President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae at a New Year's gathering of South Korean artists and celebrities in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Tuesday that his government will not interfere with anything that the arts and culture industries do, but only work to provide full support for the fields.
Yoon made the pledge at a New Year's gathering of South Korean artists and celebrities, noting the achievements of Korean culture and entertainment content, such as K-pop, in recent years.
Speaking at the event, Yoon brought up the question he was asked by a reporter about the reason for the popularity of Korean pop culture during his state visit to the United States in April last year.
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at at a New Year's gathering of South Korean artists and celebrities in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
"I answered that it's probably because the government didn't get involved," Yoon said, drawing laughter from the audience.
"When I think about what has shaped my mindset, I think I also grew up with the infrastructure created by all of you right here," he said, calling out the names of some of the high-profile veteran actors in attendance.
"We will continue to fully support you, but we will not intervene in or interfere with your work in any way," Yoon said.
Some 150 guests and government officials attended Tuesday's event, including Culture Minister Yu In-chon and "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae.
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