[Hallyu People] Award-winning Korean-American photojournalist on Korea's "Seonbi" culture

Описание: 한국인 최초 퓰리처상을 두 번 수상한 사진기자의 '선비정신'

For today's “Hallyu People” we invite Hyungwon Kang, a photojournalist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who has witnessed wars, terrorism, and historic turning points in democracy up close and captured those defining moments of our time with his camera.
As a Korean-American, Kang is also committed to spreading Korean culture to the world. In that respect, today he wants to share his thoughts on the spirit of “Seonbi”, which is rooted deeply in Korean culture, and which is the topic of his brand new book.
“Seonbi” were traditional intellectual leaders from Korean history, who were respected not just for their knowledge, but for their moral integrity and social responsibility. Let’s invite photojournalist and author of the book “Seonbi Country Korea” Hyungwon Kang into the studio. Welcome Hyungwon!


Q1. Hyungwon, we met almost exactly a year ago, on “The Kulture Wave” when you revealed that you are working on a book about the “Seonbi” spirit. A year has passed since then. We now welcome you on “K-Culture Dive” to speak about the “Seonbi” culture today. First of all, why did you write this book?


Q2. What’s your definition of Seonbi? How would you explain it in simple terms to the global audience?


Q2-1. You’ve mentioned that the Seonbi spirit lies at the heart of K-culture’s global success. Could you explain what you mean by that?


Q3. The Seonbi spirit is often seen as something from the past, or too idealistic. The term Seonbi is sometimes even used in a distorted way. Could you explain why we are seeing that happening and also why does Seonbi culture still matter in today’s society?


Q4. Your book “Seonbi Country Korea” is targeting readers outside of Korea. Why did you feel that now was the right time to introduce Seonbi culture to a global audience?


Q5. Let’s go deeper into your book. All the photographs were taken by you.
As a photojournalist, how was capturing Seonbi culture different from the on-the-ground reporting that you are famous for?


Q6. Is there a particular moment or image in the book that you feel best captures the Seonbi spirit?
How about you give us the top 3 photographs you would like our readers to remember.


Q7. What do you want international readers to feel when they finish the book? Or what’s the message you hope stays with them?


Q8. Finally, could you also tell us about upcoming exhibitions where overseas audiences can see your work?

Thank you very much Hyungwon for joining us today and for playing a significant role in spreading Korean culture out there to the world with your photos and your writing.
Thank you Bella, we'll see you back very soon.

#HyungwonKang #SeonbiSpirit #KoreanCultureBook #arirangnews #강형원기자 #선비정신 #한국문화알리기 #아리랑뉴스

📣 Facebook :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Twitter :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Homepage : https://arirang.com/

2026-01-15, 14:00 (KST)