"Pharmacists and Lawyers Also Apply" ... Competition for Hiring 'Labang' Specialist Show Hosts

Specialists Running YouTube Channels Flock to 'Media Commerce' Talent Recruitment
Product Buyers Appear to Guarantee Quality and Freshness

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the home shopping industry expands the 'live commerce broadcast' market, public recruitment for show hosts is underway, with hundreds-to-one competition rates. It has been revealed that professionals such as pharmacists and lawyers are also applying for contract show host positions.

Pharmacists and Lawyers Also Apply as Show Hosts

On the 26th, Lotte Home Shopping announced that over 1,000 applicants had applied for the public recruitment of show hosts that began in early last month. Among the applicants were individuals with diverse backgrounds, including professional YouTubers, broadcasters, flight attendants, shopping mall models, actors, and entertainers. Although about 10 people were planned to be selected, the overwhelming number of over 1,000 applicants has delayed the show host selection schedule somewhat.

Lotte Home Shopping plans to train the newly selected entry-level employees as media commerce broadcast experts capable of working across all channels such as TV home shopping, T-commerce, and mobile TV. Regardless of age, education, or major, the top priority in the selection criteria is 'media commerce-type talent.' To this end, they have strengthened the evaluation of communication skills and introduced a 'customer participation evaluation' method in the selection process.

K Shopping is currently publicly recruiting live broadcast specialist shopping hosts who will be active in broadcasts such as 'LiveK.' Due to the nature of live broadcasts, experts from various fields often appear as show hosts, so individuals with unique career backgrounds from various professions who ran YouTube channels as a hobby have registered on the waiting list for live broadcast-exclusive show hosts.

A K Shopping official said, "As the live broadcast market rapidly rises, we expect many talented individuals with distinctive charm to apply. The competition rate reaches at least hundreds to one each time we recruit, and many applicants with unique backgrounds such as weathercasters and lawyers are applying."

Since live broadcast-dedicated show hosts can only work as contract or freelance workers during broadcast hours, even those with other main jobs are showing interest. The era of live broadcast show hosts with unique careers, such as pharmacists turned health functional food specialist show hosts and lawyers turned insurance specialist show hosts, is rapidly approaching.

Shinsegae International is publicly recruiting 'personal shoppers' to lead its own live commerce platform 'S.I.Live,' operated on its online mall. Beyond luxury channels selling luxury goods worth millions of won, the plan is to focus on content that conveys in-depth information such as brand history and stories and builds bonds with consumers.

A company official said, "Earlier this year, famous designer Hwang Jae-geun personally appeared and suggested styling methods suitable for various situations and coordinates, such as entry-level luxury bags and steady luxury bags. The rerun viewership exceeded three times that of the original broadcast."

Seafood Buyer Appeared on Tuna Broadcast

Although not professional show hosts, many in-house or affiliate company employees appear on live broadcasts. On the 17th, SSG.com showcased the professional baseball team SSG Landers uniforms through the live broadcast 'SSG Live,' where Gwak Susan, the SSG Landers stadium announcer, conducted the broadcast directly from the souvenir shop inside Incheon SSG Landers Field to provide a sense of presence. The familiar announcer to baseball fans attracted about 12,000 simultaneous viewers during the broadcast, receiving a positive customer response.

In the tuna and abalone live broadcast held last month at Emart Wolgye branch, the seafood buyer appeared directly to introduce the products, exceeding the sales target by 200%. The person in charge who personally procured the products introduced them in real time, securing trust in freshness and taste, recording 20,000 viewers and 34,000 likes during the broadcast.

An Emart official said, "While influencers or celebrities can be employed to boost live broadcast popularity, for products like fresh food where quality must be prioritized, it is important not only to entertain but also to provide trust to customers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.