Under the headline “In Hallyu We Trust? Revisiting ‘Soft Power’ in the New World Order of Cultural Production” the Asia Forum 2023, co-organised by the CEDITRAA project with the Interdisciplinary Centre for East Asian Studies (IZO) and the research initiative ConTrust at Goethe University Frankfurt, convened an outstanding group of international scholars for two days of critical scrutiny of these links between countries’ international cultural appeal and their political power.

True to the CEDITRAA spirit, the international workshop featured not only discussions around theoretical innovation and studies of the Korean case but also drew various connections to other country cases across East Asia and West Africa. In particular, the Korean model of cultural production and global dissemination was compared and put into perspective by scholars focussing on the Chinese, Japanese and Nigerian cultural industries and “soft power” strategies.

The two-day workshop at Goethe University’s Normative Orders centre brought together CEDITRAA researchers and invited experts from Europe, the US, Nigeria, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand for intense closed-door discussions, which have already inspired various follow-up publication projects.

In addition, a high-level public lecture on “Korean Film and Television – Competitiveness and Future Prospects” by film producer and CEO of Realies Pictures Dong Yeon Won attracted a large audience to Goethe University’s Renate-von-Metzler-Saal in the evening of 6 July. Moderated by CEDITRAA’s Prof. Yonson Ahn, the talk and discussion with Mr. Won provided first-hand insights into practical aspects and success factors in the world of Korean film and TV series productions.