‘The Value of K-Culture Is Known Only to Non-Koreans’: Sam Richards to Give Talk at Yangcheon Education Fair Follow-Up Event

The present and future of K-culture through the eyes of a world-renowned scholar

SEOUL, South Korea — Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) said on the 26th that it will host a special Next Global Voices lecture for the “Y Education Fair” at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Haenuri Town, featuring Sam Richards, a world-renowned sociologist and professor at Pennsylvania State University. The lecture is designed to take a fresh look, through an objective foreign perspective, at the intrinsic value of Korean culture, whose profile has risen on the global stage.

The lecture is a follow-up project building on the success of the “Y Education Fair 2026”, which wrapped up in May. It also carries significance as an early exploration of “culture, arts and sports,” a key agenda for next year’s fair.

Arts and cultural education to spark creative thinking in the age of artificial intelligence

Professor Sam Richards, whose online video lecture drew an enthusiastic response at the last fair, will visit Yangcheon-gu in person this time. Under the title “The Value of K-Culture That Only Non-Koreans Know,” he will offer an in-depth sociological analysis of the power of K-culture, which has captivated audiences around the world. In particular, he will highlight the distinctive cultural appeal and potential that Koreans may not recognize because they are so familiar with it.

He will also examine the irreplaceable educational value of culture and the arts as society prepares for an increasingly advanced era of artificial intelligence (AI). Through specific examples, he is expected to show how an inclusive understanding of other cultures can lead directly to creative thinking.

The lecture will be conducted in English, with live Korean interpretation provided for participants’ convenience. Residents wishing to attend can register on a first-come, first-served basis through the Yangcheon-gu Lifelong Learning Portal. The event is free.

“This will be a meaningful opportunity to rediscover our everyday culture through the fresh perspective of a world-renowned scholar,” Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae said. “We will continue to provide residents with the integrated and creative educational value of culture and the arts.”