[A Sip of Books] K-Content That Became Power... '2023 Content Is Everything'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

This seasonal media trendbook introduces the latest trends and future prospects across the content industry. From the major changes happening in the global OTT industry, such as Netflix and Disney Plus launching advertising products and streaming services competing to showcase blockbusters, to the secret behind webtoons dominating the global comics market once ruled by Japanese manga and American comics, the gaming industry dreaming of new heights through the originality unique to K-games, and the story of the social metaverse world where the creator economy is realized, it thoroughly examines the ever-changing content and media landscape with a broader and deeper perspective. It also includes the '2023 Content Trend Keywords' carefully selected by the authors and a 'Special Interview' with nine experts representing K-content, including 'Juvenile Justice' and 'Squid Game'.

American IT giants have made K-content into A-grade productions disguised as subgenres, telling creators to "make it cost-effective and provide it to OTT." The overwhelmingly strong content powerhouse, the United States, now recognizes Korean originality, whether willingly or unwillingly. p.64

The production cost of K-dramas is about 10% of that of American dramas, and furthermore, variety shows typically cost only 10-20% of drama production costs. For Netflix, which urgently needs to reduce costs, K-variety shows are an ideal choice. This means a 'strategic choice,' not unconditional affection for K-content. p.82

There is one more device in Korean variety shows that is both a unique competitive advantage and sometimes an obstacle to the global spread of content, and that is subtitles. For convenience, let's call it 'K-subtitles.' K-subtitles, which can be described as '#excessive subtitles,' '#laughter-inducing subtitles,' and '#emotion-injecting subtitles,' are an essential device in Korean variety shows that every Korean naturally accepts, but in other countries, they act as unfamiliar and intriguing points. p.99

Now, following dramas, variety shows have also entered the OTT era. Until now, Korean variety shows have only achieved limited success linked to format sales mainly in Asia. Fundamentally, content planning direction must change depending on the platform it rides on. p.105

2023 Content Is Everything | Written by Noh Gayoung, Kim Bongje, Lee Sanghyup | Mirae N | 336 pages | 18,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.