Infographic expert dissects hidden layers behind K-culture

The office of Infographics Lab 203 in western Seoul is cozy, dimly lit and filled with design-inspiring books, neatly arranged paraphernalia and framed posters of infographic projects it has produced. The place resembles a small art gallery. Creative Director Jang Sung-hwan occupies one room for himself. He has a lot to say, probably as much as the hundreds of books on the shelves. One argument, however, touched on K-culture. He said the country's cultural products, ranging from music to food and beauty products, are now being consumed extensively worldwide, but many global audiences are missing a point. He asks, are we reading K-culture right? It is easy for global audiences to join millions of fans surfing the Korean wave, but far less easy for them to grasp the hidden layers that form the wave — the history, statistics and fun facts behind those cultural products. These layers underpin the deeper reasons global audiences are drawn to K-culture, but remain as an underutilized selling point for Korea in promoting its culture abroad. This is where infographics step up, a single-page i