Presidential hopefuls champion K-culture as key growth driver

Leading hopefuls in Korea's upcoming June 3 presidential election are pledging to foster the nation’s globally influential culture industries — spanning drama, music and games — recognizing these sectors’ vital role in boosting the national brand and economy. Experts suggested Sunday that the political figures are proclaiming they will intensify efforts to foster cultural content, primarily because it's currently one of the areas Korea excels at, and also because they anticipate that its success in the global market can be easily leveraged as a major achievement if they win the presidency. "Currently, K-pop and dramas made in Korea are achieving top performance in the global market," said Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University. "They have raised the banner of fostering cultural content to demonstrate that Korea is a cultural powerhouse. It seems they are declaring their intention to solidify Korea as a cultural powerhouse because this brand image, in turn, connects to other fields where Korea excels, such as manufacturing, including smartphone