Recently the content industry has become more treasured than ever before, as it creates a US $1.3 trillion market worldwide, bigger than the car or IT industries. It is also a high value-added industry that expects yearly growth of 5% over the next 5 years. For South Korea, over 500,000 people are working for the industry which produces a total sales earning of around US$ 68 billion and export gains over US$2.6 billion. But it is a different story overseas. Only a tiny 2.2% share of the world market is cut out for South Korea, and prevalent content piracy is striking a serious blow. Even the Government does not allocate enough in their budgets to boost it up. As of 2010, it turns out that most adolescents in their 20s or 30s dominated almost 80% of the content industry, and even now potential employees around the age range prefer such positions. More support from the government means that more of them can start working as the industry is more prone to inducing new jobs than any other sectors. Plus, killer-content ike Han-Ryu can have a positive inmpact on South Korea's image.
As "smartization" is permeating into whole industries these days; look at Apple and Google's penetrating expansion into new and uncultivated markets, the content industry is changing its fundamental business landscape: strategic alliance between large and medium or small players. For South Korea, "the same logic no doubt will work out when the financial stimulus from SamSung or LG helps majority of content companies in distress channel their potentials. To this end, last October, the Ministry of Culture formed ' The Association of Mutual growth for Next Generation content ', and the Government is planning a project to support the industry with a special financial package. More than 100 medium to small companies are to join, foreseeing the introduction of over 1200 new content which will take advantage of marketing support from big corporations. This project is to extend gradually to a degree where the content sector can take healthy root for future." says Mr. Kim, Jong-yul Deputy Minister at Content Industry Office of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea.
With advent of the development of IT technology, more favorable set-up for effective distribution has surfaced, he explains "South Korea has been successful in facilitating the distribution of Han Ryu content, mostly, K-pops, all over the continents. The far and wide expansion of Han Ryu positively contributes to an increasing export volume particularly for the content industry. Furthermore, the trend can fix Korea's national image and re-opens people's eyes in whole new fashion so that they can have more friendly view."
On the back of growing interests, The Government is putting out the goals: re-shaping the national image that represents across all industries and society through the content and adding more weights to its export volume up to 7%, from 4% as of 2009, by 2015. The backing-up details for these goals are fostering Korean Culture Center as the main unified-service provider for related culture, industry and tourism information, plus co-operating with 99 KOTRA business center in 72 different countries and a few organizations from both public and private sector.
Also establishing global online platform and network during a digital era is just as much important as fund-raising campaign for global projects that include the elements like movie, drama and animation, plus locating and developing potential killer-content by supporting its production process, supplying manpower with necessities and seeking the growth of such media content.
However, the content industry cannot be thriving without any concrete measures against copyright piracy, illegal copying and unauthorized distribution, and Deputy Minister is taking on them, "the Government is tackling these problems by re-structuring distribution networks, raising the level of public awareness through education and campaign and establishing 24-hour protection system which includes, for example, home monitoring, piracy tracking system and so on. As a result, several statistical data are showing gradual improvement." adds he.
According to Mr. Kim Jong-Yul, the Government is setting out a big strategic project for all 6 different sectors, and he goes "acquiring advanced technologies for the future market is essential, and, based on these, South Korea is planning to lead the on-line game industry as one of soon-to-be three major players in the world with virtual-based online games, functional games and real-time games in high definition quality, and a new market of over US$1 billion value can be created." And for visual new media, "developing the technology related to high quality visual content like high speed & definition video, 5 sense-digital cinema and interactive full 3D broadcasting, for this, its new market of over US$ 2 billion."
Expecting a future market valued at approximately over US$ 400 million, for virtual reality sector, he says " acquiring basic technologies for producing the virtual and combined- reality content is important. Experience-based mobile combined with reality, virtual reality theme park and industry-based virtual reality are the main tasks." For culture and art sector, "the development plan for high-end technology including intelligent story-telling, digi-log event & performance and interactive museum or display center, over US$ 1 billion of new market is on the rise."
Convergence content are about the digital content combined with new highly potential platforms. He continues "We will focus on specific content like interactive sports games, sense-related cultural content and live-edutainment, its new market size at over US$ 2 billion."
Finally, "Public culture sector opens to everyone who wants to produce and distribute the content, and it is for everyone as the main goal is achieving 'Cultural Welfare'. For this, protecting the distribution of digital content, keeping various cultural assets intact and building public cultural facilities should be carried out, a new market valued at over US$ 280 million."
As to successful role models regarding the advanced technology project for culture and art area, Mr. Kim says "the technology of the production tool for media art display show and of intelligent display-space realization, giant or wearable fantasy-character puppet performance technology converged with mechatronics are reflected through HanBit Media Gallery, HanBit Street, HanBit Media Park, several special performance events and Ani-metronics from KBS(Korean Broadcasting System)'s drama. And for South Korea, to keep abreast of today's fast-paced changes characterized by globalization, enlargement and digitalization, which are also deeply affecting many international events and its markets, building domestic infrastructure for the advanced performance and exhibition and the extensive development for the technology must begin. Good examples are Circus of the Sun and 'Decode : Digital Design Sensations' at London's V&A Museum."
