Netflix's "K-pop Demon Hunters" is classified as a "film" on the multinational online streaming service, but it is not legally a "film" under Korean law. Under the current Promotion of Motion Pictures and Video Products Act, the term "film" is limited to works released in theaters. Content in the same movie or drama format carries different labels depending on its distribution channel, creating disparities in government support and regulation. To address this inconsistency, the government is preparing a plan to redefine and integrate all visual content under a single framework.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (headed by Minister Choi Hwi-young) said it held the "2026 First Broadcasting and Visual Content Leaders Forum" on Tuesday at the HJ Business Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, together with the Korea Creative Content Agency. About 20 experts in broadcasting, visual content and film attended the forum, which focused on "the need for legislative improvements regarding visual content promotion."
Hwang Seung-heum, a professor at Kookmin University who delivered the keynote presentation, analyzed the current Promotion of Motion Pictures and Video Products Act and the Basic Act on Visual Content Promotion. He discussed the need for a tentatively named "Act on Visual Content Promotion" that would encompass all types of visual content — including films, broadcast content and OTT content — under a single law in response to the changing media environment.
The ministry said discussions at the forum were dominated by calls for integrated promotion and regulatory legislation led by the ministry, one that takes a balanced view of the commonalities and differences in the production and distribution methods of the film and broadcasting industries at a time when the rise of OTT platforms has blurred the boundaries between them.
