Lee meets creators of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' pledges to promote culture as Korea's next growth engine

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has met with a group of creatives behind the smash-hit Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" and pledged to cultivate South Korea's cultural sector into one of the country's core industries.

Appearing on Arirang TV's prerecorded program "K-Pop: The Next Chapter" aired Wednesday, Lee sat down with Maggie Kang, Korean-Canadian co-creator of the global animation phenomenon, alongside a panel of creatives, including TWICE members Jihyo and Jeongyeon, and DJ and music producer R.Tee, who were involved in the project, as well as music critic Kim Young-dae.

"The opportunity to show the power of Korean culture is beginning in a full-fledged manner," Lee said. "By building solid foundations, we will make (the cultural sector) a key industry."

"I agree with concerns that South Korea's cultural industry may appear glamorous on the surface but is void inside with its roots decaying," he said. "The government will build strong foundations, starting now."

The president also noted that the political circle should not attempt to take control of the cultural sector, apparently referring to the creation of blacklists of cultural organizations or artists critical of the government in the past to exclude them from support.

"It is the government's duty to create a free environment," Lee added, noting that surveillance and regulation can hurt the cultural sector.

The global success of "KPop Demon Hunters," produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Netflix, has raised calls for broader support for Korean companies in developing original content and intellectual property rights in the cultural sector.

Lee added that one of the most impressive characters in the film was Derpy the tiger. "(The film) has transformed the tiger, one of the animals most feared by the Korean people, into something lovable and cute."

colin@yna.co.kr
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