'Dae Jang Geum' and 'Gung' Encore... Expanding the Foothold for Exporting K-Broadcast Content

Korea Creative Content Agency Customized Support Operates Korean Joint Pavilion in France, Japan, Singapore
Online Showcase Held... Promoting E-commerce Between Companies
Exports of 'Kairos' and '18 Again'... Selling 10-Year-Old Titles 'Gung' and 'Dae Jang Geum'
Inviting Key Middle Eastern Officials Including Saudi Arabia... Plans for Business Matching Arranged

Last year, domestic broadcast content exports stalled. Demand decreased due to the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. Major overseas markets only resumed in August. All shifted online, requiring new promotion and marketing strategies.

The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) eased the burden on broadcasters and producers through tailored support. They operated a Korean pavilion at France's MIPCOM, Japan's TIFFCOM, and Singapore's ATF, and held online showcases with trailers and other productions. Kim Jung-ok, head of KOCCA's Broadcast Distribution Team, said, "With the shift to online, participation from broadcasters and producers worldwide greatly increased, so we had to differentiate ourselves. We focused on eye-catching promotion and joint marketing to encourage business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce among companies."

Distinctive customer attraction led to meaningful results. At Hong Kong FILMART, the dramas 'Kairos' and '18 Again' were sold to Southeast Asia and Singapore, respectively. At MIPCOM, the documentary '23.5' was sold to Thailand, and the variety show format 'I Can See Your Voice' was exported to the Americas and Europe. At TIFFCOM, the variety show 'Weekly Idol' and the drama 'Sanhujoriwon' were sold to Japan.

ATF also saw results beyond expectations. Dramas aired domestically over 10 years ago?'궁 (Gung)', 'Coffee Prince 1st Shop', and 'Dae Jang Geum'?were sold to the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Thailand, respectively. Multiple broadcasting officials explained, "These meaningful achievements came amid a production slowdown caused by COVID-19," adding, "With the rise of Over-The-Top (OTT) services, interest in older works is growing."

This year seems poised to completely erase last year's regrets. In March, a record 28 companies participated in the Korean pavilion at FILMART, signing numerous licensing contracts with broadcasters and OTT platforms. Representative examples include the drama 'Daebak Real Estate' and the variety show 'Hangout with Yoo,' sold to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Export performance reached $9 million (approximately 10 billion KRW), 25% higher than last year.

The showcase 'The Next Big Hits From Korea' held at MIPTV on the 9th was also successful. Thirteen broadcast formats, including the drama 'Doctor Prisoner' and variety shows 'Oh! My Partner,' 'Kick a Goal,' 'Youn's Stay,' 'About Time,' and 'My Ranking,' were introduced and received enthusiastic responses.

Kim said, "Cases that led to actual negotiations were fewer than offline events," but explained, "By offering various events and screenings, we minimized the weaknesses of non-face-to-face interactions and maintained the strength of K-content." He added, "Including contracts signed with overseas OTT platforms domestically, the scale is similar to previous years."

KOCCA is also developing new promotion and marketing strategies beyond overseas markets. These include publicity and screenings linked with major local media and pioneering emerging markets. The former has already shown potential. From February for one month, domestic broadcast content was introduced and online screening sessions were held through Europe's C21Media, the U.S.'s Hollywood Reporter, Latin America's TV Latina, and the Middle East's BroadcastPro.

Kim said, "We promoted 56 works including the drama 'The World of the Married,' the variety show 'The Return of Superman,' and the documentary 'I Met You,'" adding, "We created conditions to promote content continuously even outside major markets." Min Da-hyun, a CJ ENM team member who participated in the screening sessions, said, "We gained opportunities for our content and name to be exposed to major global media and influential platforms," and added, "We have been contacted by new local media personnel and are coordinating several projects."

The media that generated the hottest response was BroadcastPro. Each work averaged over 500 views during the screenings. Kim said, "In the Middle East, Korean romantic comedies and historical dramas have traditionally been preferred, which relates to their social, cultural, and religious characteristics." He continued, "Especially dramas like 'The Guest,' 'The Devil Judge,' and 'Descendants of the Sun' secured many viewers," and added, "Recently, there has been considerable interest in genre works as well."

Building on this high popularity, KOCCA will hold 'Korean Broadcast Content Online Exclusive Markets' in the Arab and North African regions in June and in India in October. Currently, market analysis reports for each region are being prepared, and the latest information is being provided to domestic broadcasters and producers as part of pre-event work. Participating companies can apply through the content export marketing platform 'Welcon' by the 10th of next month.

Kim said, "We plan to invite broadcasters and OTT representatives from major Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel to facilitate business matching," adding, "We are considering not only B2B but also business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce."