Eatyourkimchi Explained

Channel Name:simonandmartina
Channel Display Name:Eatyourkimchi Studio
Years Active:2008–present
Network:Breaker (2016 - 2020)
Subscribers:1.37 million
Views:486 million
Silver Button:yes
Gold Button:yes
Stats Update:June 6, 2021

Eatyourkimchi (Eat Your Kimchi, also titled Simon and Martina from 2016 - 2020) is a YouTube video blog channel created by Canadian expatriates Simon Stawski and Martina Sazunic in 2008. The channel featured videos about their lives in South Korea, including food, cultural differences, and popular media. In 2012, they registered Eatyourkimchi as a company in South Korea and opened their own studio in Seoul, which remained operational until 2015.

In 2016, Stawski and Sazunic moved to Tokyo, Japan and produced a video series on Japanese food and culture titled Eatyoursushi. Their channel was rebranded as Simon and Martina to reflect the change. In May 2018, the channel had 1.3 million subscribers.

In 2021, the two had renamed their YouTube channel back to Eatyourkimchi and announced they had divorced, with Sazunic eventually leaving the channel in 2022.

Background

Simon Stawski and Martina Sazunic met in 2005 during a poetry class at the University of Toronto, and both earned a bachelor's degree in Education and Art.[1] After marrying, the two moved to Bucheon, South Korea, in 2008 to teach English abroad.[2] [3] At the time of their arrival, there had been threats of violence between North and South Korea.[3] [4] As a result, they uploaded their first video on YouTube as an attempt to show their parents that they were safe, which was a video of them eating Korean: [[sundubu-jjigae]] at Incheon International Airport.[2] [4] [5] Originally, the video blogs were made for their friends and family, but it later expanded to documenting "fun and quirky things" about Korea, and they later titled their channel Eatyourkimchi.[6] [4] Soon, they experienced a rise in viewership in 2009.[2] They were several of the first non-Korean bloggers whose content was centered on Korea,[5] particularly on YouTube.[4]

In 2011, after quitting their jobs as teachers, Stawski and Sazunic became full-time bloggers living off the ad revenue from their YouTube videos and website.[2] [5] The popularity of Eatyourkimchi has led them to be invited on South Korean television programs such as Heart to Heart,[7] Quilt Your Korean Map,[8] Star King,[9] and Running Man. On September 5, 2012, Stawski and Sazunic launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo for setting up a business and for a studio in Seoul to film.[10] The fundraiser met its goal of $40,000 in less than seven hours and raised more than $100,000.[10] [11] By 2013, Stawski and Sazunic registered Eatyourkimchi as a business and relocated from Bucheon to Seoul.[11] Video producers Soo Zee Kim and Leigh Cooper were hired as Eatyourkimchis interns and later appeared in their videos.[12] On August 9, 2014, in collaboration with the YouTube channel Talk to Me in Korean, Stawski and Sazunic opened You Are Here Cafe, a cafe situated in Hongdae for language exchange and Korean language classes.[13]

Stawski and Sazunic met Adam Swarts, the CEO of Japanese media company Breaker, at a video industry event in the United States, who offered to sign them onto his company and bring them over to Japan.[14] [15] They accepted, having decided to expedite their travel plans due to the increasing severity of Sazunic's Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.[16] [17] In November 2015, Stawski and Sazunic closed down Eatyourkimchis studio to move to Kichijōji in Tokyo, Japan the following year, and they also announced they were no longer associated with You Are Here Cafe.[16] [18] [19] [20] Their video series was renamed Eatyoursushi ("Eat Your Sushi"),[21] and the channel itself was also renamed Simon and Martina during the rebranding.[22] At the time of their initial announcement to move, Stawski and Sazunic intended on moving to other parts of the world besides Japan.[16]

In 2020, Stawski and Sazunic moved back to Canada, and on February 11, 2021, they announced on Instagram that they had divorced but will continue to post new content.[23] The YouTube channel also reverted to the Eatyourkimchi name. On October 13, 2022, Sazunic announced that she would no longer be posting to Eatyourkimchi's YouTube channel to focus on her own YouTube channel, King Kogi.[24]

Video series

Eatyourkimchi highlights cuisine, lifestyle, and recommended locations from abroad.[4] When Stawski and Sazunic were living in South Korea, their content also featured Korean popular media, such as K-pop and Korean dramas.[4] [25]

Reception

In 2011, Eatyourkimchi was the 18th most popular YouTube channel in South Korea.[2] The Korea Herald included Eatyourkimchi in a list of 21 of "the nation's most useful websites."[26] On the website Hiexpat.com, it was also voted the best expat blog in South Korea in 2011.[27] Elysabeth Hahm from Yonhap News noted that Stawski and Sazunic allowed tourists to gain information from a local's perspective that was not present in guidebooks.[28] On the other hand, David Oh and Chuyun Oh, through the periodical Communication, Culture & Critique, criticized Eatyourkimchi, describing Stawski and Sazunic's approach towards Korean culture as ethnocentric and orientalist.[29]

Notes and References

  1. News: Jessica . Wilmes . Martina & Simon Stawski: KOREA'S BEST GOES ON-LINE THANKS TO COUPLE OF CANADIANS . Eloquence . 2011-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120327214647/http://www.eloquence.co.kr/wordpress/?p=2647 . 2012-03-27 . 2020-10-06.
  2. News: DingXiang . Tan . Eating Your Kimchi with Simon and Martina . The UrbanWire . 2011-03-25 . 2020-10-06 . August 5, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805185357/https://www.theurbanwire.com/2011/03/eating-your-kimchi/ . live .
  3. News: 한국 사는 지구인①'잇유어김치닷컴' 사이먼-마티나 부부…"불판위 계란찜 동영상 대박! . ko . . 2011-02-15 . 2020-10-06 . June 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130618142236/http://news.donga.com/Culture/New/3/07/20110215/34845295/1 . live .
  4. News: Ja-young . Yoon . How YouTube impacts lives of ordinary people . . 2011-02-28 . 2020-10-06 . November 18, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151118161244/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2011/02/123_82225.html . live .
  5. News: Noa . Kim . Promoting Korea Online . . 2011-03-16 . 2020-10-06 . October 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006131509/http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?code=Ne2&nseq=113771 . live .
  6. News: Joseph L. . Flatley . K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world . . 2012-10-18 . 2012-10-19 . October 20, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020230840/http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/18/3516562/k-pop-invades-america-south-korea-pop-music-factory . live .
  7. Web site: Heart to Heart: Martina & Simon, the sysop of 'Eat your Kimchi' . . 2020-10-06 . October 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006131138/http://www.arirang.co.kr/Tv2/Heart_Archive.asp?PROG_CODE=TVCR0106&view_seq=4918 . live .
  8. Web site: Quilt Your Korean Map: Like a fresh bubbling brook in a cup, Green tea and Makgeolli . . 2011-02-01 . 2020-10-06 . October 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006131653/http://www.arirang.co.kr/Tv2/TVCommon_NoStaff_Archive.asp?PROG_CODE=TVCR0542&MENU_CODE=101195&view_seq=2893&Page=1&sys_lang=Eng . live .
  9. Web site: 놀라운 대회 스타킹 . Amazing tournament stockings . ko . . 2011-07-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928054554/http://wizard2.sbs.co.kr/resource/template/contents/07_review_detail.jsp?vProgId=1000345&vVodId=V0000329665&vMenuId=1005960&rpage=4&cpage=1&vVodCnt1=00224&vVodCnt2=00&vUrl=%2Fvobos%2Fwizard2%2Fresource%2Ftemplate%2Fcontents%2F07_review_list.jsp . September 28, 2011 . 2020-10-06 .
  10. News: Evan . Ramstad . Canadians in South Korea Fund Expansion of Popular Web Site: 'Nasties' Fund A Prosperous Future Awfully Pronto . . 2012-09-07 . 2020-10-06 . March 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308145403/https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-KRTB-3154 . live .
  11. News: Emma . Kalka . A lot more than just K-pop . . 2013-01-20 . 2020-10-06 . October 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201014055324/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130120000160 . live .
  12. News: Carly . Lanning . The #WCW directors of Do Stuff show there's space for filmmaking on YouTube . . 2020-02-28 . 2020-10-06 . October 17, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201017022655/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/soo-zee-leigh-cooper-wcw-do-stuff-youtube/ . live .
  13. News: Sam . Gutelle . Korean YouTube Community Teams Up To Create Coffee Shop For Viewers . . 2014-08-04 . 2020-10-06 . November 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111222757/https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/08/04/korea-you-are-here-cafe-eat-your-kimchi-talk-to-me-in-korean/ . live .
  14. News: Ken . Sakakibara . YouTubers hit the jackpot by sharing Japan with the world . . 2018-05-21 . 2020-10-06 . June 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200601142628/https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/YouTubers-hit-the-jackpot-by-sharing-Japan-with-the-world . live .
  15. News: Patrick . St. Michel . Breaker helps pave a new path to stardom via YouTube . . 2016-04-17 . 2020-10-06 . October 10, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201010082344/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/04/17/digital/breaker-helps-pave-new-path-stardom-via-youtube/ . live .
  16. News: Jon . Dunbar . 'Eat Your Kimchi' creators move to Japan . . 2015-12-22 . 2024-07-16 . July 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717010006/https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.amp.asp?newsIdx=193804 . live .
  17. News: Lindsay . Dodgson . Influencers who are open about chronic health conditions . . 2020-04-05 . 2020-10-06 . October 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221016060831/https://www.insider.com/influencers-who-are-open-about-chronic-health-conditions-2020-4 . live .
  18. News: Adam . Campbell-Schmitt . YouTube Stars Simon & Martina's 5 Universal Rules for Exploring a City's Food Scene . . 2018-03-05 . 2020-10-06 . October 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201011101412/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/simon-martina-japan-korea-travel-food-tips . live .
  19. News: Amelia . Abraham . YouTube's viral stars on how the platform changed the internet forever . . 2020-03-16 . 2020-10-06 . September 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923042813/https://www.dazeddigital.com/science-tech/article/48253/1/youtubes-viral-stars-mukbang-smosh-platform-changed-internet . live .
  20. News: Alec . Jordan . Gastronauts: Canadian YouTube stars talk food, business and passion . The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan . 2020-10-06 . April 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410150513/https://thecanadian.cccj.or.jp/canadian-youtube-stars-talk-food-business-and-passion/ . live .
  21. News: Vloggers Simon and Martina: 'We feel like we need to whisper in our own house' . . 2016-06-25 . 2020-10-06 . November 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191102130827/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/06/25/people/vloggers-simon-martina-feel-like-need-whisper-house/ . live .
  22. News: Shannon . Liao . How YouTube creators are using the platform's Patreon-like channel memberships . . 2018-06-21 . 2020-10-06 . September 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200928163108/https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/21/17303956/youtube-channel-memberships-patreon-features-subscriptions-vidcon-2018 . live .
  23. eatyourkimchi . CLKWQHUDaXc . The two of us got married quite young, and were together for 15 exciting years. Those years together were packed with enough adventures to last a lifetime, and a lot of those adventures we shared with you online. The next adventures in our lives, however, are on separate paths.. 2021-02-11.
  24. Web site: Hello EYK Community, it's Martina here ‍ I won't be posting on the EYK channel anymore, so I hope you get the chance to enjoy some of my latest adventures in Japan on my new YouTube channel King Kogi.' . Eatyourkimchi Studio . . 2022-10-13 . 2022-10-15 . October 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221016062258/https://accounts.google.com/v3/signin/identifier?dsh=S721825499%3A1665901378492597&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fsignin%3Faction_handle_signin%3Dtrue%26app%3Ddesktop%26hl%3Den%26next%3D%252Fsignin_passive%26feature%3Dpassive&hl=en&passive=true&service=youtube&uilel=3&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin&ifkv=AQDHYWo9Dy95SXdmgl3NnuMgGyakIZQkOsPhUAuIfRMYp2nlVNCXKYu_pLrN5Hm3qtI5yuUfRo2Utg . live .
  25. News: Min-sik . Yoon . Unlikely Korean pop star conquers the U.S. -- 'Gangnam Style' . . 2012-09-13 . 2020-10-06 . October 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012045548/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120913001169 . live .
  26. News: Seung-jin . Yang . Click! Online gateways to Korea: The Korea Herald guide to the nation's most useful websites . . 2011-02-27 . 2020-10-06 . March 2, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110302081107/http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110225000672 . live .
  27. News: Paul . Kerry . Eat Your Kimchi voted best expat blog . . 2011-01-25 . 2020-10-06 . October 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012122735/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110125000585 . live .
  28. News: Elysabeth . Hahm . (Yonhap Feature) Bloggers help visitors know true aspects of Korea . . 2011-01-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110122011820/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/n_feature/2011/01/17/19/4901000000AEN20110117006300315F.HTML . 2011-01-22 . 2020-10-06.
  29. David . Oh . Chuyun . Oh . Vlogging White Privilege Abroad: Eat Your Kimchi's Eating and Spitting Out of the Korean Other on YouTube . 696–711 . . United States . 10 . 4 . . 2017-09-05 . 10.1111/cccr.12180 . 2020-10-06.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eatyourkimchi".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.