Korea Forum 2026 Beyond Soft Power: From K-Wave to K-Initiative  Monday 29 June 2026 | 18:00-21:30  Royal Society of Arts, 8 John Adam St, London WC2N 6EZ   Korea captured the world’s imagination through culture. Can it now help shape what comes next?  Presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom and the Korean Cultural Centre UK, ‘Korea Forum 2026’ brings together throught leaders from business,  academia, media, and diplomacy to explore how Korea’s cultural influence is evolving into global leadership across innovation, industry, and ideas.  From semiconductors to storytelling, from food to fandom, Korea has transformed from an unlikely success story into one of the world’s most dynamic cultural and economic forces. As the world embraces K-pop, K-drama, K-food, and Korean technology, a new question emerges: can Korea move beyond cultural influence to help shape the systems, standards, and ideas that will define the future?  Following the first edition, ‘Korea Forum: Across Futures,’ held in April, the second edition will take place on 29 June at the Royal Society of Arts, exploring Korea’s emerging vision for global leadership in the next era.     Programme Highlights  6pm Doors Open, Drinks Reception  ●6:30pm – PART 1. Welcome Remarks, H.E. Ambassador Kim Heung-chong  ●7pm – PART 2. Panel Talk: Industry Spotlight  Speakers  – Youngjin Yoo | Professor, LSE Information Systems and Innovation  – Jisu Han | Managing Director, CJ Foods Sales UK  – Monica Lee | CEO, FrontRow Global Limited  Moderator    – Julie Lee | Senior Journalist, BBC  ●8pm – PART 3. Open Forum & Reception  9:30pm Closing  RSVP NOW

Korea Forum 2026, presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom and the KCCUK, is a public diplomacy platform that fosters dialogue on Korea's evolving soft power across culture, technology, and industry.  This year, the forum will take place in two editions: 'Korea Forum: Across Futures,' on 28 April, held in collaboration with the London Cultural Attachés Circle at the KCCUK, and 'Korea Forum: Exploring the K-Initiative' on 29 June at the Royal Society of Arts. [Programme Highlights] 6pm Doors Open 6:30pm Opening Sue Lee | Communications Manager, KCCUK Special Remarks: – Minister Siwoon Kim | Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK – Anaïs Aguerre | Co-Founder, London Cultural Attaches Circle 6:40pm Panel Talk: K-Culture Unwrapped – Speakers: 1) Dr. Seunghye Sun | Director, KCCUK Seunghye Sun is a leading figure in the globalisation of Korean culture. She began her curatorial career at the National Museum of Korea and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She also served as Director for Cultural Exchange at Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and led the Daejeon Museum of Art. Her work bridges diplomacy, scholarship, and digital aesthetics to shape the future of cultural heritage.  K-Soft Power, Cultural Heritage, and Public Diplomacy  This presentation explores how K-soft power is developing beyond the global success of popular culture into a broader framework that connects cultural heritage, contemporary creativity, and public diplomacy. Drawing on experience in the UK, it argues that the strength of Korean culture lies not only in the appeal of its cultural content, but also in its capacity to bring together memory and innovation, tradition and technology, emotion and public value. At the heart of this discussion is a key idea in Korean aesthetics:“letting each unfold their own meaning”. This phrase suggests that the power of Korean culture lies not in uniformity, but in enabling different emotions, stories, and possibilities to emerge in harmony.  At a time when AI and digital transformation are reshaping the ways culture is created, interpreted, and shared, Korea is well placed to present a model in which heritage is understood not as a static legacy, but as a living resource for international dialogue and future-oriented collaboration. The presentation considers public diplomacy as a platform through which different sectors, institutions, and nations may cross futures together, and reflects on how Korea can help shape that next chapter through cultural imagination, openness, and shared purpose. 2) Prof. Youngjin Yoo | Professor, LSE Information Systems and Innovation Youngjin Yoo is a prominent management scholar specializing in digital innovation at LSE, where he serves as the Academic Director of LSE Lifelong Learning Digital. He previously held academic positions in the US, including Case Western Reserve University and Temple University. His influential research on digital innovation is widely recognized, with publications in top academic journals.  K-wave & Korean Firms: The Role of Business in the Shaping of Culture  Business organizations occupy an undeniably important place in the shaping of contemporary culture through their creative work of introducing new products and services. These products and services do not merely provide utilitarian values, but directly shape contemporary society. Korean firms made an unmistakable contribution to the shaping of the K-wave through its world leading products from semiconductors, consumer electronics, skin care products and now industrialized kimchi. Yet the K-wave is not just a story about products. What Korean firms and Korean culture export is not the look or feel of what they make, but the animating spirit behind it — the audacity of a nation that had no obvious claim to the world’s stage, yet claimed it nonetheless. Korea was, to the world, an inexplicable winner. Korean firms, represented by chaebols like Samsung and Hyundai, symbolize the incessant entrepreneurial spirit that provides textbook examples of Schumpeter’s gale of perennial creative destruction, and that represents the ethos of modern Korean culture. These firms provided critical leadership in shaping a positive, unabashedly growth-oriented entrepreneurial culture, building the technological, financial, and cultural infrastructures that made what followed possible, while providing affirmative proof to their own people and the rest of the world that seemingly insurmountable obstacles could be overcome. This is perhaps what Lee Kun-hee meant when he said "companies must sell philosophy and culture, not just products." And it is what Kim Gu hoped for the nation that was still occupied by Japan, when he wrote that he did not wish for the most powerful nation, nor the wealthiest. “The only thing I want without limit,” he wrote, “is the power of a high culture.” Korea, through these remarkable accomplishments, became the living answer to that wish — a global symbol of what can be dreamed in the darkest of circumstances, and what can be built when a people refuses to stop believing it. 3) Diane Min | Head of CJ ENM European Content Sales Diane Min oversees series, entertainment shows, and formats. She joined CJ ENM in 2010 and has led global format sales since 2015, closing over 90 global deals, including the hit format I Can See Your Voice, sold in more than 30 countries. Since 2025, she has been leading European content sales, working with major broadcasters and platforms across the region, including Amazon Prime Video, ITV, TF1, and M6. The Rise of K-Drama  This session explores the global rise of K-Drama, tracing its journey from its cultural roots in Korea to its emergence as a major cultural force in the international arena. It will examine how K-Dramas have connected with audiences around the world and strengthened cultural exchange and soft power. – Moderator: Catalina Herrera Acuna, Co-Founder, London Cultural Attaches Circle

The biggest Korean culture forum of the year – a dynamic evening of presentations, panel talks, and networking that goes beyond the surface of headlines. From the latest Korean cultural trends to the 'K-Content' and 'K-Cuisine' keyword exploration, this is your chance to connect with leading voices, explore fresh perspectives, and be part of the conversation. Programme Highlights 5pm Doors Open ●5:30pm – SESSION I. Keynote Speech - K-Initiative & Culture 6:30pm Drinks Reception ●7:00pm – SESSION II. Panel Talk - K-Culture Unwrapped ●8:00pm – SESSION III. Open Forum & Networking PART 1. Keynote Speech - K-Initiative & Culture The forum opens with a keynote by Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, who will outline how Korea aims to strengthen its cultural presence in the UK announcing '2025 Korean Trends in the UK'. This will be followed by KCCUK PR Team’s in-depth analysis of 2025 media coverage across 20 major British outlets, mapping the latest trends in Korean culture and highlighting 'Top 10 K-Culture Keywords'. Speakers: – Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director, KCCUK – Dasuk Kim, Press Officer, KCCUK PART 2. Panel Talk - K-Culture Unwrapped Korean content and cuisine are at the heart of cultural growth in the UK. While ‘K-Content’—from movies and dramas to gaming—remains the most widely covered in the media, ‘K-Cuisine’ has shown the fastest growth in the number of articles compared to last year. This panel discussion and Q&A will delve into both industries, offering insider perspectives on their current landscape, opportunities, and future potential. Moderator: – Sue Lee, Communications Manager, KCCUK Speakers: – Yoonnyung Lee, Senior Journalist, BBC – Armand de Lambilly, Youtuber, ARMAX Productions – Jisu Han, Managing Director, CJ Foods Sales UK – Jihun Kim, Executive Chef, Mandarin Oriental London Mayfair PART 3. Open Forum & Networking The evening concludes with an open forum, inviting the audience to share thoughts, ask questions, and exchange ideas. Stay for networking as we reflect on the future of Korean culture and its global resonance—accompanied by refreshments. * Due to limited space, guests who register by 17 Oct may be selected at random to attend. Selected guests will be notified by email on 17 Oct. Enquiries: pr@kccuk.org.uk RSVP: https://forms.gle/JApYTqrjvDM2xD3M7

Celebrating Creativity: Digitally, Boldly, Korean The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Centre UK cordially invite you to the 'K–CULTURE FORUM' ●(Mon) 9 June 2025, 7PM  ●The Royal Society of Arts, London, 8 John Adam St, London WC2N 6EZ ●6:30 Doors Open | 7:00 Talks | 8:00 Canapé Reception ●RSVP by Friday 16th May 2025 via the form below How does a new Korean culture emerge in the digital age?  Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, drawing on her firsthand experience of Hallyu and soft power, proposes a fresh approach to creating cultural heritage through digital aesthetics. Seungkyu Ryan Lee, co-founder of the Pinkfong Company behind the global henomenon 'Baby Shark,' shares insights into capturing the hearts of the Beta Generation and the future of digital cultural content. Dr. Dobin Choi from Leiden University, the Netherlands, explores how Korean aesthetics, informed by Korean and comparative philosophy, could significantly contribute to the new cultural heritage of the digital era. * Enquiries: pr@kccuk.org.uk | Dress Code: Lounge Suit RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/zE6GkVs5fG9LLXtp8

●Soundwaves of Science: Exploring the Science of Korean Music  KCCUK Exhibition Hall 3 April - 27 June 2025 In collaboration with the National Science Museum of Korea, this exhibition explores the history and science behind Korea’s traditional music, along with its reinterpretations through new technologies and modern culture. From the creation of musical instruments in the Joseon Dynasty to AI composers, the exhibition highlights two defining elements of Korea’s soft power—science and art. ●K-Culture Forum Royal Society of Arts (RSA) London 9 June 2025 RSVP Here Showcasing the 2025 theme of the 'Korean Culture, Now!' campaign, on 9 June, the K-Culture Forum, ‘Celebrating Creativity: Digitally, Boldly, Korean (9 June, Royal Society of Arts)' discusses how a new Korean culture is emerging in the digital age. Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the KCCUK, Seungkyu Ryan Lee, Co-Founder of the Pinkfong Company behind the global phenomenon Baby Shark, and Dr. Dobin Choi lecturer of Korean and Comparative Philosophy at Leiden University will each share insights into the future of Korean soft power. ●K-Art Lab KCCUK June 2025~ K-Art Lab introduces Korean arts and culture through digital content. From contemporary formats such as K-dramas, web novels, and webtoons to traditional culture and heritage presented through digital archives, it highlights the depth and diversity of Korean culture while fostering a platform for cultural exchange between Korea and the UK. In 2025, K-Art Lab is launched as a new initiative to experiment with digital and multimedia art. By restoring and reinterpreting Korea’s longstanding cultural heritage through XR technology, the programme creates innovative artistic experiences that connect the past with the present. ●Endless Bonds: AI and Korean Heritage KCCUK Exhibition Hall 17 July - 22 August 2025 In collaboration with the National Museum of Korea, this exhibition seeks to re-examine the beauty and significance of Korean culture and history through the lens of digital immersive content. Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, it features a curated selection of digital immersive media and exhibition video content produced by the National Museum of Korea. Through digital content such as Endless Mountains and Rivers: A Prosperous World Unfolds in Nature, Climbing Mt. Geumgang, and Royal Procession with the People, the exhibition offers the British public an opportunity to experience the beauty of Korea’s cultural heritage and natural landscapes. ●Strolling Through Korean Gardens  KCCUK Exhibition Hall 11 September - 14 November 2025 In collaboration with the Korea Heritage Service, this exhibition guides visitors on a contemplative journey. Following in the footsteps of Korea’s ancestors who achieved harmony between nature, humanity, and art, it offers a moment of slow reflection amid the rush of modern life. The garden was both a “painting on nature” and a “unique cultural creation shaped by time and place”—a space embodying deep philosophy and symbolism beyond mere beauty. “Mieumwanbo” transcends simple garden appreciation, encompassing an aesthetic process of communing with nature and introspection. K-Art Lab Strolling Through Korean Gardens Endless Bonds: AI and Korean Heritage K-Culture Forum Soundwaves of Science: Exploring the Science of Korean Music