▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a launching ceremony of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange held at KINTEX in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Oct. 1, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange and chief producer of JYP Entertainment, pose for a photo at a K-Culture experience zone during the committee's launching ceremony at KINTEX in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Oct. 1, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee-pop culture

Lee vows support for pop culture industry through new committee

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday the government will work with the pop culture industry through a newly launched committee to promote exchanges and foster the sector into a globally competitive industry.

Lee made the remarks at the launching ceremony of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange at KINTEX in Goyang, north of Seoul.

Park Jin-young, founder and chief producer of K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment, and Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young serve as co-chairs of the committee.

Tracing the rise of Korean culture, or Hallyu, from its beginnings with dramas, Lee characterized today's era of real-time global cultural exchange as "Hallyu 4.0."

"Through music, film, games, webtoons, K-culture has developed into a powerful medium not just for ourselves, but for people everywhere to communicate and connect," he said. "What is most Korean is also the most global."

Lee expressed hope that the public and private sectors will work together through the committee to expand exchanges, strengthen cooperation and develop related industries.

"Our government will work to ensure that Korean popular culture goes beyond bringing joy, inspiration and empathy to global audiences, and becomes a core industry of the Korean economy," he said.

The ceremony was attended by heads of K-pop powerhouses, including SM Entertainment, Hybe, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, and the entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM, as well as executives from NCSoft, Nexon Korea and Naver Webtoon.

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