Suncheon City Confirms 18 Content Companies to Move into Original Downtown Area

11 Animation Companies, 6 Webtoon Companies, 1 Independent Publisher
Mayor Noh: "We Will Enrich Ecology with Cultural Content"

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that 18 content companies will be moving into the 'Old Downtown Animation and Webtoon Cluster'.

The companies moving in include 11 animation companies, 6 webtoon companies, and 1 independent publishing company, with their headquarters located in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi) and Gwangju.

Eighteen content companies will be established in the Suncheon City 'Original Downtown Animation and Webtoon Cluster.' Photo by Suncheon City

The city finalized the selection of resident companies through the 'Suncheon City Cultural Content Industry Promotion Committee', comprehensively considering the adequacy of business plans, job creation effects, and growth potential for companies wishing to relocate to Suncheon.

A representative from one of the relocating companies said, "Giving up the resources of the metropolitan area and moving to a local city is a big adventure. We decided to relocate after confirming Suncheon City's strong commitment to fostering the cultural content industry. We hope to collaborate with Suncheon City on various projects such as developing our own IP, expanding overseas, and running academy programs."

The city plans to provide ample administrative and financial support to help the companies relocating from the metropolitan area take root in Suncheon.

First, the city plans to utilize vacant buildings in the old downtown area to provide office space for the companies. After signing a mutual cooperation agreement (investment agreement, half-price rent, etc.) between Suncheon City, the resident companies, and building owners, the office spaces will be remodeled and companies are scheduled to move in by June.

Additionally, the city will offer support such as a cultural content strategic fund, local-specialized content production costs, and company attraction subsidies. It also plans to provide package support tailored to company needs, including a local talent recruitment academy and global expansion marketing support.

Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu said, "We must create a city that is business-friendly, where writers and students gather. These content companies will bring new energy to the declining old downtown and create quality jobs for local youth."

He added, "Suncheon has read the changes of the times and, with our own imagination, created a common framework to become a global ecological city and a garden city. Now we must lay even broader and stronger stepping stones for the future. That major stepping stone is the cultural content industry. We will actively support the creation of a virtuous cycle ecosystem together with the government and related organizations."

Meanwhile, Suncheon City is developing the area around the National Garden (Suncheon Bay International Wetland Center), the old downtown (Webtoon Center, Nammun Square, vacant spaces in the old downtown), as an 'Animation and Webtoon Cluster'. Following the attraction of webtoon companies Kenaz and Onno Korea in March, the city is accelerating the project with the attraction of these content companies.

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