A Social Media Star Is Born

We’ve all had the late-night urge to whip up a snack after an especially arduous day of work or classes, with most of us usually settling for dinner leftovers or a quick cup of guilty-pleasure instant noodles.

Min Gu Kim (Class of 2021), however, turned one of these midnight hankerings into an opportunity to flex his culinary skills, creating a steak carbonara dish from scratch — no pre-prepared, store-bought pasta in sight.

He took it a step further and filmed the entire process, then uploaded the stylishly edited video across several social media platforms. Titled “Cooking Alone at 2 AM”, the video has racked up a staggering 70 million views on YouTube alone and another 25.5 million on TikTok.  

This is just a glimpse into the social media presence Min Gu has built, where he shares everything from his experience living alone in South Korea and daily life as a New York University (NYU) student to his culinary adventures in the kitchen. 

“I started TikTok in high school, back when I was at JIS,” Min Gu recalls. “A friend and I had a small thrift store business, and we used TikTok to promote it. When one of my first videos reached 3,000 views, I realized the platform’s potential and decided to keep creating content.”

The COVID-19 pandemic provided him with the opportunity to delve deeper into content creation. During a period marked by social isolation, his vlogs became a way for close friends to come together and film videos. It didn’t take long for him to discover that his approachable personality resonated with viewers, especially in his cooking videos.

Known as “Chef Gu” to his nearly 750,000 TikTok followers, 720,000 YouTube subscribers, and over 90,000 Instagram fans, some of whom are celebrities in their own right, Min Gu adds an engaging blend of humor, authenticity, and flair to his content.

Each video seamlessly draws viewers in, making them feel as if they were right there beside him as he prepares a range of dishes for family and friends —  chili oil ramen, kimchi gochujang pasta, kimchi mandu soup, shrimp rose pasta, braised beef short ribs and doenjang risotto, and much more! 

“I’ve always liked cooking,” he shares. “Now, I’m trying to be a little more creative with them and showing people I’m not just having fun but that I’m also good at cooking.”

Balancing school and content creation has not always been easy. Now a sophomore at NYU’s Stern School of Business, Min Gu concedes it can be challenging to stay consistent with uploads. 

“I’ve never taken it full-time; it’s always been a side project,” he explains. 

But his time serving in the Korean military taught him the value of discipline: “I’m trying to be more consistent: uploading weekly instead of monthly. It’s about showing up every day, whether for school or social media.”

He credits his experience as a “JIS lifer” for giving him the freedom to explore his interests, as well as the confidence to speak up and express his creativity.

“The most important thing JIS gave me was an environment that supported me; it was very supportive and nurturing. I was always encouraged to speak up, allowing me to try everything and perform at my best,” he says, urging current students to stay engaged in and outside the classroom.

“I would definitely recommend being active outside of academics — that has really shaped me, helped me build friendships outside of school, and also helped me get into my university.”

When asked about his plans after graduating from NYU, Min Gu replies with the same self-assured yet easy confidence that shines in his videos.

“That's actually a very good question, and to be honest, I don't really have the answer to that at the moment; I think I'll have the answer maybe in a couple of years,” he conceded. “Right now, my headspace is that I just want to show up every day, whether that's for school or for social media.”

Whatever direction he chooses, one thing’s for sure: Min Gu’s journey will be nothing short of inspiring, and his massive online audience will be cheering him on every step of the way — including scores of JIS Alumni across the globe!