Culture Minister nominee eyes 'W300tr K-culture market'

Tech and media expert Chae Hwi-young emphasizes use of AI

Culture Minister nominee Chae Hwi-young speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Chae Hwi-young, who would be the first private sector expert to lead the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism if appointed, said Tuesday that he hopes to grow the market for Korean culture to 300 trillion won ($215.7 billion).

The 61-year-old tech platform expert highlighted the Korean content industry's growing economic impact, citing K-pop, K-dramas, games, webtoons and publishing. Together, these markets generated 154 trillion won in revenue and $13.3 billion in exports in 2023, growing at an annual rate of 5-6 percent. “These are now core national industries,” he said during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning.

“While I take great pride in the accomplishments of Korean culture, I also believe we must reflect deeply on whether we’re truly maximizing this unprecedented opportunity. We need to consider how to further strengthen the foundation of our cultural power. Being nominated at such a critical juncture fills me with a deep sense of responsibility,” he said.

As for how he plans to achieve these goals, Chae emphasized the role of artificial intelligence.

“Now, generative AI is becoming a part of daily life, signaling yet another transformation. We must approach every cultural field — arts, sports and tourism included — with a new perspective fit for this evolving era,” he said.

“We will establish an innovation strategy for AI content creation, production and distribution, and support the development of AI training datasets that incorporate Korean history and culture," he added.

He also addressed challenges facing the film industry, citing the shrinking domestic market and growing concerns that local production companies are increasingly becoming subcontractors for global streaming platforms.

“KPop Demon Hunters, for example, was created by Sony and distributed by Netflix. Domestically, our involvement was limited to participation. The production itself wasn’t actually carried out within the Korean film industry," Chae said.

"So, we need to look closely and urgently at how we can independently create high-quality films, distribute them globally on a broad scale, and build a sustainable ecosystem where those profits are reinvested into producing even better works."

In the tourism sector, Chae pledged to draw 30 million international visitors to Korea by creating compelling content and modernizing the industry. As part of that effort, he emphasized improving convenience throughout the travel experience, from arrival to departure, while pushing innovation in travel services.

“We will build an innovative tourism ecosystem by supporting the digital and AI transformation of tourism businesses and streamlining outdated regulations,” he said.

In addition to these pledges, Chae outlined a broader cultural vision that includes strengthening the foundation of Korea’s cultural and artistic infrastructure, making access to culture, sports and travel a basic right in everyday life, and enhancing investment in professional sports to reflect Korea’s global standing.

Meanwhile, Chae denied allegations raised by lawmakers suggesting a possible connection between his daughter’s employment at a US-based Naver affiliate and his professional role.

Chae stated, “I only learned later that she had applied to the Naver affiliate,” and explained, “She chose her first job based on her area of interest, rather than the accounting firm where she had initially planned to work.”

Chae also denied allegations of real estate speculation made by an opposition lawmaker, who claimed that Chae had earned a return of up to 939 percent on purchases in Icheon and Anyang in Gyeonggi Province.

Culture Minister nominee Chae Hwi-young speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)