KIC FISIP UI Hosts Book Collection Launch and Talkshow "Beyond The Screen: Korean Social and Political Landscape through K-Contents"

Depok, 25 April 2025 – In commemoration of World Book Day 2025 and to introduce the book collection donated by the Korea Foundation, Korea Indonesia Connection (KIC) FISIP UI held the "K-Book Collection Launching and Talkshow" event, with a Book Talk Show titled "Beyond The Screen: Korean Social and Political Landscape through K-Contents."

The event explored the content of one of the featured books and was held on Friday, April 25, 2025, at the Miriam Budiardjo Resource Center (MBRC), FISIP UI, Universitas Indonesia, Depok. The event opened with welcoming remarks from the Dean of FISIP UI, Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto, and the Director of the Korea Foundation Jakarta Office, Choi Hyun-soo. This was followed by a symbolic handover ceremony of the book collection involving the Korea Foundation, FISIP UI, and Korea Indonesia Connection (KIC) FISIP UI. The collection includes more than 40 printed books and 30 e-books covering topics such as media culture, geopolitics, and Korea's evolving social dynamics.

Choi Hyun-soo, Director of the Korea Foundation Jakarta, stated, “The Korea Foundation is committed to strengthening education and research through various initiatives, one of which is through book donations to institutions such as FISIP UI. We hope this collection can become a valuable resource to promote academic exchange between Indonesia and Korea.” Responding to this, Getar Hati, Ph.D., Director of Korea Indonesia Connection (KIC) FISIP UI, expressed her appreciation, “As an institution, we warmly welcome and highly appreciate the Korea Foundation’s support, especially in the form of curated books on Korea and its socio-cultural and political landscape. We hope this collection will be useful for FISIP UI’s academic community and the broader public to expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding—ultimately contributing to Indonesia’s development. Furthermore, the KIC FISIP UI E-Library, developed in collaboration with the Korea Foundation and Kyobobook Korea, is also now publicly accessible as part of our commitment to inclusive access to knowledge.”

As part of the Korea Foundation's 2024 Support for Korean Studies Resources program, this book donation further strengthens the Foundation’s role in enhancing Korean studies presence in Indonesia. Choi Hyun-soo added, “In addition, the Korea Foundation continues to support research, seminars, workshops, and other academic initiatives related to Korea and Indonesia, aiming to build a stronger academic bridge between the two nations.”

Coinciding with World Book Day celebrations during the same week, the event also featured a talkshow discussing one of the newly released books titled “Contemporary K-Cinema and K-Dramas: A Glimpse into Korean Society through Netflix Content.” The book analyzes how Korea’s entertainment industry reflects the country’s social and political realities through its film and drama outputs. Speakers and the moderator emphasized the media's role as a societal mirror and how the creative industry can serve as a critical voice on socio-political issues. The discussion was lively and interactive, with enthusiastic engagement from participants, showing keen interest in K-Content and the creative industries of both countries.

The first speaker, Tsabita Ramadhanti Nendra Putri, a film producer and alumna of Social Anthropology, FISIP UI, shared her insights on the challenges of incorporating social-political themes into entertainment content and her observations on how K-Content excels in this area. As a filmmaker, Tsabita also noted the gaps between Indonesia’s and Korea’s creative industries, highlighting areas that need attention and improvement.

“The success of content like Pachinko and Squid Game shows just how impactful entertainment media can be in portraying social and political realities. However, many factors such as market conditions, policy developments, distribution platforms, and others—often overlooked—also contribute to the creative industry's success,” added Intan Syafira Gustia, M.A., lecturer in Communication Studies at UI and Secretary-General of KIC FISIP UI, who moderated the talk show.

The second speaker, Naja Thahira Aggyesta, a film enthusiast and member of FIKTIF UI 2024 film community, shared her experience and thoughts on the rising popularity of K-Content thanks to OTT platforms and the diversity of themes and genres presented. “As a K-Content fan and creator myself, I see how visual and design elements play a huge role in reinforcing narratives. Important issues can feel more relatable and accessible when packaged with strong aesthetics and clear storytelling. This is something we can learn from as local creators—that a great message also needs engaging visuals,” commented Syammas P. Syarbini, content creator, CEO of Sedesain.id, and one of the event participants.