

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