Lawmakers band together to advance Korean wave

About 40 lawmakers on Monday launched a study group aimed at sustaining and expanding hallyu.

At its inaugural meeting at the National Assembly, the participants pledged their commitment to maturing the Korean cultural wave.

“The group will try to contribute to developing hallyu by working closely with the entire cultural sector,” said Rep. Park Byeong-seug from the Democratic United Party at the meeting. 

He co-chairs the group with Rep. Choung Byoung-gug from the Saenuri Party.

During the session Foreign Minister Yoon Byung-se and Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong delivered speeches on how to maintain the growing popularity of Korean culture overseas and promote the national image through hallyu.

The members of both the ruling and opposition political parties will look into ways to expand the Korean cultural wave, now limited to pop culture such as K-pop and dramas, to other cultural aspects including food, language, fashion and other assets, and address unfair business practices committed in the cultural sector.

To that end, the group will come up with welfare measures to support artists and loosen regulations that hamper creative activities.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)