[OSENWORLD] South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has appointed J.Y. Park, founder and chief producer of JYP Entertainment, to co-chair the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, which is set to launch later this month. Park will serve alongside Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young.
Kang Hoon-sik, chief secretary at the presidential office, announced on September 9 that the committee will begin operations as part of the administration’s vision to establish “five major cultural powerhouses.” As a direct advisory body to the president, the committee will focus on strengthening global cultural exchange and expanding the reach of Korean pop culture.
Addressing his appointment on social media, J.Y. Park admitted he wrestled with the decision: “For someone working in the entertainment industry, taking on a government role felt daunting and challenging in many ways. But K-pop is facing an incredibly special opportunity right now, and I felt we must seize it. That is why I accepted.”
He recalled milestones from his career: “When I first flew to the U.S. in 2003 to hand out promotional materials of our artists to American labels, when Wonder Girls entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time as a Korean group in 2009 — and even now, my dream has always been the same: to see K-pop loved around the world.”
Park outlined his goals for the committee: “From working in the field, I’ve often felt that institutional support could make a huge difference. I want to organize those needs clearly and push for practical measures that truly help. I’ll work hard so younger artists can gain more opportunities, and so K-pop can move beyond promoting Korean culture to becoming a platform where people around the world understand and connect with one another.”
He added: “Since this is a responsibility I take on after much deliberation, I sincerely ask for your advice and support. I’m also deeply grateful to Minister Choi Hwi-young for agreeing to take on this role together with me, which gave me the courage to step forward.”
Chief secretary Kang explained the background for Park’s appointment: “As one of Korea’s most representative artists, he has been dedicated to advancing K-pop globally. We believe he will help foster a Korea where people around the world enjoy our popular culture while we, in turn, embrace diverse foreign cultures.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of OSEN
