□ The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST, minister Park Yang-woo) and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE, president Kim Yong-rak) co-published Hallyu Stands at the Startling Line Again, a book on the social significance of Hallyu.

□ A sequel to Hallyu and Cultural Policy published in 2018, this book is composed of three parts each titled “Direct Questions and Answers about Hallyu: The Second Part of the Story,” “How Does Hallyu Impact Society,” and “What Does Hallyu Mean for Us: Post-K-pop.” A total of 14 Hallyu experts examine the ever-changing currents of Hallyu and read into the social impacts of recent Hallyu-related issues, such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, new media, and K-pop.

‘Direct Questions and Answers about Hallyu: The Second Part of the Story’
Q&A with Do Jong-hwan, Song Seung-hwan, and Seo Hwang-wook

□ Part 1 interviews a wide range of figures that cannot be left out of the discussion of Hallyu including former ministers of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lee Chang-dong and Yoo Jin-ryong who were featured in the “Direct Questions and Answers about Hallyu” chapter of the prequel Hallyu and Cultural Policy (2018). Interviews with former minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan, Google Korea’s executive director in charge of YouTube Seo Hwang-wook, and KOFICE president Kim Yong-rak address different aspects of Hallyu including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Hallyu policies, Korean performing arts, YouTube, and international culture exchanges.

‘How Does Hallyu Impact Society’
Beyond BTS, industry, and global power

□ Part 2 observes the various conditions under which Hallyu was conceived and asks fundamental questions that need to be addressed at this point in time, some 20 years into the phenomenon. Professor Won Yong-jin of Sogang University Department of Mass Communication, Professor Shim Doo-bo of Sungshin Women’s University Department of Media Communication, and Professor Kim Su-jeong of Chungnam National University Department of Communication each discuss the topics “Hallyu and social imaginations in the age of digital technology,” “the utility value of Hallyu beyond industry and global power,” and “the universality and distinctiveness of K-pop as a ‘glocal’ culture.”

‘K-Pop Meets New Media and Artificial Intelligence’
A deeper look into the shadow cast over K-pop

□ Part 3 consults music critic Cha Woo-jin, director of Kakao’s 1theK Studio Kim Mi-yeon, Kakao M producer Kwon Seok-jeong, head of SK Broadband BANG Cho Young-shin, and music critic Lim jin-mo to explore the birth and evolution of K-pop, the relationship between new media and K-pop, artificial intelligence and the future of music industry, and achievements and points of contention in the K-pop scene to imagine new and improved K-pop.

□ Hallyu Stands at the Startling Line Again will be distributed with priority on central administrative agencies, local governments, libraries, and related organizations and institutions. The book can be downloaded in PDF format from the KOFICE website (www.kofice.or.kr) and will also available for purchase at the government publication section of the Kyobo Book Centre beginning on June 21.