TV Drama Exports Down
By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter
Exports of Korean television shows fell 6.3 percent to $9.3 million last year from 2006, according to Thursday's report from the Korea Communication Commission.
But the overall balance of the TV entertainment trade stayed in surplus for three straight years thanks to a huge drop in imports, it said. Foreign content was down 40.3 percent year-on-year, standing at $6.5 million.
A total of 3,603 episodes, worth $89.3 million, have been exported from Korean terrestrial broadcasters. SBS led the way with $3.04 million, trailed by KBS with $3.03 million and MBC with $2.9 million.
Korea's dependence on particular markets was clear in last year's trade. Three Asian countries ― Japan, Taiwan and China ― took up more than 80 percent of all Korean exported shows, with Japan topping the list at 57.4 percent.
Nearly three-quarters of imported foreign television programs came from the United States and the United Kingdom. Exports to the two countries, however, were tallied at only 0.6 percent.
The report also showed TV dramas were still the most popular type of program among foreign fans of Korean shows, accounting for 89.5 percent of exports.
In terms of imports, while movies for television accounted for the largest share, the figure dropped 77 percent to 49.2 percent in overall imports. Dramas and documentaries grew to 21.6 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively.