Korean TV series and documentaries sold at media market in France

Korean booth at the MIPTV 2011 Media Market held in Cannes, Frances from April 2 to 7. [Korea Creative Content Agency]

Several Korean TV series and documentaries have garnered much interest from foreign buyers at a media market fair in France this week, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on Friday.

KOCCA announced in a press release that over 22 billion dollars worth of Korean TV series, documentaries and animations were been sold at the MIPTV 2011 Media Market held in Cannes, France from April 2 to 7.

KBS' hit blockbuster series "IRIS," which starred Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee, has been sold to a distribution company in France while MBC's romantic comedy "Pasta," starring Kong Hyo-jin and Lee Sun-kyun, has been sold to a broadcasting company in Bulgaria.

KBS' documentary "Amur" has handed its distribution rights to China's CCTV, and EBS' "The Mammoth" and "Civilization of Angkor" to broadcasting companies in Italy and the United States, respectively. Various companies in France have inquired for the rights of MBC's "Tears of Africa."

Six Korean animations including EBS' "Vroomiz" and "Robocar Poli" were introduced at the media market, while KBS' "Bolts and Blips" was sold to an entertainment company in Canada.

"We at KOCCA are trying to pioneer a new market for Korean content," an official from KOCCA was quoted as saying. "We are planning to attend about 10 international media markets during the latter half of the year and we hope that it will be a great opportunity for Korean content to be introduced to foreign buyers."

The MIPTV Media Market is held annually in Cannes and is known as one of the world's largest fairs for co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content. It is a place where people in the TV, film, digital and audiovisual content, production and distribution industry can come together for conferences and network regarding the future trends and trade content rights on a global level.

This year over 4,000 industry officials from 100 countries were invited to the MIPTV 2011.

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