Met Yoon, Global Producers... Promises to Lift Regulations on K-Content

Attending the Global Video Content Leadership Forum
70 Years of the Korea-US Alliance Leading to a Global Cultural Powerhouse
Ensuring the Korean Cultural Market Integrates into the Global Market

"If you point out anything among various cultural and film-related topics in Korea that do not meet the global standard, we will definitely abolish and eliminate them."

President Yoon Suk-yeol has taken the lead in the globalization of Korean films. As Korean content gains popularity in the international community, the government intends to actively support the removal of related regulations to attract more investment from global production companies.

On this day, President Yoon attended the 'Global Video Content Leadership Forum' held at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) building in Washington DC, stating, "We consider the world as a single market, and it is natural for our Republic of Korea market to be incorporated into the world market," promising to ease regulations on cultural content.

From the U.S. side, the event was attended by the Motion Picture Association, which invited President Yoon, as well as global content investment companies such as Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, The Walt Disney Company, and Netflix. On the Korean side, CJ, SLL, Watcha, AStory, RaemongRaein, Creative Leaders Group Eight, and actor Lee Seo-jin were present. Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the relevant ministry, also attended.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Starting his remarks, President Yoon said the prepared script was boring and continued with an impromptu speech. He evaluated, "The ROK-U.S. alliance, built on the sacrifice and dedication of young people, has developed over 70 years, and our Republic of Korea has become a global economic and cultural powerhouse from the ruins of war."

He then mentioned the film 'Ode to My Father,' which depicts Korea's development history from the Korean War to the present, saying, "We have not only grown economically but also culturally in various fields such as Korean music and film," and added, "That is why I think I was invited to today's event."

President Yoon emphasized, "I will make it possible for Korea's film and cultural markets to be incorporated as a single market into the global market," adding, "Only then can we collaborate with you so that media, networks, platforms, and content all come together, allowing citizens worldwide to enjoy this new culture."

He also urged, "Let this event be an opportunity to strengthen cultural cooperation between Korea and the U.S., and let us all work hard so that Korea and the U.S. can demonstrate leadership together in the global cultural and film markets."

Charles Rivkin, Chairman of the Motion Picture Association, said in his welcoming remarks, "Today's discussion will include delegations from our six member companies of the MPA. We all work very closely with American filmmakers and have had extensive collaboration with Vice Chairman Lee Mi-kyung of CJ," explaining, "Together, we create powerful stories to share with audiences. We stand shoulder to shoulder with organizations such as the Korean Film Council and the Korea Copyright Protection Agency, making great efforts to protect intellectual property rights."

Chairman Rivkin also said, "When the MPA celebrated its 100th anniversary, we had the honor of participating in the Busan International Film Festival, where I witnessed firsthand the tremendous energy and vibrancy Korea possesses," expressing continued interest by stating, "I have observed how Korea is leading the global cultural and arts scene and playing a significant role in video streaming."

He added, "The remarkable success of K-content in Korea serves as a model worldwide," and expressed respect by saying, "American content creators still have much to learn by following Korea's example."

Chairman Rivkin proposed to President Yoon that regulatory improvements are necessary for the development of the film industry. He said, "I believe that very low levels of regulation are important as a major driving force leading the economy," and expressed gratitude, "I am very thankful for all the support and encouragement President Yoon is sending with all this in mind."

According to the Presidential Office, participants later discussed expanding exports and investment in K-content and cooperation plans between the content industries of both countries. The Presidential Office stated, "It is an unprecedented scale for the association's chairpersons and global video content companies to gather in one place," adding, "It was an opportunity to feel the elevated status of Korean content."

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