JY Park (Park Jin Hee-yeon) talks with Chinese and Korean leaders, ”I hope the people of China and Korea will become closer through pop culture”

Singer J.Y. Park, who serves as Chairman of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, expressed his delight at meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and stated his hope that popular culture would foster closer ties between the people of China and South Korea.

On the 2nd, Park posted a photograph on his social media showing him conversing with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and President Xi. commenting: "I was truly delighted to meet and speak with President Xi Jinping. I am sincerely grateful for his attentive listening and the positive conversation."

He continued: "I hope we can have more discussions so that the people of both nations can grow even closer through popular culture," and also posted this message in Chinese.

Park Jin-young met President Xi at the dinner reception for the South Korea-China summit held in Gyeongju on the 1st, conveying her views on popular culture.

Following reports of the meeting between Park Jin-young and President Xi, speculation has arisen that the 'ban on Korean content' restricting Hallyu might be lifted, potentially paving the way for performances by South Korean singers in China.

Kim Young-bae, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and secretary of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, posted on Facebook: "One surprise news item from tonight's dinner venue. After President Lee Jae-myung, President Xi and Park Jin-young, Chairman of the Committee for Cultural Exchange, had a brief conversation, President Xi responded to the proposal for a large-scale performance in Beijing. A scene was staged where the King summoned the Foreign Minister and gave instructions. We anticipate this moment may herald not merely the lifting of the ban on Korean cultural content, but the opening of a door for the full-scale advancement of K-culture."

In the early hours of the 2nd, the Committee for Cultural Exchange issued an official statement clarifying: "We understand the dialogue between President Xi Jinping and Chairman Park Ji-young of the Committee for Cultural Exchange occurred during an official diplomatic event, consisting of basic conversation exchanging greetings and wishing each other good fortune and success." "We judge that overinterpreting this is premature. However, given that the atmosphere of friendly cooperation between the two countries has been further enhanced through this summit, we expect even more active cultural exchanges to continue going forward."