Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hui-young, who is visiting India with President Lee Jae-myung, met with Indian film industry officials on Tuesday to discuss joint growth of the two countries' cultural and creative industries, a day after attending a K-pop competition together.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Choi met with major figures from the Korean and Indian film industries at the Korean Cultural Centre India in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon (Korea time) to discuss ways to revitalize film industry exchanges between the two countries. "This meeting was arranged to broaden the horizons of cooperation and elevate cultural exchange between the two countries by combining the industrial capabilities of India, known as the world's largest film-producing country, and Korea, a global content powerhouse," the ministry said.
The meeting also featured a signing ceremony for the co-production of a Korea-India joint film titled "Amor" (working title). Korean production company Flixoven and Indian production company Studio Shakti will co-produce the film, aiming to begin filming in September.
Flixoven previously co-produced the Netflix original film "Seoul, Again" with an Indian production company, achieving major success including the No. 1 spot on Netflix India and No. 1 in Netflix's global non-English film category.
At the meeting, the Korean side included Minister Choi, Korean Film Council Vice Chairman and film director Yang Yun-ho, Flixoven CEO Lee Hyo-jin, and CrossPictures Vice President Nam Jong-woo. The Indian side included Studio Shakti CEO Radha Krishnan, director Girish Gopalakrishnan, Bombay Berlin Film Production CEO Ramba Alpi, and producer Chaudhary Nikhil, who explored cooperation plans together.
"This meeting will serve as a starting point where the creativity and industrial capabilities of the two countries combine to create new synergies," Minister Choi said, according to the ministry. "Korea and India will solidify the foundation for cooperation to create more success stories that resonate with people around the world, transcending borders and cultures."
Earlier on Monday, Minister Choi attended the K-pop competition "K-Dream Stage," hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre India at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi. The event was also attended by Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of President Lee Jae-myung, and Park Jin-young, co-chairman of the Committee on Popular Culture Exchange.
"I have long known about the Indian people's love for K-culture, but seeing so many gathered here waiting for the event with such anticipation fills my heart," Minister Choi said. "You will become living witnesses to the scene of cultural exchange between Korea and India at close range."
First Lady Kim Hye-kyung said in her congratulatory speech, "You will be the main players creating a new flow of global popular culture, including India and Korea. Culture has the power to connect people beyond borders. I hope that through this time, the friendship between the two countries will become deeper and wider."
Participants competed in singing and dancing to music by Korean artists including IU, aespa, and RIIZE. The winning team received prize money and round-trip airline tickets to Korea. The event was hosted by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, who appeared in the Netflix series "Squid Game," with idol groups XIKERS and UNITE performing celebratory stages.
According to the ministry, the Korean Cultural Centre India has held an annual K-pop competition since 2011. Tuesday's event was conducted in a champion-of-champions format, with three teams each in the vocal and dance categories advancing to the finals from among winners over the past five years. The venue, with a capacity of 3,000 seats, was packed with local K-pop fans.
