(September 20, 2024) Abhishek Gupta, widely known as Lucky, is one of the most famous Indian-born residents of Seoul. He was awarded the honorary citizenship by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in December 2022. For the Indian origin entertainer who has been living in Korea for close to three decades, this recognition came in appreciation of his efforts in promoting the city and for his charitable work for children living in poverty. The honorary citizenship is granted to foreign residents who have lived in Seoul for several years and have made significant contributions to enhancing the city’s global image. The Indian entertainer and actor who gained fame on TV and YouTube for his fluent Korean has promoted Seoul both online and offline.
As a television personality one of Lucky’s most noteworthy appearances has been on the popular South Korean TV show Non-summit (also known as Abnormal Summit), which featured non-Korean men living in South Korea discussing various topics, including Korean culture through the eyes of a foreigner. Besides his career as an entertainer, Abhishek is also a businessman, running Lucky India, an Indian restaurant and IndiAgro a business venture that imports Indian sesame seeds to Korea.
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Recently, Lucky was appointed as the honorary Ambassador for the King Sejong Institute Foundation. It’s an honour he shares with two fellow expats, Italian Alberto Mondi and German Daniel Lindemann. The King Sejong institute operates in 80 countries, with 250 branches and over 80,000 students learning Korean worldwide. “Being chosen as a global ambassador for such a prestigious institution to promote the Korean language feels amazing, as it is the language that has shaped my entire career,” Lucky remarked in an interview with KBS World Radio.
From India to Korea
Born in New Delhi, he graduated from the Delhi University in Economics before moving to South Korea in 1996 to study the Korean language at the Seoul National University’s Language Education Institute.
“Back in the day, many of my friends went to English-speaking countries like the UK, the US or Canada to study. I wondered why my parents sent me to Korea,” Lucky remarked in an interview with The Korea Herald. However, he is thankful to his late father who decided to send him and his elder brother to Korea from India at a time when not many were doing so. “He was forward-thinking and saw the potential long before,” he added.
When Lucky Gupta first landed in Korea as a 19-year-old, he had never imagined that he would become one of the most beloved Indians in the country. “In a report released by the Indian Embassy in Korea in 2000, my elder brother and I were among just 10 Indian students who could speak Korean at the time. It’s remarkable how much has changed since then, as today, people from all over the world are learning the Korean language,” Lucky remarked.
Settling down in Korea
As a 19-year-old Lucky’s focus was just on adjusting to a new country and overcoming homesickness when he landed in Seoul for the first time.
In the pre-internet era, he arrived with limited knowledge about the country. Rather than experiencing a culture shock, he found the process of discovering its differences from India challenging but at the same time intriguing and interesting.
“I came during the analogue era; things are much more digital now. Back then, there was no Internet, no smartphones, no Google to find the top ten restaurants or things to do. It was a different and more challenging time,” he said.
After a challenging first year in the foreign country, Lucky got acclimated to the food, language, and new experiences, making his life in Korea much more enjoyable.
Since his nickname ‘Lucky,’ used by family and close friends in India, was easier for people in Korea to pronounce compared to ‘Abhishek,’ he began introducing himself by that name. This is why he is more popularly known as Lucky rather than Abhishek Gupta even now.
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One of the few foreign-born TV personalities in Korea
It was in 2000 that his life took an unexpected turn, shortly before South Korea gained international attention by hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup. “They (a television channel) were looking for a foreigner who could speak Korean. They needed someone to travel around Korea, try the food, and speak Korean—they wanted to show how a foreigner experiences life here,” he recalls of his time on Good Morning World, the KBS show that marked his first big break.
Through this experience, Lucky discovered his passion for being in front of the camera, and gradually, his career began to align with the world of entertainment.
In the early 2000s, Lucky became one of the few foreign-born TV personalities, featuring as a supporting character in the popular SBS period drama Rustic Period (2002-2003). Despite his growing presence on screen, he had no plans to stay in Korea long-term or pursue naturalization, a step he would take much later.
“TV programs featuring foreigners were not a major trend at first. Our roles were very limited,” he said.
Lucky with famous expats in Korea during Chuseok, the harvest festival of Korea
Entrepreneurship and TV success
While busy in some acting assignments he also laid the foundation of his sesame import business. While he was expanding his business, Lucky was invited to appear on the local talk show Wednesday Foodtalk to share his insights on curry. This opportunity led him to the opportunity to join the cast of JTBC’s hit show non-summit, where he gained immense popularity among Korean viewers, debating current issues with expats from around the world who had made Korea their home.
During his time on the show, Lucky and his fellow cast members presented a compelling example of global interconnectedness, earning acclaim for the variety of topics and perspectives they brought to the table. While Abhishek has appeared on numerous television programs before and since, he is best remembered for his role on non-summit, where he represented India in 103 of the 144 episodes that were shot before, he left it. He eventually stepped away from the show to focus on his second entrepreneurial venture.
“I’m very thankful to the Korean audience; they’ve loved me, they gave me so much love and support, and whenever I meet them, they always tell me that they actually came to know about many things of India through me, and that India seems a much closer country to them because of me.”
Promoting intercultural understanding between India and Korea
Lucky launched his YouTube Channel 354 in 2020, aiming to satisfy the curiosity of travel enthusiasts eager to explore Korea. Through the channel, he highlights lesser-known yet fascinating aspects of the country.
The entrepreneur and well-known TV personality, believes his life in Korea is no longer just about making a living. His focus has shifted towards promoting intercultural understanding between India and Korea.
Having spent more years in Korea than in India, the 45-year-old feels a strong connection with the country, and promotes it in whichever way he can. Deeply proud of his Indian heritage, he also strives to introduce various facets of India to Korean audiences.
Lucky with fellow Koreans during Great guide India shoot
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