President Lee Jae-myung and co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, Park Jin-young – On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung took a commemorative photo with Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, at the K-Culture Experience Zone during the launch event of the committee held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
K-Pop idols and commemorative photography with President Lee Jae-myung – On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung attended the launch of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where he took commemorative photos with Park Jin-young, co-chair, and K-Pop groups Stray Kids and Le Sserafim.
Singer Park Jin-young (52) has clarified his acceptance of the chairmanship of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee along with his political stance. He declined the ministerial treatment but expressed willingness to undertake tasks beneficial to the K-Pop industry that cannot be done at the company level.
During an appearance on MBC’s ‘Radio Star’ on the 5th, Park Jin-young explained his decision to accept the chairmanship, saying, “I decided to try doing what I couldn’t do at the company level for the K-Pop industry.” He mentioned taking the role after multiple refusals.
Park Jin-young said, “Initially, I was offered a full-time position, which I declined for three months.” He mentioned that even after his refusals due to various reasons, Kang Hun-sik, the presidential secretary office chief, resolved those issues. Eventually, there was no reason to refuse.
He further explained, “If it were full-time, I could receive a salary, but considering my singing career and ‘Radio Star’ appearances, how could I manage?” which led to his decision to take a part-time role.
Particularly, Park Jin-young caught attention by revealing that he declined the ministerial treatment associated with the chairmanship.
Park Jin-young debuted in the music industry in 1994 and released hit songs like ‘She Was Pretty’ and ‘Honey.’ From 2001, he led JYP Entertainment, which he founded, producing artists like g.o.d, Rain, Wonder Girls, and TWICE.
“Neither Progressive nor Conservative – Just Park Jin-young”… Emphasizing Political Neutrality
Park Jin-young also clarified his political views. He stated, “For 30 years, I didn’t reveal my political stance, but I thought it was time to speak.” He added, “Capitalism favors the wealthy if the government doesn’t intervene. Progressive policies are essential to protect the powerless populace.”
He continued, “But the problem is, if we protect (the people) too much compared to other countries, capitalists will leave for other countries. Conservative policies are also necessary.”
Park Jin-young emphasized, “Looking at the era’s circumstances and other countries, balance is needed. I don’t intend to belong to any political side—neither progressive nor conservative.”
Previously, the presidential office announced Park Jin-young’s appointment as a co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee with Culture, Sports, and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young in September. The committee aims to set a public-private cooperation system for spreading Korean culture, amid global interest in K-pop, K-dramas, movies, and games. Choi and Park will be responsible for devising popular culture exchange strategies.
In a press conference marking 100 days in office, President Lee Jae-myung commented on Park Jin-young’s appointment, stating, “One of Korea’s many strengths is cultural capability. Developing cultural capacity into an industry that provides livelihoods is crucial, and Park Jin-young is an excellent planner in that aspect.”
President Lee expressed high expectations, saying, “(Park Jin-young is) expected to achieve substantial outcomes.”
On October 1, at the Korean-Chinese state banquet in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, President Lee, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, were seen conversing. Park shared on Instagram, “I was truly pleased to meet and talk with President Xi Jinping. Thank you for your consideration and valuable words. I hope for more discussions through popular culture to bring our nations closer.”
The Popular Culture Exchange Committee remarked that the meeting was “a general exchange of pleasantries in an official diplomatic event,” advising against over-interpretation. They expect the Korean-Chinese summit to stimulate more active cultural exchanges between the two countries.