President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to bolster South Korea’s cultural industry and make the nation a proud cultural powerhouse.

The president made the promise Wednesday on a TV program that also featured a panel of creatives, including Maggie Kang, the director of the smash-hit Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Lee said the opportunity to demonstrate the power of Korean culture is now beginning in earnest, during the televised discussion with the panel on ways to foster the country’s cultural industry.

Acknowledging concerns that while South Korea’s cultural industry may appear glamorous on the outside, it lacks substance and strong roots, Lee stressed that the government aims to build a solid foundation and is starting its work now.

Lee added that the government will establish a strong base to develop K-culture into a core industry and establish the nation as a proud cultural powerhouse.

The president also emphasized the government’s role in building a strong foundation for the fine arts, and pledged active support for and investment in the cultural sector as a whole.