K-content's global popularity to prompt budget expansion, says filmmaker

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 08:39

K-content's global popularity to prompt budget expansion, says filmmaker

Posted : 2023-04-02 17:07

Updated : 2023-04-02 17:10

Director Kang Yun-sung speaks during the Korea Creative Content Agency's annual seminar, Content Insight, held at the Content Human Resource Campus in Dongdaemun District central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KOCCA

By Lee Gyu-lee

Director Kang Yun-sung, known for leading Disney Plus' recent original series "Big Bet" and the hit action film "The Outlaws" (2017), has noted that the ongoing international popularity of Korean content could expand with bigger investments.

The director shared his experience of working with the global streaming platform during this year's Content Insight, an annual seminar organized by the state-run agency Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

"With Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, Korean content has proven that it can also appeal to global audiences," the director said during the seminar, held at the Content Human Resource Campus in Dongdaemun District central Seoul, Thursday.

"Until now, it only has been consumed locally, thus they were made with the size of a budget appropriate for that targeted audience. But as the content has proved its global popularity, I believe that we have a bigger platform to acquire bigger investment."

The director said the industry should use this time to expand its platform and secure investments from the global market to make better quality content.

"(Korea) should have movies and series made with investment from other countries, like the U.S. and China, to have a worldwide opening," he said. "It's a tough time for the movie industry right now, but if we can secure quality investment from abroad, that will allow creators to prepare their work, I think it will have a positive effect."

Webcomics creator and scriptwriter Kim Bo-tong shares his experience with the series "D.P." at the Content Human Resource Campus in Dongdaemun District central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KOCCA

Webcomics creator and scriptwriter Kim Bo-tong, who created "D.P: Dog Days" and its live-action adaptation, "D.P.," shared the growing importance and usage of webcomics in the entertainment business.

"Webcomics are a great medium for testing a story's potential to succeed using a small budget," he said. "If a webcomic proves popular among audiences, then it becomes easier to cast actors and get investment. So now, there is a lot of movement to create stories as webcomics first."

Kim said that he intended to make his webcomics into a series from the very beginning. "About three weeks after the comics were released through a newspaper, a movie production company contacted me to buy the copyright. I had in mind from the start that I want this to be made as a TV series," he said. "In the end, we came to work with Netflix and it became more successful than we expected."

He noted that webcomics are considered "super intellectual property (IP)" as they could be expanded into so many different types of content.

"When you create a webcomic, it can have a prequel, sequel, spin-off, or be made into a movie, a webcomics franchise, a TV series, a musical and nowadays, even 'Changgeuk' (a traditional Korean opera)," he said. "It has a great potential to expand."

gyulee@koreatimes.co.kr