Korea Content Business Week, which combines ‘Content IP Market’, ‘Licensing Con’, and the ‘Webtoon Job Festa’ hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Yu In Chon) and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (President Jo Hyunrae, hereinafter referred to as KOCCA), will be held over three days from the 28th to the 30th at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
This event includes ‘Content IP Market 2023’, a comprehensive content IP business event; ‘Licensing Con 2023’, a business workshop on the present and future of IP licensing; ‘2023 Webtoon Job Festa’, covering job search information in the fields of comics and webtoons, etc. The three events will be run parallel to each other with the purpose of expanding and revitalizing the content IP business through events that encompass not only content companies but also its various related industries including manufacturing, communications, services, and consumer goods.
The opening keynote presentation will be by Sanrio CEO Tsuji Tomokuni, marking the 50th anniversary of Sanrio’s best-known character Hello Kitty. Its theme is ‘Friend the Future’ and will shed light on Sanrio’s global expansion plans.
Dreaming of limitless expansion of IP across genres and industries, ‘Content IP Market’ – Korea Content Business Week
Content IP Market 2023 will run under the theme of ‘Beyond genres, beyond industries, towards an IP universe!’. It is offered by content companies, platform companies, manufacturing and service companies to expand additional businesses using original IP such as stories, webtoons, and characters. This gathering is an IP comprehensive business event.
There are a total of 70 content companies participating to sell IP, including RIDI, KidariStudio, HAKSAN PUBLISHING, Toyou’s Dream, Studio Gale, Carriesoft, STUDIO W. BABA, Woongjin Thinkbig, Arambooks, and Samnparkers. They will receive all-round support for their business activities from partners in communications, manufacturing, distribution, and funding, such as Kakao entertainment, D&C Media, NCSOFT, Waterhole Company, Mashimaro, LG Uplus, Ottogi, GS 25, and WADIZ.
There are 586 registered buyers from home and abroad. CJ ENM, KBS Media, NEW, Showbox, SLL, Studio Dragon, Hive media corp, Raemongraein, Lotte Culture Works, KEYEAST, CJeS Studios, YLab, COPUS KOREA, OCON STUDIOS, LOCUS, Netmarble, Sanrio, Crunchyroll, Kadokawa, Kuaikan, Kakao Piccoma, etc., will be discussing commercialization, including video production and commercialization, of IP original works through 1:1 business matching with domestic content companies.
Side events will also be offered: a Global Business Round Table; K-Contents Related Industry Networking Day; visiting business consultations for overseas expansion; investment showcases for comics, webtoons, and character start-ups; Animation Boot Camp; KNock visiting investor workshop; legal seminars, intellectual property capacity building seminars, etc., as well as consulting and training for businesses will be provided.
Meanwhile, parallel to this event, a separate ‘K-Content IP Global Forum’ will be offered to explore ways to foster Korean-style super IPs. Beginning with a special session by Hyundai Motor Company Vice President Jang Young, followed by a panel talk with IP experts including Division Director Yoon Hye-young (Netmarble), Team Leader Park Jun-hyung (GS Retail), where they will discuss concerns about the growth and future of K-content IPs.
In addition, Lotte World, Shinhan Financial Group, S-Oil, Kakao, and Hyundai Department Store will feature their ‘Exhibition and presentation of Best Examples of Content IP Expansion Collaboration’, ‘New Character IP Development Support Showcase’, a ‘Cream Store’ goods sales, character graffiti event, and more promising interesting viewing.
‘Licensing Con’ suggesting IP business trends and directions
The Licensing Con is an event that will look at domestic and international industry trends in content IP licensing and suggests directions to help companies establish future strategies. This year, live talks and topical lectures will be held on three topics: industrial trends, business, and technology.
On day one, there will be a live talk on the theme of ‘Jumping Contents beyond Imagination’, Screen expansion of the webtoon world view (writer Yoon Tae Ho), ‘Content expansion in the era of Big Blur’ by Media Do Special appointed executive officer Tsukamoto Susumu and Kadokawa Division Head MD Business Division Kakinuki Masakazu, and a lecture on the ‘Infinite expansion of K-content’ by Bang Jinho, Head of SLL Content Business Division 2, Park Kunhee, CEO of Wavve Americas, Inc dba. KOCOWA, joined by KENAZ CEO Woody Lee.
Day two carries the theme of ‘New-ing chance of IP Business’, and will discuss IP expansion with Fandom, Diversification of IP business, Newly created content market, etc. Speakers include Park Jinhae, Director of D&C Webtoon Biz, which holds the ‘Solo Loveling’ IP; Lee Min Seok, CEO of WHYNOT MEDIA, and Jung Jae Hoon, Head of Operations and Marketing at TikTok Korea.
The theme of the third day will be ‘New Technology in the Content Market’. Topics include live talks on ‘IP Returns to our Side’ by writer Lee Hyun Se and Jaedam Media, ‘Business POINTS of AI Technology’ by Gaudio Lab CSO Chon Sangbae and 3 others, and a lecture on ‘Frame Expansion leading Potential Reality’ by Sam Lawton, producer of ‘Expanded Childhood’.
‘Webtoon Job Festa’ to resolve job market woes
Webtoon Job Festa is an event designed to resolve the difficulties of finding jobs in the comics and webtoon fields and to contribute to the sustainable growth of the industry. Content companies engaged in the webtoon IP business and job seekers wishing to work in related fields gather together to foster talent and promote networking among stakeholders through 1:1 consultations and briefing sessions.
One-on-one consultations will be held on- and offline with recruiters from about 80 companies, including KidariStudio, Munpia, Jaedam Media, Toyou’s Dream, and Daoncreative. Representative works of participating companies and portfolios of job seekers will also be displayed. A separate talk concert will be held with authors Kang Full of ‘Moving’ and Yoon Tae Ho of ‘Misaeng’.
KOCCA Director Jo Hyunrae says, “K-content, which is loved by people around the world and exported all over the world, has reached a point where a new leap forward is needed for greater growth.” “We will strive for continued development and growth of the content industry by seeking ways to foster expansion,” he added.
