A premier animation festival will open in Seoul this week that will highlight the latest developments in the world's cartoon, webtoon and animation sectors, the Seoul city government said Monday.

The Cartoon Animation Week event that starts Tuesday and runs through Sunday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in eastern Seoul is expected to attract hundreds of industry people from all over the world and fuel growth in the sector, the municipal authorities who organized the event said.

 "The festival will show famous animation works at home and abroad with the participation of 84 overseas buyers, such as Disney and Fox, and some 64 local buyers," a official source predicted.

Among the animation works to be displayed are "Kingdom of Winds" and the "Avengers" animation series.

The Kingdom of Winds is a tale of the ancient Korean dynasty of Goguryeo that has been inherited from the son of Jumong to his grandson Prince Ho-dong. The story depicts the conflict between father and son, the ordeals undergone by the kings, a tragic, tangled romance between lovers and the mythical gods of ancient Goguryeo.

According to the metropolitan government, the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, which is the main event of the animation fair, will also launch on Tuesday.

Largely divided into competition and invitation sections, the SICAF program introduces a variety of works expanding the territory of animation from classical masterpieces to the latest hits, focusing on the changing environment and paradigms.

Being displayed in the festival are 225 animation works from 33 countries in the world, where a Korean animation "Hong Gil-dong" will be presented as an opening film.

The story of Hong Gil-dong, Korea's version of Robin Hood and written by Heo Gyun during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), has inspired a slew of films, dramas, animations and even online games.

At this year's event a cartoon featuring Korean national hero Yi Sun-sin will be screened. Yi is a famous naval commander from the Joseon dynasty who thwarted a Japanese invasion during the Imjin War (1592-1598).

Organizers, meanwhile, said for four days from July 5, a cartoon and animation industry market will be open in Seoul with a total of 273 companies from the content industry to take part in business consultations and investment. (Yonhap)