President LEE JAE MYUNG found himself at the center of an unlikely K-pop crossover after taking a photo with a virtual version of BTS’s RM, a moment that even caught the superstar off guard.
The scene unfolded Wednesday during President LEE’s visit to the second exhibition hall at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, for the launch ceremony of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange. He explored a “K-culture experience zone” alongside co-chair PARK JIN YOUNG, producer and founder of JYP ENTERTAINMENT.
Pointing at K-pop lightsticks displayed on the wall, LEE remarked, “I saw many of these last winter,” before posing for a photo with PARK JIN YOUNG, holding one in hand.
He then stepped into a photo booth, where he snapped a four-pose picture using a digital frame that inserted an image of RM.
When PARK said, “RM isn’t here, but you can still take a photo with him,” LEE joked, “Should I pretend he’s actually here?” and struck playful poses next to the digitally added RM, including a finger heart and a thumbs-up.
The photo was later shared on the president’s social media. After seeing it, RM reacted with surprise on Weverse, writing: “Oh my god. Is this edited?”
At the event, LEE JAE MYUNG reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the cultural industry.
“The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange is a public-private platform that combines the political capacity of various ministries with the creativity and expertise of the private sector,” he said.
“The government will actively support our popular culture so that it goes beyond simply delivering joy, emotion, and empathy to a global audience, and instead grows into a key sector of the Korean economy.”
Video messages were also shared from director MAGGIE KANG of the Netflix film “KPOP DEMON HUNTERS”, groups TREASURE and AESPA, RM, pro-gamer FAKER, filmmakers BONG JOON HO and PARK CHAN WOOK, as well as Billboard CEO MIKE VAN and Republic Records founder MONTE LIPMAN.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS LEE JAE MYUNG
