The Future of Radio, But With a Touch of K-Pop

Lecture in Korean

Image taken by speaker, Mr. Ryu of SBS Radio Studio (2021)

Ryu Cheolmin Director, Seoul Broadcasting System

Thursday, November 7, 2024
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

10383 Bunche Hall (10th floor)

The song "Apt" performed by BLACKPINK's Rosé and Bruno Mars, has shaken the world. What is the power of this short and simple song, lasting just 2 minutes and 50 seconds? The incredible power of music has made our country quite famous worldwide. In an era when we invested billions to host the Olympics and World Cup to promote South Korea, it is now K-pop idols like BTS and BLACKPINK who are at the forefront, making Korea even more renowned.

In a way, Korean radio channels may be seizing the greatest opportunity of all time. K-pop idols are appearing on various channels daily, allowing fans to receive the fastest updates and communicate easily. In fact, while producing radio shows, we often see messages and comments from international fans. For instance, international ARMY members have sent birthday wishes for BTS members in broken Korean. Now, foreign artists coming to perform in Korea naturally consider Korean radio as part of their routine. Radio is going global.

However, the crisis for radio begins here. For the Korean youth, radio is seen as "old media," and more importantly, K-pop fans cannot listen to radio "live." When Jungkook or Karina appears on the Cultwo Show at 2 PM, they might be solving math problems at school or busy working as new employees at their companies. To bridge this gap, the studio in Mokdong is tirelessly brainstorming every day. So, what could the answer be?

Sponsor(s): Center for Korean Studies