Is animation, commonly called "cartoon film" in Korea, a comic or a film? The question was the focus of a recent discussion on the animation sector. Participants argued that animation requires its own systematic and independent policy.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young held the third meeting of the animation subcommittee of the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee, which reports directly to the minister, at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, discussing key issues and future policy directions for the animation industry.
"Look at 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.' Until now, we have perceived animation as content for children. Now we need animation that everyone across diverse audiences can enjoy," Minister Choi said. "Animation needs to expand further into the global market. We intend to build a support system that encompasses all of this more systematically and to secure a larger budget."
Choi added, "For animation, how artificial intelligence (AI) technology is applied can determine the outcome," noting that "it is necessary to secure talent skilled in using AI and to actively apply the technology." He also pointed out, "Single-year budget support has been an issue recently, and animation in particular is a field that requires multi-year support."
Choi also said, "Considering animation's standing, our country's film festivals need awards in this field, but there are still almost none," adding, "I have been meeting with film festival officials to make this request."
At the meeting, participants pointed out that despite the importance of the animation sector in the film market, the field has been neglected, with the Korean Film Council, the agency supporting films, no longer having a dedicated commissioner. The absence of animation awards at domestic film festivals was interpreted in a similar light. Based on last year's film box office revenue, animation accounted for as much as 26.9%. On the other hand, some explained that this is because animation is supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency.
Although this was the third meeting of the animation subcommittee of the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee, it was effectively regarded as the first. The webtoon and animation sectors had previously been operated together. However, reflecting opinions from the field that their industrial structures, production environments and policy needs differ from one another, animation was separated into an independent subcommittee starting from this meeting.
As a result, with webtoons and animation separated, the subcommittees now number 10 in total: literature, theater and musicals, classical music, Korean traditional music and dance, fine arts, popular music, film and video, games, webtoons, animation and publishing.
"In the past, we grouped it together with webtoons, but considering that the two have different perspectives, we have decided to operate them separately going forward," Minister Choi explained.
