It’s a Seoul thing: Karoline Leavitt replaces K-Pop as South Korea’s new obsession, and the reason is interesting

A surprising cultural and educational trend is emerging in South Korea, Seoul where traditional interests like K-pop are being complemented by an unexpected new focus, learning English via White House briefings. Videos featuring Karoline Leavitt have gained widespread popularity, as learners examine her speech, tone, and vocabulary.

From political briefings to language lessons

Koreans are learning English by studying Leavitt’s everyday briefings, supported by a popular YouTube channel that breaks down her appearances into free bite-sized English lessons, translating her phrases and colloquialisms into their native language. The content concentrates on practical communication, enabling learners to understand tone, phrasing, and real-life usage beyond textbook English.

The platform, called dotdotenglish, has established a strong following by turning formal White House communication into engaging, easy-to-digest lessons for daily learners.

What makes Leavitt so appealing to learners

Fans say what attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers following the platform’s debut last year was her speaking style. Her phrasing, sometimes paired by a smile or an occasional scowl and the methodical pace she maintains while delivering messages from Donald Trump make her speeches simple to follow for non-native speakers.

“Her pronunciation is really clear. Her attitude is also the thing she’s very confident on what she is saying,” stated Yeonju Hong, a South Korean news anchor pursuing a master’s degree at Georgetown University. She added that Leavitt’s accent “is very clear to non-native speakers.”

How the lessons work

The dotdotenglish channel, available on TikTok and YouTube, presents Leavitt’s briefings as providing “five English expressions to boost your speaking skills” through everyday conversation. The lessons often include techniques like “shadowing” and dictation, enabling viewers to actively practice what they hear.

One popular video from a March briefing starts with Leavitt saying: “It’s great to see all of you on this very newsy day, to say the least.” The sentence is repeated many times so learners can grasp pronunciation and rhythm, while Korean subtitles and voiceovers describe the phrase “to say the least.”

Viral reach and growing popularity

The trend has received significant traction online. A single video from an otherwise routine briefing has been watched for over 160,000 times on YouTube, while other clips from March and April have exceeded 500,000 views.

“The Korean people like her,” stated one US-based Korean reporter. “They say she’s Trump’s mouth.”

A cultural connection beyond language

Leavitt’s popularity in South Korea also has a cultural element. Her connection with the country started when she shared posts regarding “South Korea skincare finds” in the APEC summit in Gyeongju in late 2025 along with Donald Trump.

Her visit to a dessert shop near Busan with White House aide Margo Martin was widely reported in Korean media, further boosting her visibility and relatability among local audiences.

Learning through global events

Even international developments are used as educational resources. In a lesson shared on March 4, Leavitt starts: “Turning to the ongoing military operations in Iran,” followed by a description of the word “decimate,” enabling learners to understand both pronunciation and meaning in context.

This method allows learners to expand their vocabulary while staying informed about global affairs.


Source: New York Post

FAQs:

Q1. Why are people in South Korea watching these videos?
They use them as a tool to improve English skills. The content offers real-life examples of spoken language.

Q2. Who is Karoline Leavitt?
She is a White House Press Secretary. Her briefings are widely shared online for educational purposes.