Smart media industry creates jobs

Lately, audition programs like “K Pop Stars” and “Superstar K” are very popular. Young contestants in their teens and 20s aspire to become professional singers. What these contestants have in common are talent, a pioneering spirit and creativity.

Similar to these auditions, the government encourages and assists young Koreans with ideas, pioneering spirit and talent to start their own businesses. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced a smart media industry promotion plan, and one-person creators with creative ideas would be nurtured as “power creators.”

Young people are familiar with smart media like smartphones, tablet PCs and smart TV and have technology acceptance. Boundaries in smart media are relatively low and can be distributed globally, and the government actively supports youth startups. It is a promising industry with great potential. Moreover, Korea has world-class network infrastructure and smart device-related capacities. Also, the Korean Wave has shown the ability to create content. Smart media could be a blue ocean for young entrepreneurs and creators.

In order to nurture competent smart media content creators, systematic support is necessary, just as television audition contestants are developed and supported by professional agencies in order to boost their value. Moreover, it is important to establish infrastructure to allow expensive smart media to be used conveniently.

The government has opened the Smart Media Innovation Center in Hongdae, where young people gather. Here, test beds to develop technologies related to television applications and interactive broadcasting content are provided. Moreover, it is a space for creators to resolve their issues through exchange programs between developers and the smart media industry, a mentoring program and training workshops.

When similar facilities are expanded nationwide, it will greatly help smart media related technology and content industries. When illegal distribution of media creative work is eradicated and legal distribution is vitalized, the smart media industry will become a stage of passionate challenges, create new jobs and be a key future industry.

by Kim Myong-ryong, Director of the Korea Communications Agency