Mexican broadcasters turn spotlight on Korea's soft power, tech vision
TV Azteca’s documentary on Korean independence leader Kim Koo airs during Saturday’s broadcast. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Mexican broadcasters TV Azteca and Imagen Television turned their cameras to Korea’s cultural rise and approach to artificial intelligence (AI) during three special documentaries aired last Thursday through Saturday timed to President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Mexico.
The programs, produced in cooperation with Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, explored the roots of Korean cultural influence through the vision of independence leader Kim Koo and examined how Korean society is preparing for an era of human-centered AI.
TV Azteca’s “Kim Koo: el sueno que conquisto al planeta (Kim Koo: The Dream That Conquered the Planet,” broadcast Saturday, presented K-culture as the result of long-term investment in education and culture rather than a passing trend.
The documentary also traced historical ties between Korea and Mexico through the 1,033 Koreans who moved to Yucatan in 1905 and supported Korea’s independence movement.
A scene from TV Azteca's “Kim Koo: The Dream That Conquered the Planet” documentary / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Imagen Television’s “La apuesta que cambio Corea,” broadcast Thursday, examined how Korean traditions such as “jang” and “hanbok” have fed innovation in fashion, urban development and beauty.
Kim Mi, Kim Koo’s granddaughter and director of the Kim Koo Museum and Library, said her grandfather might have urged Korea to consider what it could share with the world rather than what more it could possess.
Another Imagen Television documentary, “Irremplazables: El lado humano de la tecnologia,” focused on fears that AI could replace workers and featured robots at Hyundai Motor’s headquarters, AI interview facilities, vocational training, disaster prediction research, firefighting robots and AI medical systems.
The documentaries aired on broadcast and paid television as well as websites, YouTube and other platforms, while TV Azteca’s documentary had surpassed 10,000 YouTube views as of 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to the ministry.
On Thursday, Lee and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum adopted an AI cooperation declaration and a 2026-2030 joint action plan covering areas including AI, aerospace, defense, culture and education.
Gong Hyeong-sik, Director General of the Public Communication Office at the culture ministry, said the documentaries conveyed Kim Koo’s vision of cultural power and Korea’s human-centered AI transition to Mexican viewers.
"I hope Korea and Mexico will deepen their mutual understanding through culture and technology," Gong said. "The ministry plans to continue expanding collaborations with overseas media to promote Korean culture and technology to the world."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.