Minister + content creator? Ong Ye Kung shows off his vlogging chops with New York food tour
Singapore's Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, recently shared a travel vlog documenting his visit to Flushing, Queens, following official meetings at the UN. The video, which highlights local history and food, has been well-received by social media users.
Why it matters
The incident reflects the growing trend of political figures using social media and 'content creator' tactics to engage with the public and humanize their official roles.
With a busy overseas work schedule wrapped up, Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung switched gears and channelled his inner travel vlogger.
After several days of meetings at the UN in New York, Ong visited Flushing in Queens and shared his impressions of the neighbourhood in a social media video that has since garnered more than 302,000 views and 14,500 likes.
In a post on Monday (Sept 28), he offered viewers a glimpse into Flushing's history, including its Dutch colonial roots, while sprinkling in a light-hearted reference to Spider-Man and Peter Parker, the fictional New Yorkers.
"The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle down in this part of the US, so New York used to be called New Amsterdam and this part of town is called Vlissingen," said Ong.
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