"From New York, and the U.S. in general, the drought is almost invisible," Samuel Jamier, the executive director of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) said, challenging the prevailing anxiety surrounding the future of Korean cinema. "Film, television and K-pop blur into a single triumphant category — Korean content — and its sheer popularity overshadows the predicament of the industry that produces it." In a recent email interview with The Korea Times, the executive director offered a refreshing global perspective on Korea’s pop culture scene, arguing that while structural bottlenecks are very real in Seoul, the global appetite for Korean storytelling remains as fierce as ever. His insights come as NYAFF kicks off its landmark 25th anniversary edition, running from Friday (local time) to July 26 in New York, featuring a massive Korean cinema spotlight co-hosted by the Korean Cultural Center New York and the nonprofit Film at Lincoln Center. Supported by the Korean Film Council, this year's festival is screening 23 Korean movies across five venues. Opening the festival on Frid