Lee sees cultural industry potential in hit drama

President Lee Jae-myung said on Sunday that he sees strong potential for Korea’s cultural industry to grow globally, citing the popular television series When Life Gives You Tangerines (Pokssak Sogasuda in Korean dialect) as a key example. “These days, I’m mostly thinking about how to create a way for people to make a living,” he said, “and while watching Pokssak Sogasuda, I thought this could become a decisive moment for Korea to emerge on the world stage as an industrial power in culture.”

President Lee made the remarks during an event titled “Dream of a Cultural Power, Korea Goes Global,” held at Pinegrass Hall in the presidential office in Yongsan. The event brought together prominent cultural figures, including Kim Won-seok, director of Pokssak Sogasuda; Park Chun-hyu, writer of the Korean musical Maybe a Happy Ending, which won six Tony Awards in the United States; soprano Jo Sumi, recipient of the French Order of Arts and Letters (Commandeur); ballet dancer Park Yoon-jae, the first Korean male to win at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland; and director Heo Ga-young, who won first prize in the student section of the Cannes Film Festival with her short film First Summer.

At the event, it was revealed that President Lee had shed tears while watching Pokssak Sogasuda. First Lady Kim Hye-kyung shared, “He usually binge-watches on weekends when he has time, and I think he tried to hide it, but he cried.” President Lee responded, “I thought I was crying because of my age, maybe a little male menopause,” he joked, “but hearing that the show has been well-received in South America and Europe, I realized it truly has great potential.”

He went on to emphasize the importance of Korea becoming a cultural powerhouse. “Watching these dramas made me feel strongly that Korea could expand its cultural reach, create jobs for our people, and grow the country’s soft power globally,” he said. “Korea’s cultural capacity is not just about music. There are clearly new frontiers to explore.”


Hoon-Sang Park tigermask@donga.com