Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon speaks during the "Declaration of Sustainable K-content Forum" at Content Korea Lab in central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yonhap

The popularity of Korean cultural content is showing no signs of waning. Jungkook of K-pop titan BTS has exceeded a whopping 1 billion streams on the global platform Spotify this year alone, becoming the first K-pop solo artist to reach the milestone. Occult thriller "Exhuma," which recently surpassed 10 million adimissions in Korea, has been exported to 133 countries and attracted some 1.8 million theatergoers in Indonesia in just 20 days.

Amid this cultural dominance, there's a growing consensus among industry insiders that Korea has the opportunity to do more than just expand its cultural footprint. Considering the global popularity and clout of its content, Korea can now spearhead the new movement to pursue sustainability in the field of culture and play a key role in changing the world for the better.

"Korean culture is on par with that of other countries today, so if we help tackle climate change and support green growth, we may be able to further promote our country," Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon said during the "Declaration of Sustainable K-content Forum" at the Content Korea Lab (CKL) in central Seoul, Tuesday.

"At the culture ministry, we do not use paper for our meetings to reduce its consumption."

Hosted by the Korea Cultural Industry Forum — formerly World Culture Industry Forum (WCIF) established in 2002 — the event aims to bring together industry insiders and promote the development of culture and entertainment.

"Our content industry gave birth to hallyu [the Korean wave], which is now a global trend," said Lee Jang-woo, a professor emeritus of business administration at Kyungpook National University. "Now, it is time for us to take a leading role in issues like the climate crisis, so that we can make our planet sustainable. We need to repay the love we received from around the world by maximizing the positive influence of our content."

The participants of the "Declaration of Sustainable K-content Forum" at the Content Korea Lab (CKL) in central Seoul, Tuesday / Korea Times photo by Dong Sun-hwa

Lee Soo-man, founder of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment, also joined the forum via video call and underscored the significance of planting trees, suggesting that celebrities' involvement could amplify this message. For years, Lee has actively campaigned for tree-planting initiatives, contributing to reforestation efforts in countries including Mongolia and the U.S.

"A temperature rise of just 1 degree Celsius will cause irreversible damage to our Earth... This is why I have been promoting tree-planting. It is an easy yet effective way to achieve carbon neutrality," Lee said.

"Korean culture is having a signficant impact beyond Korea these days, so if our celebrities show interest in planting trees, they will be able to exert a positive influence."

Kim Sang-hyup, co-chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, noted that hallyu can unlock new possibilities if it meets sustainability, adding that culture has the power to transform the world.

"(In 2021,) BTS participated in the Sustainble Development Goals (SDG) Moment during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly and girl group BLACKPINK was tapped as advocates for the 26th Climate Change Conference (COP26)," he said.

"It was great to see their contributions, but what if we take the lead in the future? What will happen if we offer a new path and direction? After all, it is the power of culture that can change the world. If the humanism of hallyu marries sustainability, we will be able to lead a new civilization."

During Monday's forum, the attendees — including K-pop boy group n.SSign and content creator Kejimin — read the declaration of "Green Code" as well.

"We will let more people learn about the seriousness of the climiate crisis and strive to build a sustainable and resilient cultural ecosystem," read the statement. "We will also go green and seek to attain carbon neutrality while actively participating in activities aimed at combating climate issues."