Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) invited Kim Hyun-hwan, former First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to speak at the 671st Thursday Special Lecture held on the afternoon of Thursday, October 1, in the Academic Conference Hall. Former First Vice Minister Kim Hyun-hwan is an expert who gained hands-on experience in culture and content policy during his 28-year career at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In his lecture titled “Hallyu: The Principles of Innovation,” he examined the origins and success story of Hallyu, as well as the background behind the development of the cultural content industry, and discussed the principles of innovation that gave rise to Hallyu and how to apply them to our daily lives.
 
Mr. Kim traced the origins of the Korean Wave to the 1990s TV drama *What Is Love?*, which gained immense popularity in China, and described how the phenomenon spread as Korean dramas and pop music were introduced overseas, followed by local performances by related artists. He went on to define the Korean Wave as a phenomenon in which cultural content produced in Korea gains popularity overseas, while also presenting a broader concept that encompasses content embodying Korean sensibilities and emotions. In particular, he identified two key factors behind the Korean Wave’s success: cultural proximity and cultural hybridity. He explained that the unique characteristics of Korean content—which blend Western cultural forms with East Asian sensibilities—were the key to its acceptance across diverse cultural spheres.
 
He then emphasized the importance of creativity and talent development as the core driving forces behind the Korean Wave. He explained that consistently discovering talent in the arts and culture sectors and establishing a foundation for their growth has led to the competitiveness of today’s Korean content industry, noting that the combined efforts of various stakeholders—including the government, industry, and academia—played a crucial role. He also highlighted the spirit of challenge within industry, academia, and government by citing the example of a K-pop concert held in Paris, France—an endeavor whose success was difficult to predict at the time but which led to global success through the spontaneous participation of local fans and the proactive response of those involved.
 
Former Vice Minister Kim urged that, for the Hallyu wave to remain sustainable, we must not rest on our current success but must continue to consistently nurture new talent and researchers. In particular, he explained that it is crucial to go beyond merely acquiring information to accumulating it as knowledge, and then developing that knowledge into wisdom—the ability to identify underlying principles and apply them to life. He also stressed the need to expand research and education in Korean studies and cultural content alongside institutional efforts to address copyright protection and the issue of illegal overseas distribution, emphasizing that for the Korean Wave to continue as a lasting cultural achievement, artists, the government, industry, and academia must work together to address these challenges and fulfill their respective roles.
 
Kookmin University’s Thursday Special Lectures—the first and longest-running regular lecture series at a Korean university to feature weekly guest speakers—have hosted approximately 670 speakers from various fields, including politics, society, science, and the arts, over the past 30 years. Notable figures who have taken the podium include former President Roh Moo-hyun, Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, author Ryu Si-min, film director Park Chan-wook, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark William Lippert.