Ministry of Culture Forms 'Korea-US Cultural Alliance TF'... "Key Term in Summit Diplomacy is 'K-Culture'"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 30th that it will form the 'Korea-US Cultural Alliance Task Force' to promote policies related to the 'cultural alliance,' which emerged as a pillar of the Korea-US alliance during President Yoon Seok-yeol's diplomatic visit to the United States.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, on a state visit to the United States, is seen enjoying showing a video of a professional baseball ceremonial first pitch to Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix, during a meeting with global company executives at the White House Reception Hall in Washington DC on the 24th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who accompanied President Yoon, said on the same day, "It is groundbreaking that 'K-Culture, K-Content' was highlighted as another keyword in the summit diplomacy between the two countries."

He added, "The expansion of the Korea-US alliance horizon to a cultural alliance reflects President Yoon's vision and passion for cultural content," emphasizing, "We will swiftly proceed with reforming regulations that do not meet international standards to integrate Korean films and culture into the global single market, as stressed by President Yoon."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism evaluated that cultural content was highlighted as a key theme from the first event of the summit diplomacy, and that the 70-year Korea-US alliance horizon has expanded through the cultural alliance project and human exchanges among the MZ generation.

On the 24th (local time), President Yoon's first official schedule during his visit to the US was a meeting with Ted Sarandos, CEO of Netflix. At this meeting, President Yoon stated, "The Korea-US alliance is a value alliance that protects freedom," and "Culture is an essential requirement to protect and expand freedom." Netflix responded by announcing a $2.5 billion (approximately 3.3 trillion KRW) investment plan in the K-content industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added that it expects this investment to create about 68,000 jobs in the content industry.

On the 27th, President Yoon also attended the 'Global Video Content Leadership Forum,' which was attended by representatives from the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

President Yoon Seok-yeol, on a state visit to the United States, is taking a commemorative photo on the 27th (local time) at the Global Video Content Leadership Forum held at the American Film Institute in Washington DC with Charles Rivkin, Chairman of the American Film Institute, and Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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The forum was attended by executives from six MPA member companies?Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, and Netflix?and six Korean companies?CJ, SLL, Watcha, AStory, RaemongRaein, and Creative Leaders Group Eight?to discuss content cooperation. MPA member companies account for 77% of the global film and video market and 45% of the global online video service (OTT) market.

On the same day, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korean Film Council signed an agreement with Netflix to nurture 2,000 young talents over five years.

President Yoon emphasized the abolition of regulations for the revival of culture and soft power during the 'Global Video Content Leadership Forum' and a dialogue with Joseph Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, on the 28th.

President Yoon said, "I consider the world as a single market. If there are any cultural or film-related regulations in Korea that do not meet global standards, I will definitely abolish them." In the dialogue with Professor Nye, he also stressed that to strengthen Korea's position as a soft power nation, "unnecessary regulations will be dismantled."

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United States, attended the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Smithsonian Institution at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC on the 27th (local time). From the center to the left: First Lady Kim Keon-hee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyun, Chase Robinson, Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, and Jung Young-yang, Board Member of the National Museum of Asian Art.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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Additionally, on the 27th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. Through this, a foundation for cultural cooperation was established, including the exchange of exhibition collections, human exchanges, and joint historical and cultural research between 23 national museums and art galleries under the Ministry and 21 cultural and artistic institutions under the Smithsonian Institution.

Earlier, on the 25th, a 'K-Tourism Strategy Meeting' was held at the Korean Empire Legation in the United States with American MZ generation members and experts. They discussed ways to expand the attraction of American tourists together with MZ generation members and travel industry officials from Washington and New York. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims to attract one million American tourists this year.

Furthermore, the Ministry announced that it will focus on establishing exchange programs for the MZ generation of both countries, including personnel exchanges and residency programs among cultural and artistic institutions, talent development and expanded exchanges in the content production industry, and invitation training programs by sector.

Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "It is groundbreaking that 'K-Culture' and 'K-Content' were highlighted as another keyword of this summit diplomacy," adding, "We will swiftly proceed with reforming related regulations to integrate Korean films and culture into the global single market, as emphasized by President Yoon."

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