FT Island’s Lee Hong-ki is going global with his YouTube channel “Hong-ki Jong-ki,” thanks to a new partnership with U.S.-based localization company Culture Flipper.

The collaboration will add English, Chinese and Japanese subtitles to the channel’s videos, expanding beyond its existing Korean subtitle offerings. The goal is to attract more international viewers and make content more accessible to fans around the world.


Launched in 2022, “Hong-ki Jong-ki” features a wide range of content, from behind-the-scenes glimpses of Lee’s daily life to cover song performances and variety-style segments.

Popular series include “HongPro,” “FT Monthly,” “Perfect Score,” and “302Hz,” the latter of which showcases live performance clips and vocal covers that have become fan favorites.

The channel has surpassed 160 million cumulative views and continues to grow with consistent engagement from subscribers.

With the new localization effort, even song lyrics will be subtitled — not just spoken dialogue — allowing global fans to fully immerse themselves in the music and stories Lee shares.

The multilingual upgrade is expected to further cement “Hong-ki Jong-ki” as a go-to destination for K-pop fans worldwide.

FT Island debuted in 2007 and is best known for hits such as “Love Sick” (2007) and “Severely” (2012).


BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]