The K-Heritage Foundation led by President Park Dong-seok, and Aju Media Group headed by President Lee Kwu-jin, signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday to cooperate on the digital conservation, video production and international promotion of traditional Korean heritage.
The agreement marks a key step in advancing the foundation’s “K-Heritage 5.0” vision. Under its 2026 business plan, the foundation has identified major initiatives including the globalization of a “Top 100 K-Heritage Video Archive” and the hosting of a UNESCO heritage expo in cooperation with countries that participated in the Korean War.
“The Korean Wave should now move into the 5.0 era, expanding from entertainment into spirit, values and legacy,” Park said. “We aim to build a platform that shares Korea’s history and cultural heritage with global citizens, beyond K-dramas and K-pop.”
He added that the video archive project and the UNESCO heritage expo would serve as foundations for systematically documenting Korea’s heritage and strengthening international cooperation.
Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly pursue projects including digital recording and archiving of cultural assets, multilingual content production, global distribution platforms and public-interest cultural diplomacy programs.
Lee said the K-Heritage 5.0 initiative represents the next stage of the Korean Wave.
“This is a highly meaningful direction for the future of Korean culture,” Lee said. “It would be especially significant if this agenda is officially presented at this year’s UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan.”
He emphasized the role of media in preservation and outreach.
“Our responsibility is to document and spread cultural value,” Lee said. “Aju Media will actively work to record disappearing craftsmanship, traditional skills and regional heritage through video and data, and share them with the world.”
The partnership will initially run for one year from the signing date, with plans for automatic renewal. The two organizations will continue consultations and jointly develop projects to build a comprehensive global platform for Korean heritage.
Through the agreement, the K-Heritage Foundation and Aju Media Group aim to transform Korea’s cultural legacy into a “future asset” to be shared by future generations and global audiences alike.
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