K-content receives a flood of love calls overseas

The 39th MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication) took place from Monday through Thursday (local time) in Cannes, France. Notably, the Korean Community Pavilion occupied a prominent position on the first-floor entrance, a space historically reserved for ‘content powerhouses’ such as the U.S. and France. Over the course of three days, representatives from approximately 30 companies, including France TV and Guinness World Records, gathered tirelessly at the Big House Entertainment booth, the creators of the documentary ‘Aristocratic Restaurant.’ “I was surprised that even top companies proposed content ideas and expressed a desire to collaborate," Lee Seon-yeong, the CEO of Big House Entertainment, said while expressing her astonishment. "It made me realize that overseas interest in Korean content, including less popular genres of documentaries, has significantly increased.”

In collaboration with the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism joined forces with Korean broadcast content producers at MIPCOM, the world’s largest broadcast content market. This year, the event drew more than 11,000 attendees from over 100 countries, including influential buyers such as Warner Bros. and BBC Studio. In Korea, a record-breaking 34 companies participated, marking the highest number to date. The total export consultation amount achieved at MIPCOM this year reached $53.45 million, reflecting a remarkable 62% increase from the previous year when it stood at $32.93 million (about 44.5 billion won).

Korea was the sole national pavilion with an outdoor terrace booth, and due to the overwhelming number of international buyers, additional tables had to be arranged. “K-dramas are known for their concise storytelling without unnecessary elements and their use of actors with dedicated fan bases,” said Megha Kukar from Etisalat, the largest telecommunications company in the Middle East. “In contrast, many other Asian content productions have dozens of episodes in a single series. K-dramas typically consist of six to 12 episodes, making them highly accessible to viewers and distributors.”

Amidst the escalating competition for intellectual property rights, domestic companies have garnered favorable responses from buyers by expanding their content’s IP utilization. For instance, Wildtale, renowned for producing nature documentaries like Channel A’s “River That Can't Flow: Okavango,” entered into an export Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with five overseas firms for their live-action animal animation. “The reception has been quite positive, as this content is advantageous for merchandise production and holds potential for future integration with artificial intelligence (AI) technology,” said Lee Han-jong, a producer at Wildtale. “We've achieved results beyond our expectations, including recognition as a Korean Premium.”


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