Cultural exports jump by 9.1% in 2018, led by games

In this file photo, Kim Taek-jin, CEO of online game publisher NCSOFT Corp., gives a keynote speech in Seoul on May 15, 2018, on the anniversary of the Lineage M. [YONHAP]

Korea's exports of cultural goods jumped nearly 10 percent on year in 2018, led by games and character intellectual property (IP), a government survey showed Tuesday.

The combined overseas sales in 11 culture and entertainment sectors reached about $9.62 billion, up 9.1 percent from 2017, according to the annual content industry statistics published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The figure compares with the country's overall export growth of 5.4 percent that year.

The industries surveyed included movies, broadcasting, publishing, music, games, cartoons, animation, advertising, characters, knowledge information and content solutions.

By volume, the gaming sector was the largest cultural exporter with $6.4 billion, followed by character IP goods with $745 million. Shipments of knowledge information products came third with $633 million, followed by music with $564.23 million.

Broadcasting posted the biggest year-on-year expansion with 32 percent in 2018, followed by animation with 20.5 percent. Comics and character IP products grew 14.9 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

Imports of cultural goods totaled $1.22 billion, up 1.3 percent from the previous year. As a result, the trade balance in the sectors recorded a surplus of $8.4 billion.

Yonhap