Yonsei University seminar diagnoses 'Peak Korea' crisis, explores K-pop's role

Yonsei University's Institute of Public Affairs and the National Management Research Institute convened a special seminar titled "Peak Korea: Diagnosis and Tasks" on May 21st at the university's Yeonhee Hall. The event brought together experts to diagnose the structural crisis facing South Korea, a phenomenon often referred to as "Peak Korea," and to explore sustainable future strategies, particularly focusing on the K-pop industry's role.

The seminar's first session featured Professor Baek Woo-yeol of Yonsei University, who presented an analysis based on his recent book, "Peak Korea." He dissected the structural challenges and their causes, highlighting intertwined issues such as ultra-low birth rates, extreme aging, the concentration of population and resources in the Seoul metropolitan area leading to regional decline, the collapse of social mobility, and intense political polarization. Professor Baek emphasized that these factors signal a limit to the functioning of the national system as a whole.

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The intimidation of witnesses assisting a Royal Commission is an extraordinarily serious matter.

To address these challenges, Professor Baek proposed concrete directions for national restructuring to achieve renewed growth in the 2030s. These included strategies for regional mega-cities, expanding new industries centered on R&D, systematizing AI productivity, and exploring a decentralized federal model. He also conveyed a message that individuals and businesses must reconstruct their survival strategies by strengthening AI utilization capabilities and deepening expertise, especially given the difficulty of adhering to traditional success paths.

The second session focused on the future of the K-pop industry, with Ok Sang-moon, CEO of K-Link Global, a consulting firm for global music industry policy and strategy, presenting on "The Future of the K-pop Industry: Designing Growth Reliability Together." His presentation examined how data and AI technologies are reshaping the global music industry and the K-pop ecosystem, while also outlining strategic tasks for the Korean music industry to secure sustainability in a competitive global environment. The seminar was noted for connecting discussions on economic and industrial structural changes with cultural industry innovation.

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The intimidation of witnesses assisting a Royal Commission is an extraordinarily serious matter.