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JYP founder to lead new presidential pop culture committee

Published: 09 Sep. 2025, 18:58

Park Jin-young, who joins as a judge in ″World of Street Woman Fighter,″ speaks during a press conference in southern Seoul on May 27. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday announced the establishment of a new presidential commission for international pop culture exchange and nominated Park Jin-young, founder and chief producer of JYP Entertainment, and Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young as its inaugural co-chairs.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik unveiled the appointments during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

Introducing Park, Kang said he was “one of Korea’s most iconic singers who has long worked to globalize K-pop. He will help create a Korea where culture flourishes as people around the world embrace Korean pop culture, and Koreans, in turn, engage more deeply with global cultures.”

Park expressed his thoughts on the nomination via Instagram the same day.

“Being entrusted with a government role is an immense burden and concern for someone working in the entertainment industry, so I deliberated a lot,” he wrote. “But I ultimately decided to accept, believing that K-pop is facing an extraordinary opportunity right now — one we absolutely must seize.”

Park added that his dream is for K-pop to be truly beloved around the world.

"Based on my experience working in the field, I will identify areas where institutional support is needed and help ensure effective assistance is provided," he said.

“I will also do my best to help younger artists gain better opportunities,” he continued. “I hope K-pop can evolve beyond merely promoting Korean culture to becoming a platform for people around the world to connect and understand one another.” He concluded by asking for advice and support.

President Lee Jae Myung attends a senior aides' meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Sept. 4. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Lee also nominated new heads of key presidential and administrative bodies, including the National Election Commission (NEC), the Presidential Committee on National Cohesion, the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy and the presidential secretary for personnel affairs.

We Chul-whan, a lawyer, was nominated to the National Election Commission.

“We have over 30 years of experience in the legal field, including serving as the first directly elected president of the Korean Bar Association, president of the Gyeonggi Central Bar Association and auditor at the Press Arbitration Commission,” Kang said. “He is the right person to protect democratic procedures from indiscriminate conspiracy theories about electoral fraud and to help restore public trust in the NEC.”

Lee Seog-yeon, former head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, was tapped as chair of the Presidential Committee on National Cohesion, a post equivalent to deputy prime minister.

Lee Seog-yeon is “a legal expert who previously served as a constitutional researcher at the Constitutional Court, secretary general of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice and head of the legislation ministry during the Lee Myung-bak administration,” Kang said. “Following the president’s vision of uniting the people, he will work to bring the public together and help heal social divides.”

The JYP Entertainment logo [JYP ENTERTAINMENT]

Former lawmaker Kim Jin-ai was named chair of the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy, a post with ministerial status.

“Kim earned a Ph.D. from MIT and has served as a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s architecture committee, a key figure in the development of Sejong City and a member of the National Assembly’s Land and Transport Committee,” Kang said. “She will bring both expertise and practicality to the nation’s architectural policies.”

Cho Sung-joo, head of the Korea Legislation Research Institute, was named senior secretary to the president for personnel affairs.

“Cho is a personnel affairs expert with experience as vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel Management and standing member of the Appeals Commission,” Kang said. “With his deep understanding of HR policy and strong sense of responsibility toward public service, he is expected to help cultivate a results-oriented and citizen focused civil service culture.”

Lee Jae Myung reiterated his vision for “a unified nation, a culturally vibrant nation and a pragmatically developed nation,” urging his appointees to “act as the president’s eyes and ears, carefully observing the public’s needs and driving bold and previously unimagined reforms to break through old limits,” according to Kang.

Park Jin-young [SBS]

The presidential office also announced several vice ministerial appointments on Tuesday.

Jung Goo-chang, director-general for planning and coordination at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, was appointed vice minister.

Kim Kyung-hyup of the liberal Democratic Party was named commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency.

Lim Chae-won, an adviser at Kyung Hee University's Institute for the Center of Human Society, was appointed president of the National Human Resources Development Institute.

Kim Yong-seog, CEO of the Uijeongbu Urban Corporation, was tapped as chairman of the Metropolitan Transport Commission.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]