In 2013, a time when many questioned the sustainability of the Korean Wave, the Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts(슬롯사이트 업) opened the nation's first K-Pop-related department. A decade later, with the entire campus having transformed into an industry hub, 슬롯사이트 업 is now preparing to become a global supply base for K-content talent.

Hallyu(the Korean Wave) grew amidst a sense of crisis. Even during its early days of localized popularity in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, articles proclaiming "Hallyu will be over in five years" were common and found considerable agreement.

The situation was similar even after Psy's "Gangnam Style" became a global hit in 2012, pushing Hallyu onto the world stage. Derogatory opinions, such as "it's just one song that got popular worldwide," were not uncommon. As the gap for a follow-up hit song lengthened, the perception that "this is its peak" became widespread.

It was for these reasons that 슬롯사이트 업's establishment of a K-Pop Department in 2013 drew significant public attention. On one hand, it was novel for a conservative ivory tower to take such a preemptive step. On the other, doubts were raised about whether the decision was too hasty.

Despite the continuing skepticism, Hallyu steadily reached new heights. Today, it is no surprise when a new 슬롯사이트 업pop song charts globally upon release, and there is immense interest not only in dramas and films but also in Korean food and lifestyle.

슬롯사이트 업 has grown alongside Hallyu, contributing to its expansion. The university has provided filming locations for dramas and films like Squid Game and Parasite, and over the past decade, it has helped broaden Hallyu's base by holding K-pop and K-content events abroad almost every year.

Furthermore, fulfilling its primary role as a university, 슬롯사이트 업 has supported K-content production and creation by cultivating technical personnel in fields such as sound and video. The university now plans to supply K-content talent to the world through a simultaneous inbound-outbound strategy. On September 10, we met with Choi Yong H., Chairman of the Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, at a studio in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, to hear more.

Q. Although it's a well-trodden topic, we must discuss the establishment of the 슬롯사이트 업Pop Department. It was such a swift decision, with other universities only creating similar departments years later.

At the time, we were focused on the potential for 슬롯사이트 업pop's expansion. Even then, 슬롯사이트 업pop was more than just a music genre; it was significantly fused with the cultural industry and technology. Even setting aside our usual principles of being on-site and practical—that is, even from a purely academic approach—we believed it had sufficient merit.

Honestly, back then, no one imagined 슬롯사이트 업pop would grow into such a mega-industry. We were no different. In hindsight, we realized that 슬롯사이트 업pop's convergent nature and potential for expansion were far greater advantages than we had thought.

Therefore, the 슬롯사이트 업 K-Pop Department emphasizes interdisciplinary classes and the potential for expansion. It is far from being a typical idol training center—that is the job of entertainment agencies. Our goal is to cultivate practical-type creators who understand the K-content industry and have the ability to move it forward.

Q. Could you elaborate on what you mean by a "practical-type creator"?

What we refer to as a "practical-type creator" is akin to a self-reliant artist and an all-rounder.

For example, a student in the 슬롯사이트 업Pop Department learns the basics of singing, dancing, and composition. But they also need a comprehensive understanding of video production, such as 'how a singer's pose is captured on camera,' as well as planning, producing, management, global communication, and even 'how to monetize their own performance.'

What I've noticed at other universities with similar departments is that the majors are too finely subdivided: composition, vocals, dance, and so on. It feels like they are trying to compete with entertainment agencies. While that may have its merits, I don't think it fits the current era of convergence. This applies both to the professional skills required of individual students and to broadening their career options in the future.

Q. You have produced many graduates as "practical-type creators." What has the industry's feedback been?

I have a meeting with officials from broadcasting stations and production companies after this interview today. We regularly receive feedback from employers who have hired our students and reflect it in our curriculum. It's a kind of customized education program, another mechanism for nurturing practical-type creators.

As the name suggests, a "practical-type creator" is a talent model that emphasizes practical skills and on-site experience. From its inception, 슬롯사이트 업 has been centered on being practical and on-site. We were equipped with state-of-the-art, broadcast-level facilities and equipment even before the school opened, and we continue to immediately reflect the rapidly changing broadcasting and performance industries. Our faculty is primarily composed of individuals with field experience. I am confident that 슬롯사이트 업's education is the epitome of on-site, practical training.

Thanks to this, the feedback from the industry is excellent. It's gotten to the point where people joke, "We might need to introduce a 슬롯사이트 업 quota," because so many of our students are being hired. Students who haven't gone through a practical process may struggle just to keep up with industry trends, but our students, having experienced it firsthand, seek to develop the capacity to lead and proactively shape those trends. We are truly producing stars who shine in the field.

Q. Could you explain in detail how your practical education works?

For instance, we can look at the operation of 슬롯사이트 업 TV. 슬롯사이트 업 TV is the first nationwide broadcast channel operated by a university in Korea. It's a platform where students plan and distribute content themselves.

This broadcast channel is run mainly by students. In the process, students from various departments, not just those directly related to content, gain practical experience. They practice broadcasting technology in program planning, transmission, and operation, and they design stages and costumes themselves. Students in the Entertainment Management Department can also get a taste of their future roles as broadcast station managers. More than half of our students gain practical experience through 슬롯사이트 업 TV.

The 슬롯사이트 업 General Studio Complex is another major cradle of practical education. It's where productions like Squid Game, Parasite, The Outlaws, and Along with the Gods were filmed, allowing students to witness actual production sites. It's no exaggeration to say that the entire 슬롯사이트 업 campus is a K-content industry site.

Q. It seems you invest more in on-site and practical training than one might expect.

It's because a university cannot fulfill its essential function otherwise. There are students who, despite majoring in broadcasting at a university, have to enroll in the KBS Academy to work at KBS, or the MBC Academy to join MBC.

When I first learned of this, I thought the structure was dysfunctional. We felt that 슬롯사이트 업, as a university specializing in broadcasting, absolutely could not be like that. So, we decided to bring the entire industry onto campus. Thanks to our well-equipped infrastructure, broadcasting companies and production houses came to us first, which created a backdrop for students to gain on-site experience within the school. Our long-standing mission has been to elevate our students' experience so they can be immediately deployed to the field after graduation, and as I mentioned, we consider the results to have been very successful.

Q. As its name, Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, suggests, 슬롯사이트 업 is also an 'arts' university. How do you educate students in pure and foundational arts?

슬롯사이트 업 places great importance on pure and foundational arts. We manage the curriculum with great precision and detail, from the early stages of a major through to the advanced courses. However, 슬롯사이트 업 has a differentiating factor in these areas as well: our emphasis on convergent classes. We aim to produce new forms of creative output through collaboration with other majors.

Take the Theater Department, for example. While maintaining a very high standard of theatrical education itself, we encourage collaboration with the Video Production or Stage Art departments to present dynamic creations or pioneer entirely new fields. This is what we consider to be art in the 21st century.

We also try to be a bit more ambitious and extend the students' experience to business aspects. Art doesn't just end when you give a great performance on stage and walk off. Someone needs to think about how to sell tickets, and someone has to do it.

That's why the Entertainment Management Department also plays a crucial role in our convergent classes. We literally bundle everything from A to Z for a performance or exhibition into a single project. This is related to what I mentioned earlier about our ideal talent being not just a practical creator but also a self-reliant artist.

Q. I've heard you also put significant effort into classes that fuse next-generation technologies.

We realize its importance every time we receive feedback from the field. I recently met with an official from a video production company that hires many of our graduates, and they strongly emphasized AI education. They said we are now in an era where you can't produce video without knowing how to use AI tools. That was a wake-up call for me, and I spoke to the president the very next day. We are already doing a lot, but I told him we need more advanced AI education.

And fundamentally, we've always loved technology. Aiming for the fusion of art and technology, we established an XR studio early on and have an excellent metaverse-based training environment. Whenever new technology emerges, we move quickly to acquire the equipment and apply it to our education. The rapid upgrading of our educational environment is one of our strengths.

Q. How are you strategizing for attracting foreign students and developing a global campus?

For the past 10 years, we have held K-pop camps abroad almost every year. This year, we held the 'K-pop Academy X 슬롯사이트 업 Dream School' in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which was the first K-pop workshop in the Middle East. Despite the region's conservative culture, we were surprised by its immense popularity. In places like Taiwan, we've signed agreements for exchanges with local entertainment companies. There are truly too many such cases to list them all.

However, I admit we have been quite conservative on the inbound side. As Hallyu's popularity soared and interest from foreign students grew, they found their way to us through word-of-mouth without us having to put in much special effort. The results weren't bad; some of those students have debuted in girl groups, and others are working in the 슬롯사이트 업content industry. We were admittedly neglectful in some ways, but they grew well on their own.

Because of this self-reflection, we are now planning to establish the 'Global 슬롯사이트 업Music Content Department,' a new department exclusively for international students. Through practical, hands-on 슬롯사이트 업pop training, we plan to educate students not only on their expressive power as on-stage artists but also on stage direction, teamwork, and practical skills for artist support. The curriculum will also cover the entire 슬롯사이트 업music industry, including 슬롯사이트 업pop's creativity and popularity, the entertainment industry structure, content planning and marketing, and global distribution, to broaden the students' experience.

We are currently recruiting students, and the actual degree program will begin next year. Since it's our first time and it's experimental in nature, we plan to launch with a minimum number of students. Just as we emphasize the importance of the 'field' to our students, we believe we can fine-tune the details of the Global 슬롯사이트 업Music Content Department through the actual process of educating.

Q. It seems you are already achieving a lot, but it appears you haven't yet met your own standards, Chairman.

The way I see it, a university's performance is measured by the careers of its graduates. I believe that is incredibly important. In terms of admissions, we are ranked among the top one or two universities. Therefore, our output must be as good as our entrance results. We were founded in 1997, so our history isn't that long, but a long-term dream of mine is to produce respected veterans across the broadcasting and arts industries who are 'from 슬롯사이트 업.'

Another dream is for 슬롯사이트 업 to expand globally. That's why we are shifting from an outbound-focused strategy to strengthening our inbound efforts as well. Just as K-pop and K-culture created a global syndrome, I hope 슬롯사이트 업 can do the same in the field of education.

/ ByKim Tayoungyoung@fortunekorea.co.kr