KOCCA Expands Global Reach, Boosts Overseas Success

K-content spearheads the global stage, overseas business center heads gather at the 2024 Global Business Roundtable As Korean content creates a sensation in the global market, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) are firmly backing it. 25 overseas business centers (KOCIS) across 22 countries worldwide serve as key hubs for K-content companies' global expansion, generating tangible results such as export contracts and network building through customized strategies, from consultations and business matching to providing local information, attracting investment, and supporting corporate establishment. Given its characteristic as an industry based on intangible intellectual property (IP), the content industry requires a different approach than traditional manufacturing. Consequently, the role of KOCCA's overseas business centers is becoming increasingly vital. In particular, for domestic small and medium-sized content companies (92.4% with fewer than 10 employees) struggling to establish their own overseas distribution channels, the number of centers has been significantly expanded from 10 in 2022 to 25 in 2024. Such strategic expansion has led to record-high achievements, including a 38.1% increase in overseas expansion consultations and a 48.6% increase in export contracts, unleashing the full potential of K-content. Each center is achieving remarkable results through specialized projects tailored to local characteristics. The newly opened Italy center collaborated with 'Pitti Uomo,' the world's largest fashion market, to position Korea as this year's guest country, while the Canada center hosted the 'K-Animation Canada Showcase' for the first time, achieving consultation results of 2.2 million dollars. Furthermore, it played a pivotal role in Korea's participation as the first guest country at the 'Banff World Media Festival,' a leading broadcast and video event in North America. The expertise of existing centers is also shining. The Tokyo center successfully arranged the broadcast of Korean dramas like on Fuji TV, a leading Japanese terrestrial channel, and the LA center is accelerating K-content's entry into the North American market by spearheading K-format exports through 'LA Screening,' starting with the remake of the drama and including variety shows like and . Thus, the capabilities of individual centers are becoming a driving force that further strengthens the overall operational performance of the business centers. To further spread these successes, KOCCA is solidifying its role as the control tower for K-content's overseas expansion by elevating the 'Content Export Headquarters' to an independent division and strengthening its export strategy team and regional support systems. In particular, through the 'Global Business Roundtable,' it provides 1:1 customized consulting between overseas business centers and companies, strengthening on-site, close-contact support, and accelerating K-content's market diversification and the exploration of new distribution channels. Yoo Hyun-seok, Acting President of KOCCA, emphasized, "Through the strategic establishment of overseas business centers and the concerted efforts of the entire organization, we have achieved tangible results in the global spread and expansion of K-content exports." He added, "This year, we will continue to do our best to ensure K-content establishes itself as a core industry for national export competitiveness through field-oriented support."