"The Common Ground Between Hit Songs and Quality Administration Is Communication"... Mayor Jeong Wonoh of Seongdong Discusses Revitalizing K-Content with Kim Hyungseok

A Conversation on Seoul's Future in the AI Era

Jeong Wonoh, mayor of Seongdong District and a candidate for the Seoul mayoral race in the upcoming June 3 local elections, met with Kim Hyungseok, chairman of Ascendio and a 'legendary K-pop producer,' to discuss strategies for revitalizing cultural content in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Screenshot from YouTube Jung Wono TV.

On March 2, Mayor Jeong held this conversation in the third episode of 'Era Q&A - Why Did Kim Hyungseok Open a Studio in Seongsu-dong?', which was released through the YouTube channel 'Jeong Wonoh TV.' The two agreed that both writing hit songs and providing Seongdong District's close-to-life, high-quality public administration share a common foundation: communication.

Chairman Kim explained the secret to producing hit songs, saying, "It is important to create them from the stories and feelings of ordinary people." Mayor Jeong expressed agreement, stating, "Most new policies are created through a process of asking and answering questions about what inconveniences residents have raised and how to resolve them." Chairman Kim responded, "In the end, it's all about communication. Administration and policy-making are similar to art."

The discussion also covered the secrets behind the development of Seongsu-dong. When Mayor Jeong explained, "We transformed the redevelopment area into a red brick alley through urban regeneration," Chairman Kim replied, "That was the beginning of Creative Seongsu. As an artist myself, I am grateful."

Regarding plans to foster K-content, Mayor Jeong emphasized, "The path forward for Seoul in the AI era is ultimately the development of K-culture content and the economy, and the key is nurturing talent." He added, "Major K-content companies such as SM Entertainment have moved into Seongsu-dong, creating a close connection." He further suggested, "About 1,000 students majoring in practical music graduate each year. If we support them without interfering, we can foster global stars."

Chairman Kim stressed the need to go beyond the idol-centered limitations of K-pop and nurture a variety of genres and creators. Citing Bad Bunny, a Spanish musician who won Album of the Year at this year's Grammy Awards, as an example, he said, "The government needs to communicate actively with artists to create sound policies." He also proposed building activity spaces such as arenas, transforming public areas into cultural spaces, and fostering a K-culture ecosystem where tradition and new cultural elements are harmoniously combined.

Previously, Mayor Jeong also held discussions with Park Tae-woong, chairman of the Green Forum, and Kim Kyungmin, a professor at Seoul National University. It has been reported that Mayor Jeong plans to resign from public office on March 4 and complete his preliminary candidate registration on March 5.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.