South Korean content exports rose by 6.3 percent last year, generating revenues of $10.8 billion. And while the bulk of that came from the country\u2019s prolific gaming industry, international interest in Korean dramas and entertainment formats continues to surge. As the umbrella government agency tasked with promoting South Korean IP, Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is assisting the country\u2019s content producers\u2014from the big guns such as MBC and CJ ENM to brand-new start-ups\u2014in financial support, industry knowledge and global expansion, according to Do Hyoung Lee, general director of the broadcasting division at KOCCA.<\/p>\n
KOCCA\u2019s Summer 2021 Showcase highlights a diverse range of the country\u2019s cutting-edge content producers, including broadcasting giant MBC, best known for the global megahit format The Masked Singer<\/em> (originated as The King of Mask Singer<\/em>). MBC is offering up a long-running reality\/entertainment format that it hopes will capture international interest, Home Alone<\/em>, peeking into the lives of Korea\u2019s newly expanding community of singletons. Meanwhile, from dedicated format IP developer FormatEast are two brand-new entertainment paper formats: Dish is Alive<\/em>, a new take on cooking competitions, and Who Are You<\/em>, a music competition show inspired by Korea\u2019s \u201calternative character\u201d boom.<\/p>\n Korean formats deliver both originality and universality, Lee explains. \u201cThey try something new, not seen in existing formats, and are attractive enough to fascinate people around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Korean scripted formats are also faring well thanks to the country\u2019s renowned drama and romantic comedy production sector. Scripted highlights of the KOCCA Summer 2021 Showcase include King of Hiphop<\/em>, a six-parter about aspiring rappers from Yoon&Company. kt alpha, a division of telecoms giant KT, is introducing buyers to Revenge Note 2<\/em>, aimed at young adult audiences. From JTBC Studios, meanwhile, there\u2019s a crime thriller, Beyond Evil<\/em>, and an action-mystery-romance called Undercover<\/em>. MBC is also touting two new dramas in the Showcase: On the Verge of Insanity<\/em>, focused on the senior staff of a company, and The Veil<\/em>, about an agent lost in action who returns to seek revenge on those who betrayed him. Some TV movies are also featured, with kt alpha\u2019s Twenty Hacker<\/em> and Kang Contents\u2019 K-School<\/em>, which is filled with K-pop stars and also comes in a short-form serialized version of 10×13-minute episodes.<\/p>\n Short-form scripted is a burgeoning trend, Lee explains. \u201cShort dramas appeal to viewers with creative subjects and stories. Some of them deal with social issues, including gender.\u201d Lee also highlights the emerging interest in webtoons, following the success last year of shows such as Love Alarm 2<\/em> and Taxi Driver<\/em>. In kt alpha\u2019s short series Green Life<\/em>, a young woman decides to start a webtoon inspired by the plants she encounters every day.<\/p>\n Documentary and reality shows are also featured in the KOCCA Summer 2021 Showcase, among them CJ ENM\u2019s Youn Stay<\/em>, in which the popular team from Youn\u2019s Kitchen<\/em> opens a guest house for new arrivals in South Korea. Dedicated doc producer Min Production is bringing to market the 52-minute sustainability film Fisher Queen\u2014Women vs. Nature<\/em>. From Hong Pictures, there is the feature doc The Last Wildlife\u2014Anan, Wangpeng & Me<\/em>, about the quest to film a snow leopard.<\/p>\n