Singer Park Jin-young hopes to do more for K-pop industry through presidential committee role

Singer Park Jin-young was appointed co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange. [NEWS1]

 
Singer Park Jin-young said Wednesday that he decided to accept the co-chair role of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange because he "wanted to do things for the K‑pop industry that our company cannot do." 
 
Park, who founded one of the biggest Korean entertainment corporations, JYP Entertainment, said during a recent appearance on MBC's talk show "Radio Star" (2007-) that he accepted the role after “declining several times.”
 

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Although he currently serves as a part-time chair, Park said he was initially offered a full-time role by the government. 
 
“I refused for three months," he said. "Even though I declined for various reasons, Kang Hoon‑sik, the presidential chief of staff, resolved the issues one by one. In the end there was no reason to refuse. If I had been full-time I would receive a salary, but I also have my singing career and ‘Radio Star’ appearances — how could I do that?”
 
Park also expressed his political views. 
 
“Capitalism is too advantageous to the rich if the government does not intervene. Therefore, policies of the progressive camp are absolutely necessary so that the government can protect powerless ordinary citizens,” he said. “However, the problem is that if you protect ordinary citizens too much compared to other countries, capitalists move their operations elsewhere. To prevent that, you also need the conservative camp’s policies.
 
“Looking at the circumstances of the times and other countries, you need balance. I have no intention of belonging to either camp. I am not of the progressive camp, nor of the conservative camp — I am Park Jin‑young." 
 
Park Jin-young also said that although the chair role carries ministerial-level privileges, he declined them. 


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]