“How does Korean culture connect with the world—and how can it generate discourses of coexistence?”

This is the central question and guiding philosophy behind the founding of the Center of Future Cultural Convergence (CFCC) at Hanyang University. As K-culture captures the hearts of global audiences, culture today transcends passive consumption. “Culture is the softest yet strongest language for presenting ourselves to the world,” says Professor Kim Sung-soo of the Department of Political Science and International Studies, who leads the center.

The center began its full-scale operations in March 2022 after being selected for the Hanyang Enhancement Center (HEC) program. “Korean culture resonates globally because it captures the beauty of healing and stories of community and resilience,” explains Professor Kim. “We must move beyond mere content exports to strategies rooted in universal empathy and cultural internalization.”

This perspective grew from his years researching African oral traditions, performance arts, and rituals. “In Africa, culture was not only about identity but a medium for overcoming adversity and envisioning the future. That insight is just as relevant to Korean culture,” he reflects.

Accordingly, the center pursues interdisciplinary research that combines narrative-based media analysis with social discourse studies. One such project, “Research on the Discursive Expansion of Korean Media Narratives in the OTT Era,” funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine how Korean media functions not only as entertainment but as a vehicle for social action.

The center holds more than two academic conferences and colloquia annually to share its research with the public. Since March, it has hosted a monthly series titled “Social Change in Korea and the Globalization of K-Culture,” analyzing how the historical processes of industrialization, democratization, and globalization are embedded in Korean culture. The upcoming June session will synthesize the discussions to date and take place in Room 415 of the Social Sciences Building.

The 팔로우 토토 also hosts open talks with directors and musicians, and runs a cultural entrepreneurship program for middle-aged learners in collaboration with the Seoul Lifelong Education Promotion Agency. The curriculum covers creative business skills, branding, marketing, and financial planning, equipping participants for arts-based social entrepreneurship.

“These programs contribute to a healthy cultural economy by producing cultural strategies grounded in research, diagnosing real-world conditions, and fostering cultural agency among citizens,” says Professor Kim.

The center consists of three specialized institutes: the Contemporary Cinema Research Institute, the Institute for Euro-African studies, and the Institute for Future & Society. Each conducts research in its own domain—film narrative, regional culture, and social futures—while working synergistically under the understanding that “culture is a space where locality, technology, and narrative intersect.”

The Contemporary Cinema Research Institute examines Korean cinema’s historical trajectory and industry dynamics. The Institute for Euro-African studies focuses on cultural receptivity and geopolitics in the Global South, developing strategic models for cultural engagement in nine key African countries. Meanwhile, the Institute for Future & Society explores how AI, digital transitions, and climate change reshape the interaction between culture and social structures—laying the groundwork for cultural policy and education initiatives.

While the original Korean musical Maybe Happy Ending recently won six Tony Awards—including Best Musical and Best Book—it also drew attention to the contrast that no Korean feature films were invited to the 78th Cannes Film Festival. “This signals not a momentary setback but a critical inflection point requiring a reassessment of Korea’s global cultural strategy,” Professor Kim observes.

To address this, the center is implementing a three-pronged approach: regionalized cultural strategies tailored to specific markets, innovations in narrative structure, and the training of cultural policy experts alongside the development of a global distribution network. The goal is to move beyond export and toward localized adaptation, or what Kim calls “multilayered cultural strategy.”

For example, Hwang Sok-yong’s Three Generations of Railway Workers has been interpreted as a political allegory in Germany, while Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom sold over 200,000 copies in Southeast Asia, resonating with family-centric values. “True globalization happens when global audiences see their own lives in Korean stories,” he emphasizes.

The center’s vision extends beyond global expansion to fostering internal cohesion within Korean society. “Narrative structure isn’t just a form—it’s a cultural capital that heals divisions and unites communities,” Kim states. “What we need are stories that recognize not ‘difference as wrong,’ but ‘difference as diversity.’”

In a society fragmented by ideological divides, generational gaps, and gender tensions, 팔로우 토토 must function as a language of empathy and respect. The center integrates academic research, policy recommendations, and practical programs to demonstrate that 팔로우 토토 can elevate the quality of communal life.

“Culture is not just consumable content; it is the foundation for becoming a truly universal cultural power. Our center is committed to developing this vision through interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences research,” says Kim. “We hope to connect with others through this cultural language and create new possibilities for coexistence.”

Culture transcends borders. Narrative shapes our era. The Center of Future Cultural Convergence (CFCC) at Hanyang University is working to ensure that Korean culture remains globally competitive and sustainably resonant—not just as entertainment, but as a platform for communication and coexistence.

About Professor Kim Sung-soo

Professor Kim earned his BA in political science from Hanyang University, followed by his MA and PhD in comparative politics from the University of Southern California (USC). He currently serves as professor in the Department of Political Science and International Studies and directs the Institute for European and African Studies, a Korea Research Foundation priority institute.

For the past 13 years, he has led social science-based research on Africa and recently launched Korea’s first “Africa Startup Academy” in collaboration with South Africa’s Stellenbosch University. He co-operates Korean studies centers in Tanzania and is working to establish similar centers in Algeria, Morocco, and Kenya.

His published works include The State in Crisis, Toxic Feed: In Search of Ahn Jung-geun, Comparative Politics: A New Paradigm (3rd Edition), Understanding Contemporary Africa, Africa in the World, and The Role of the Middle Class in Korea’s Democratization. His upcoming book, Political Economy, to be released this July, will explore the historical tension—and possible harmony—between liberalism, capitalism, and democracy. He has also authored numerous papers in KCI and SSCI-indexed journals on comparative politics, political economy, and African studies.