□ Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST, minister Do Jong-hwan) and hosted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE, president Kim Yong-rak), the 8th Hallyu NOW Seminar will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, in the second basement floor meeting room at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

□ Under the topic “neo-Hallyu in the digital age,” this seminar, fronted by Shim Sang-min, professor of media communication at Sungshin Women’s University, will bring together cultural industry experts in Korea to analyze the evolution of Hallyu within the digital media environment and discuss strategies for future progress.
A platform for in-depth discussion on the patterns of Hallyu content consumption in the digital age, changes in the production system, and the emergence of neo-Hallyu as a mainstream trend in the K-pop, animation, and game sectors.

□ In Part 1, subtitled “The Changed Hallyu: Simultaneity, Infinite Extendibility, and Hybridity,” Hallyu content experts actively working in their fields will share their opinions. First, KOFICE senior research fellow Kim Ji-yeon will present major findings from the 2018 Overseas Hallyu Survey, followed by Korea Culture & Tourism Institute research fellow Lee Sung-min’s presentation on changes in Hallyu content production, and head of SK Broadband Corporate Center BANC Noh Ga-young’s presentation on changes in Hallyu content consumption patterns. Senior producer Bae Ki-hyung at KBS World, iRiver’s video division chief Lim Sung-hee, Professor Lee Sang-won of Kyung Hee University, and Professor Song Jung-eun of the University of Seoul will participate as discussion panelists.

□ Part 2, subtitled “K-pop, Kid’s, and Game Content Drives Neo-Hallyu,” invites Professor Lee Ji-young of Sejong University to introduce the social-media storytelling strategy used by BTS, while director Kim Johan at Gom & Company will discuss the overseas expansion of Korean animation. Simon Lim, CEO of Thisisgame.com, will explain Hallyu in the game sector centering on e-sports, followed by Herald Business reporter Seo Byung-ki, music critic Kim Jakga, senior research fellow Yun Jae-sik at Korea Creative Content Agency, Roi Visual director Kim Seon-gu, Professor Lee Jung-yeop from Soonchunhyang University, and Gamevil’s game sourcing manager Lee Kang-wook, who will engage in discussions according to the topics of each session.

□ As KOFICE president Kim Yong-rak explains, “This seminar was prepared in order to assess from multiple angles the status of neo-Hallyu in the digital age.” He added that he hopes the seminar will “help the cultural industry and the government prepare strategies and supportive policies for a timely response to the rapidly changing media environment.”

□ This seminar is open to all who register at the entrance on the day of the event (Jan. 16). More information is available at the KOFICE website (www.kofice.or.kr).