09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Hallyu' expert publishes 'Next Korean Wave' to present future vision
Saebit Publishing, a leading Korean publisher, said Monday it has published a new book, "Next Korean Wave: The Future of Hallyu Shaped by Entertainment and Technology," by Samseog Ko, a leading expert in Korean content and IT policy.
This comprehensive volume explores the challenges and opportunities facing "hallyu," the Korean Wave or the global boom of Korean pop culture, in the era of artificial intelligence and digital transformation and presents a bold vision for Korea's future as a global cultural powerhouse.
Over the past 30 years, hallyu has become Korea's signature brand, a powerful cultural asset and a key driver of national competitiveness and future growth. Dramas, K-pop and other K-content have achieved global success, making hallyu a defining cultural phenomenon of the 21st century.
However, the Korean Wave now faces new threats: anti-hallyu sentiment due to cultural differences, lack of content diversity and fan fatigue. Experts have raised concerns about the "crisis" or "peak" of hallyu, warning of potential stagnation if these issues are not addressed.
Additionally, the domestic content industry's heavy reliance on global streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube has weakened its self-sufficiency and ecosystem sustainability, raising concerns about hallyu's long-term viability.
The rise of generative AI and advanced technologies are also bringing revolutionary changes to the content industry, fundamentally transforming how content is created, produced and consumed.
This book asks fundamental questions: "Can hallyu remain sustainable in the age of AI?" and "What roles should K-content and hallyu play at home and abroad?"
Ko answers these questions through vivid accounts of his field research in Southeast Asia, the United States, China and other hallyu hotspots.
The book consists of two main parts. Chapter 1 summarizes hallyu's past and present. It examines the path hallyu has taken over the past 30 years. Chapter 2 consists of content contemplating hallyu's future. It contemplates the future of hallyu centered on the combination of entertainment and technology, including content, and presents specific measures for what to do and how for sustainable hallyu.
By introducing in detail the global content and IT trends that the author personally observed at CES, the world's largest IT exhibition, and SXSW, a content festival, it presents the direction that the domestic content industry and hallyu should take.
Ko currently serves as chair professor at Dongguk University's AI Convergence College and standing representative of the National Assembly Entertech Forum. He served as chairman of the K-Culture Strategy Committee under the Global Responsible Power Nation Committee directly under Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.
