[Letters] Government’s systematic support for K-pop

The Korea JoongAng Daily’s June 11 column, “K-pop’s new global reach,” did a good job expressing how these idol groups have achieved overseas. I strongly agree with the article that the government has to create an environment to further promote the wave.

The lesson from the first Korean Wave in the 1990s was that there was a lack of government support. The first wave was a big hit but then fizzled out a bit later. Japan’s cultural exports had great support from its government and thus continued its momentum. If our government doesn’t support this second Korean Wave, it will surely fail.

But it’s not just the government that should help. The music industry should try its best to make the Korean brand survive in the global market. No doubt our ultimate target market is America. But much more needs to be done to expand there.

I am really proud of what these young people have achieved overseas and hope this remarkable accomplishment can last as long as possible. I hope it will create more than what we expect.

Rena Kim, a housewife in Seoul