South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged strong government support for U.S. film industry members, including Netflix, Sony Pictures, NBCUniversal, and Disney, to produce works and discover materials in Korea. He emphasized that South Korea is embarking on a new journey in the cultural content industry, highlighting the unique stories and the creators' sensitivity as competitive advantages that resonate with global audiences.
During a meeting on September 7 at the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, President Lee expressed, "It would be great to create new opportunities for South Korea."
Attendees included Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix, Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, Donna Langley, Chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, and Dana Walden, President and COO of The Walt Disney Company. South Korean officials present included Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Lee Mi-kyung, Vice Chair of CJ Group.
President Lee pointed to economic growth, democratic development, and a rich history of storytelling as the foundation for the growth of South Korea's cultural content industry. He noted that the experience of achieving both economic growth and political democratization in less than a century since liberation in 1945 has laid the groundwork for the development of cultural content.
He stated, "There has been no other case in the world where democratization and economic growth have been achieved so rapidly together," linking South Korea's development experience to the growth of its cultural industry.
He also presented the narratives accumulated over a long time in the Korean Peninsula as significant resources for content. "In that small area, the same people have lived for thousands of years, creating countless stories and shared experiences," he said, adding that there are endless resources for content material.
President Lee highlighted the education level, passion, craftsmanship, and sensitivity of Korean creators as strengths. He remarked, "I believe that South Korea is the best at touching people's hearts and gaining empathy without needing to make huge investments for blockbuster productions."
He reiterated the government's commitment to support, stating, "I promise that the government will actively and fully support the creation of works and the discovery of materials in South Korea."
Regarding production costs, he joked with attendees, saying, "There are no difficulties in production due to enormous costs in South Korea, so there is nothing to worry about."
Charles Rivkin, Chairman of the MPA, expressed gratitude to President Lee and Minister Choi for hosting the event. He praised the attendees, stating, "These individuals gathered before the President are the leaders of the most powerful storytelling businesses on Earth."
Rivkin also noted that MPA members trust the Korean cultural industry and the Korean creative community. He stated, "We believe in the Korean cultural industry and invest in partnerships with the Korean creative community, continuously working to convey American stories to Korean audiences while introducing Korean content to fans worldwide."
He mentioned that MPA members are interested in the growth background of the Korean content industry, sharing that during his 20 years in the entertainment industry, he often receives questions about how South Korea achieves its success.
This meeting was organized to expand cooperation between the film and video industries of South Korea and the United States and to strengthen collaboration in the production, investment, and distribution of Korean content with global studios and platforms.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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