Lee Soo-man “Expectations for Building Future Cities through K-Culture Soft Power, Construction, and Convergence”

Sponsorship Speech at the 'Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference'

Lee Soo-man, Chief Producer of SM Entertainment, is delivering a keynote speech at the 2022 Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "The future of construction will become a tool to manifest human creativity. I want to create together a future lifestyle culture ecosystem in the metaverse, where humanity and sustainability coexist. I hope that the soft power of K-Culture and construction will inevitably converge in the future."

Lee Soo-man, Chief Producer of SM Entertainment, made these remarks during a keynote speech titled "The Future of K-Construction" at the '2022 Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference' (GICC) hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, held on the 30th at the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Seoul.

On this day, Chief Producer Lee emphasized that the Hallyu syndrome, which began with the Asian expansion of the first-generation idol group 'H.O.T.' in the 1990s, has steadily evolved and established itself as today's 'K-Culture.'

He explained, "The world continuously produces content loved and focused on globally, from K-pop, K-dramas, K-movies, K-fashion, K-food, to K-smart infrastructure," adding, "The foundation for Hallyu's global love lies in humanity that transcends regions, borders, and generations."

He continued, "The power of Hallyu loved worldwide is based on creativity rooted in humanity, which allows dynamic re-creation driven by global fandoms and prosumers."

Additionally, Chief Producer Lee stated, "Not only Korean artists and content but also Korea's producing system is gaining global attention," noting, "The world wants to learn Korea's CT." Previously, Lee and SM have named the entire process of producing culture under the motto 'Culture First, Economy Next' as CT (Culture Technology) for over 30 years.

He predicted that an era will come when the virtual world and the real world interact, as content created through the fusion of various cultures beyond physical limits in virtual spaces is reflected in real spaces.

He cited examples such as the world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, Libya's Great Man-Made River, and Turkey's ?anakkale Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge, saying, "Korea's overseas construction has contributed to creating global landmarks."

Chief Producer Lee said, "I am paying attention to the cooperation of 'Team Korea,' which consolidates Korea's capabilities, and I am confident that if the power of culture is combined in continuously creating meaningful projects that transcend industrial boundaries, it will produce the greatest synergy," adding, "I believe that in the future, with the continuous growth of Hallyu, culture and construction will converge, ushering in an era of K-Construction that presents the future of construction and cities."

Finally, he emphasized, "CT and K-Construction together can create sustainable future cities, that is, future lifestyle culture ecosystems," concluding his speech.

Earlier, Chief Producer Lee met with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment on the 19th and signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of 'S-pop' (Saudi Pop), continuing activities for various overseas expansions. He also met with officials from the governments of Dubai and Mongolia to provide advice on fostering cultural industries in each country.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.