Made in Korea content is here to stay
If you look closely at the credits of some of the most popular and widely distributed content worldwide, it would be rare to find that Koreans had not been materially involved in the creative and production process. What has changed is that the Kims, Parks and the like are increasingly appearing at the forefront of the value chain and workflow — not simply contributing behind the scenes, but shaping and leading the creative process itself.
I first noticed this years ago while watching "The Simpsons." I remember thinking, somewhat proudly, that we Koreans were doing some really great, cool stuff — and, more importantly, stuff of global relevance.
I believe Korean creativity draws substantially from our dynamic history and culture, which have provided just the right mix of struggle, volatility, growth and prosperity as both context and catalyst.
Korean content has successfully leapfrogged onto the global main stage. In essence, it has gone “Hollywood” — not by becoming less Korean, but by becoming globally consumable, commercially scalable and culturally influential. This contrasts with much of the Asian content that has historically remained more “ethnic and local” in its positioning, as was often the case with Hong Kong action flicks of the past and, in a different context, Bollywood. The distinction is not creative merit, but the extent to which content crosses cultural boundaries and enters the global mainstream.
So now that we have captured worldwide interest, demand and audiences, what comes next? From both national/governmental and corporate/commercial perspectives, how do we best globalize and capitalize on this momentum, opportunity and, essentially, our phenomenon?
The challenge is to move beyond producing globally successful titles and build a sustainable global ecosystem around Korean creativity and intellectual property (IP) —one that enables us to develop, finance, own, distribute, and monetize content across markets and platforms.
There have been significant pioneering efforts to consolidate this ecosystem domestically, including those involving Kakao Entertainment and JTBC. Major conglomerates moved aggressively to acquire assets and capabilities, seeking greater scale and global reach. But overly ambitious “preglobal” valuation expectations and the challenges of integrating businesses, creative cultures and operating models created significant hurdles. Acquiring assets is one thing; building a globally competitive content business is another.
Meanwhile, media has diversified and fragmented, social media has transformed how content travels, and artificial intelligence (AI) is further challenging the relevance and sustainability of content businesses. Yet these same forces create new opportunities in creative development, production, audience engagement and global IP exploitation.
One thing seems increasingly clear: The core and essence of “Korean” content are proving ever more appealing, endearing and enduring across borders. Much of this appeal lies in our uniqueness, but perhaps even more in what audiences worldwide find familiar and relatable within it. From “Cinderella” themes to “zero-sum” circumstances, Korean content speaks to universal experiences through distinctly Korean lenses.
In effect, it tells audiences around the world: “We Hear You!”
Perhaps this is the key to our success: Content travels not by shedding its cultural particularities, but by expressing universal emotions through them. The challenge now is to translate this creative momentum into lasting global competitiveness, ownership and influence.
As a prelude to my next monthly article, where I will explore the next chapter for Korean content and our IP, I leave off with two food-for-thought observations.
First, AI could represent a transformative inflection point for content, much as 3D did — and Korea may be well positioned to help shape what comes next.
When 3D first entered the mix, it was often treated as a peripheral capability. Then came Pixar and Toy Story, followed by James Cameron’s Avatar, demonstrating how technology could fundamentally reshape the creative medium and audience experience.
AI is likely to follow a similar trajectory. The question is not simply who adopts it first, but who integrates it most effectively into creative development, production, IP strategy and global distribution. Korea has the potential to be more than an early adopter or efficient production base. With our creative talent, technological capabilities and proven ability to produce globally resonant content, we could help architect the next generation of creative and commercial models.
Second, perhaps we need to start with biting the bullet.
While not empirically tested, it is believed that honey badgers have relatively poor eyesight and may tend to see objects being smaller than actual size, which, along with the overly thick skin, could account for their confidence, veracity and ferocity in dealing with larger prey in the wild. Korea has demonstrated remarkable resilience and resourcefulness, competing well beyond what our size and geographic boundaries might suggest. We certainly have thick skin.
What we need now is to see the world as more accessible and within our grasp than we may have traditionally imagined. Rather than treating our relatively small domestic market or position outside traditional entertainment centers as constraints, we should think and operate globally from the outset.
We must move beyond our territorial limitations — not by abandoning what makes us Korean, but by leveraging it more confidently and strategically.
After all, the opportunity is no longer simply to prove that Korean content can succeed globally. We have already begun to do that. The more consequential question is whether we can translate this creative momentum into lasting global ownership and influence, helping shape, own and define the industry's future.
That is our next frontier: to remain unapologetically Korean, think beyond our territorial boundaries and build something of enduring global significance.
Sung Lee is a senior executive at Hyosung Group; former senior advisor at Midas PE, board director at Kakao Games and G2R Group, country CEO of WPP Group, global head of M&A for Ogilvy Worldwide and regional director at Clear Channel; Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan.