Lee Kyung-hwa / Courtesy of Lee Kyung-hwa

How does K-culture reflect Korean culture? The world's attention is currently attuned to K-culture. The Korea Times — Korea's leading English newspaper with 74 years of history — is launching "Lee Kyung-hwa's K-culture MiMi: Aesthetics, Beauty, Taste."

This interview series focuses on prominent Korean figures and celebrities who are leading the way in Korean culture and hallyu, or the Korean wave.

In the interviews, they discuss history, cultural policies, social issues and the sentiments present in Korean culture.

The first interview will be with actress Youn Yuh-jung, the first Korean to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2020, she starred in "Minari" with Steven Yeun, a diaspora film about Korean culture in America.

The hallyu phenomenon can be understood as the dissemination of soft power on a global scale, and its influence continues to expand beyond Korea. Perceptions of Korean culture have shifted from those of "war and division" to something distinct and hybrid. Contemporary Korean culture can be traced back to Nam June Paik, a video artist whose work featured world-class pop and performance artists, including the Beatles, and is now exemplified in groups such as BTS.

Lee, who leads the series, is an artist, director, writer and academic, as well as art and culture adviser for major cities. She studied architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

As an international director of the Nam June Paik Cultural Foundation, Lee has spent years studying and publicizing the work of the video artist internationally. In a contemporary age of division and chaos, Paik is now regarded as an artist to be rediscovered in the 21st century. He was an artist of communication and harmony who addressed issues such as technology, the environment and human rights a century ahead of its time. Lee reinterprets the spirit of Paik to connect global and Korean culture and art.

Diaspora, particularly as it is embodied in Korea, is an important issue in the series. It is Lee's interest in Korea's colonial history that prompted her to reflect on the development of K-culture and its intersection with Korean culture. She has been deeply interested in Korean aesthetics, traditions and cultural identity.

As an important figure invited to major events like the Frieze, Art Basel, Venice Biennale, Cannes Film Festival and the LA Opera, the interviewer has an in-depth yet relaxed tone, as she is naturally friendly and has an effusive personality.

The interview series will explore all of this, including the concept of the "new K-culture," where the category of hallyu will encompass all of Korean culture. It will look at a variety of worlds within K-culture, including art, architecture, fashion, cuisine and film, to discern what is shaping the broader field. The series hopes to connect Korea's past with its present and future.