Culture Minsitry unveils plans to boost animation industry, expand global reach

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday unveiled its “Basic Plan for the Promotion of the Animation Industry,” which seeks to address structural challenges in the Korean animation sector.

These include overreliance on preschool content, dependence on television broadcasting and poor production conditions.

To revitalize the industry, the government will establish a 20 billion won ($14 million) animation-focused fund this year expanding it to 105 billion won by 2029. A new cash rebate system will also be introduced to attract foreign investment, by reimbursing part of the production cost for international co-productions that meet certain conditions and are primarily executed in Korea.

The five-year plan aims to diversify animation audiences by supporting content geared toward young adults and older demographics, and fostering animation tailored for streaming services and short-form video apps. The government will also encourage cross-media adaptations with webtoons and web novels, and promote the creation of AI-powered spin-offs to extend the lifespan and value of intellectual property in animation.

International expansion is another focus. Korea will establish joint pavilions at major animation markets in Greater China and Southeast Asia for the first time. The government will provide structured support for localization efforts — such as dubbing and subtitling — and carry out global marketing initiatives through Korean Cultural Centers and K-Content Business Centers overseas.

Responding to fast-evolving technologies, the government will build an AI-powered ecosystem for animation production, distribution and startup incubation. It also plans to develop a Korean-style AI training dataset for video content and establish the Second Animation Promotion Committee, composed of experts in emerging media. A new law will also be proposed to systematically support new media content involving virtual humans and short-form formats.

The plan supports the development of merchandise and cultural products based on animation characters, virtual humans and short-form IP. It also encourages partnerships between small creators and larger firms, while offering commercialization training and industry insights.

Finally, to strengthen the talent pipeline, the plan includes training programs for animation planners, writers and AI-skilled video production professionals, in partnership with universities and affiliated institutions.

In 2023, the Korean animation industry recorded 1.1 trillion won in revenue, marking a 23 percent increase from the previous year — surpassing the 2.1 percent growth of the overall content sector.

The Culture Ministry hopes to increase animation industry revenue to 1.9 trillion won and exports from $120 million in 2023 to $170 million by 2030.