Ex-chief confident in South Chungcheong’s potential in content business
Kim Gok-mi, right, president of Chungnam Content Agency, poses with an award winner of the International Youth Robot Competition held on the sidelines of the World Robo Festa in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Aug. 6, 2025. Courtesy of Chungnam Content Agency
Under Kim Gok-mi's leadership, the Chungnam Content Agency, a cultural promotion body located in South Chungcheong Province, succesfully expanded its global presence by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology and fostering the esports sector.
As Kim completed her term as president on Monday, the agency is likely to continue its course.
"The content industry is rapidly expanding into an intellectual property business converging with telecommunications and artificial intelligence," Kim told The Korea Times in a written interview Monday.
The agency changed its name from the Chungnam Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency in 2025. "We changed the name to strengthen our connection with government policies and make the agency more accessible to the public," Kim said.
Kim Gok-mi, third from left, president of Chungnam Content Agency, poses with Rolf Gunther Prettl, fourth from left, chairman of Prettl Group, at Chungnam Cheonan GreenStartupTown & Startup Park in South Chungcheong Province, June 11, 2025. Courtesy of Chungnam Content Agency
The agency has prioritized AI in content creation. It produced an AI-restored video of Korean independence activist Yu Gwan-sun using unreleased family photos to commemorate the 80th anniversary of national liberation. The video was screened in Times Square in New York and drew significant attention from international audiences.
"This case shows that artificial intelligence can be utilized as a tool to convey history and emotion beyond simple technology," Kim said.
Kim Gok-mi, president of Chungnam Content Agency, introduces a digital torch during the 2025 Cheonan Cultural City Media Art Festa held in Cheonan, June 12, 2025. Courtesy of Chungnam Content Agency
The agency also introduced a digital torch during the 2025 Cheonan Cultural City Media Art Festa to promote a carbon-neutral message.
"The digital torch goes beyond a simple display of flames, as it captures the identity and historical symbolism of Cheonan," Kim said. "The technology served as a signature content that illuminated the night of Cheonan in a new way."
To foster future industries, the agency hosted the World Robo Festa for the first time in the region last year. It is also building a specialized esports arena scheduled for completion in December.
An AI-generated video featuring Korean independence activist Yu Gwan-sun and her brother, Yu Woo-seok, produced by the Chungnam Content Agency in collaboration with local university students, is screened on a billboard in New York's Times Square, Aug. 15, 2025. Courtesy of Chungnam Content Agency
The agency recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai Esports Association to establish a global education cooperation system and co-found the International Esports Education Union.
Kim highlighted the importance of sustaining this growth through local efforts. The agency currently runs specialized training programs for about 10,000 students from 15 universities in the province and offers integrated support platforms including housing assistance for creators.
"We plan to expand content beyond video and games to everyday culture such as Korean food," Kim said. "I hope the agency continues to create an environment where creators and companies can freely take on challenges so that the province can lead the global content industry."
Under her leadership, the agency also helped local startups expand their global footprint by supporting their participation in international exhibitions in Austria, the United States and Saudi Arabia.
As a result, local startup G&T signed a sales distribution agreement worth around 460 billion won ($312 million) with German automotive parts supplier Prettl Group. Kim highlighted this deal as a successful model for connecting regional manufacturing startups with the European market.