Event Details
Ever since PSY's Gangnam style became the first song to "break the internet" in 2012, Korean popular culture has been garnering attention worldwide. Meanwhile, in the last five years, Korean movies and drama series have been attracting global audiences and winning prizes at international awards ceremonies. Not to be overlooked is the gaming scene, with Korean-developed mobile, PC, and VR games played the world over. When the boy band BTS, dubbed by a Bloomberg journalist "South Korea's greatest gift to popular music", appeared at the United Nations and then visited President Joe Biden in the White House, it was clear to all that the country had found its cultural niche and was enjoying its moment in the spotlight, literally and figuratively.
Earlier this month, Kakao Entertainment Corp, which has recently produced two hit Netflix original series and an award-winning drama feature film, announced that it had secured an almost $1bn investment from global sovereign funds. From the public sector, the South Korean government will spend more than $170mn to create an alliance with more than two-hundred South Korean companies and institutions, to become a leading player in the "metaverse" industry, a bold move considering the ambiguity that surrounds the word. As the enthusiasm for Korean music and other content spreads, a more resilient global standing and stronger diplomatic ties are further reasons to keep the government's attention fixed on the booming new industry.
What are the new trends in the Korean entertainment industry in 2023 and beyond? How could they affect other businesses beyond artistic productions? Will international investors fly to Seoul to get, most literally, a piece of the action? Are these the first stirrings of a global subculture, similar to Bollywood, or will South Korea run out of steam, the way Japanese anime did in the 2000s?
Join us in April for this event where we bring together experts from the field of popular culture, as well as other business leaders to discuss where K-showbiz is headed, and what it means for the wider corporate world in South Korea.