On September 26, a lecture on the “Silk Road and the Korean Wave Road” took place at the Centennial Memorial SAMSUNG Hall of the Korea University (KU). The lecture was given by Choi Kwang Shik (’76, Korean History), former minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It was the first lecture among the 2017 University Plus Series on “Our Historical Perception and the Future of the Korean Peninsula,” hosted by the Basic Education Center of the Office of Academic Affairs.

 

Choi began the lecture by explaining the geological and historical background of the Silk Road. He provided details on how the Silk Road has served as a bridge between the East and West. He showed different artifacts from the Middle East and East Asia that have common aesthetical features, to testify such connection.

 

Choi stated, “Though Korea was located at the end of the Silk Road, it will be the starting point for the Korean Wave Road.” He demonstrated how the exports of Korean culture, such as the drama Descendants of the Sun, helped to promote other Korean products in foreign countries, specifically in the Middle East. The lecture was concluded with his last comment emphasizing the need to recognize the potential of Korean culture in the global market.