The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Minister Choi Hwie-young met with Charles Rivkin, chairman of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Seoul branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of May 25, where they discussed ways to strengthen close cooperation in the film and video industries between Korea and the United States.
According to the ministry, Rivkin said during the meeting that content reflecting Korean culture, such as "KPop Demon Hunters," singer Blackpink, and "Squid Game," is gaining popularity worldwide.
In response, Choi said the MPA has played a significant role in helping Korean cultural content gain widespread affection, and that he hopes for continued active exchange. He also agreed on the need to invigorate "film and video location projects" set in Korea to sustain the spread of K-content, and said the ministry plans to expand its location support program to increase demand among large overseas production companies for filming in Korea.
The two sides exchanged views on the sustainable growth of the over-the-top (OTT) industry, including the impact of holdbacks on the film industry. Choi called for continued interest and cooperation from the MPA and its member companies in finding ways to improve distribution structures for the mutual development of the entire film industry.
Rivkin said the MPA and its member companies would actively participate to ensure the success of the "Lumiere Summit," to be co-chaired by Korea and France in September this year.
The two sides also agreed on the need to protect the copyright of creators and users amid rapid changes in the film industry driven by AI and OTT, and decided to communicate to create a smooth digital exchange environment, including content copyright protection, the ministry said.
