More Convincing Stories... IP Brings Narratives to Life

KOCCA’s Story Creation Development Center Offers Specialized Lectures
Building a Creative R&D Ecosystem with Field-Tested, Authentic Instructors
Final Destination: Storyum?Connecting Creators with Producers and Studios

Kim Seon-gyeom, Head of Cyber Investigation Unit 1 at Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, is explaining the characteristics of online illegal gambling at the Korea Creative Content Agency's "Story Creation Development Center."

These days, what matters most in the content market is how convincing something appears. The credibility of a story's universe and its details determines the vitality of a work. However, it is not easy for individual creators to access specialized fields such as finance, gambling, defense, or space. The Korea Creative Content Agency's "Story Creation Development Center" fills this gap. It is not just a simple educational program. It is a "creative R&D ecosystem" that transforms knowledge into intellectual property (IP) and connects it to industry.

This year's program clearly demonstrates the nature of the project. In the first session, a wide range of unique topics were covered, including British, Indian, and Eastern astrology, the gambling industry and addiction psychology, and AI-based future warfare. Field experts from each area participated as instructors, including Professor Cho Manseop of Global Cyber University, Senior Manager Kang Myunghee of Grand Korea Leisure, Kim Seongyeom, Head of Cyber Investigation Unit 1 at Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, and Professor Hwang Sunho of the Department of Military Science at Seokyeong University. In the second session, contemporary issues were brought to the forefront. Professor Jeong Jiwoong of Korea University, Adjunct Professor Ha Junsam of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Park Sangwoo, Korea Representative of WellC&Wise, explained the world of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, while Professor Kim Dongseop of KAIST, Associate Professor Bae Sangsoo of Seoul National University, and Professor Park Chanheum of Hallym University gave lectures on gene editing and the development of new space drugs. The advanced course was composed of topics that stimulate convergent thinking, such as nuclear fusion, the record of superstitions, the global food war, and secret spy operations. The overall average completion rate for both sessions this year reached 93%.

Ha Junsam, adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, is explaining about private bankers at the Korea Creative Content Agency's "Story Creation Development Center."

"A Single Lecture Breathed Life into My Story World"

Web novel writer Koo Hyewon said, "This lecture changed the foundation of the work I was developing." She was writing an investment story set in the business administration department of Seoul National University but lacked practical experience in finance. After attending a specialist lecture, she redefined the mentor character who guides the protagonist as an "elite from a family office." Koo said, "The world of the story became much more vivid. It was information that would have been hard to get anywhere else." Documentary director Kim Jihwan said, "The program's ability to bring in guest speakers is at a level only possible for a public institution." He emphasized, "It can take months for a creator to meet even one expert individually, but here, you can meet three in a single day." He added, "I still maintain the group chat created with the first-year participants," and said, "The sense of solidarity among creators is a great source of strength."

The reason such guest speakers can be brought in is clear. Taeyoung Son, Head of the Content IP Strategy Team at the Korea Creative Content Agency, said, "When recruiting instructors, we prioritize speakers who have field experience and authenticity," adding, "This is not education for the sake of education, but a program structured to meet the actual needs of creators." The program topics are also determined by reflecting the voices of creators. Son explained, "Every year, we monitor creators' interests and collect feedback through surveys. If there is a social issue, we propose it first, and if the response is positive, we develop it into a program."

Visits to secure facilities are also possible. This year, participants visited a casino and a juvenile detention center. Son said, "We explained that the participants are active creators, and, based on the trust as a public institution, coordinated the number of visitors, routes, and security agreements."

Taeyoung Son, Head of the Content IP Strategy Team at the Korea Creative Content Agency, is explaining about the 'Story Creation Development Center' at the Content IP Market.

Storyum, a Bridge Connecting to Industry

The final destination of the program is "Storyum." This is an IP matching platform where creators register their original stories, and production companies and producers can view them. Son explained, "Storyum serves as a bridge that connects source IP discovered in the field to contracts, production, and commercialization." Koo said, "At first, I didn't upload my work because I heard that matching on Storyum isn't easy, but after seeing the structure in the program, my perspective completely changed." She added, "I understood why the Korea Creative Content Agency is actively promoting this platform," and "I felt it is the basic gateway to connect my story to the world."

Storyum operates not only online matching but also three offline business matching events per year. Going forward, the plan is to strengthen curation services and expand opportunities for works to be produced by linking with the Korea Creative Content Agency's genre-specific production support projects.

Tangible results are already being achieved. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Creative Content Agency on 258 graduates from 2021 to 2023, 31.5% of the 111 respondents had works that had been commercialized, and 22.5% had signed IP contracts. As many as 46.8% of creators were preparing works scheduled for commercialization within one to two years. From 2017 to 2024, the cumulative results include 119 commercialized works and 58 works with IP contracts.

The Korea Creative Content Agency held the 'Story Creation Development Center' Networking Day on the 2nd at the RISE Autograph Collection.

Son said, "We see the Story Creation Development Center as a form of R&D in the creative field," adding, "The source of creativity ultimately comes from 'experience,' but no one can handle it all alone." He continued, "If the world you want to explore now feels too big and difficult, that itself is a sign that this program is a good fit for you," and added, "We are leaving the door open with the mindset of 'let's go together to places you can't reach alone.'"

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