Localizing hallyu promotion strategies

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok, right, shakes hands with directors of Korean Cultural Centers abroad at a workshop at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul on March 12. / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Diverse policies customized to different localities is the key to promote Korean culture, directors of Korean cultural centers (KCC) across the world said at a workshop hosted by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) last week.

Among the 28 KCCs and 13 culture and information officers spreading Korean art and culture across the globe under the supervision of the KOCIS, 18 KCC directors and 11 officials took part in last week's conference, sharing their experiences and seeking cooperation with related organizations such as the Korea Creative Content Agency.

Among the cultural promoters of Korea, those stationed in Poland and Singapore were chosen to share their experiences.

Kim Hyun-jun, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Poland, said Poland is a fast growing nation in Europe and the people there are very interested in culture.

"The economy of Poland is the sixth-largest in the EU, but the country is relatively less-known in Korea. However, Poland has growth potential, and Korean companies which recognized the possibilities in advance built factories and R&D (research and development) centers here," Kim explained.

Kim was appointed to the position in September and started a variety of new projects reflecting the artistic and sports interests of Korea. "Each country has different degrees of 'hallyu,' or the Korean wave. Poland still has a long way to go, but the popularity of hallyu is more than expected," Kim said.

One of his first projects was to publicize taekwondo. "We awarded a special prize at a taekwondo competition in Poland and gifted an honorary black belt to the sports minister of Poland, who plays a crucial role in promoting taekwondo," Kim said.

He also focused on Polish interest in music, as the country was home to famed composer Frederic Chopin. "There are many Korean music students here and Polish people love attending classical music concerts and opera,” Kim said. “There will be the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw later this year. I wish to host a concert of aspiring Korean musicians in affiliation with the competition to introduce Korean talents here.”

While Poland is an emerging market for hallyu, Singapore is one of the most appetizing markets for hallyu promoters.

Yoon Jae-woong, counselor of press and culture at the Embassy of Korea in Singapore, who recently extended his term for another year after a three-year term, said Singaporeans are already very familiar with Korea and its culture.

"Singapore has a population of 5.3 million and some 200,000 of them have visited Korea. The country is often used as a test bed for hallyu in Asia," Yoon said.

The officer's biggest project is the annual Korea Festival in Singapore held every October and November. "Singapore is a big market for hallyu and only the top K-pop groups are invited to perform here, including Girl's Day and Apink which came last year," Yoon said. "The events cannot be held solely on the cultural budget of the embassy, so I cooperated with local media and institutions to up the ante of the festival."

Though K-pop is the most popular and most lucrative part of hallyu, Yoon is ambitious in promoting other elements of Korean culture. "Last year, the Korea National Opera presented the Korean opera 'Soul Mate,' which received acclaim here. I wish to invite more Korean musicians such as Sumi Jo and jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun to Singapore," he said.