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Korean gov't partners with BBC, Viu in global K-content push

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 10:42 Updated: 16 Apr. 2025, 11:15

Still from the second season of Netflix's hit series ″Squid Game″ (2021-) [NETFLIX]

The Korean government is teaming up with British broadcaster BBC Studios and Southeast Asian streaming platform Viu to support Korean media content production to make the next leading K-content for a global audience.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (Kocca), marks BBC Studios’ second consecutive year of participation. Viu is joining the project as a new partner, according to Kocca on Wednesday.

Selected production companies will collaborate with global platforms to produce new content, with the goal of releasing it in 2026 through their respective broadcasting partners. The program will provide end-to-end support from coproduction and investment to programming, distribution through global streaming platforms and expanding joint IP ownership, with a 4 billion won ($2.79 million) budget set for the project.

This year, Kocca and Viu will jointly support three drama or non-drama projects with a combined investment of 3 billion won. The selected works will be released exclusively on Viu.

The remaining one billion won will be allocated for a coproduction with BBC Studios in the non-drama category, with a focus on travel, exploration, natural history and science documentaries. One project is expected to be selected and will be broadcast across Asia through BBC Earth Asia and BBC Player.

As part of the ongoing initiative, Kocca has already selected a food documentary highlighting Korean seafood, tentatively titled “Twelve Seas” in collaboration with BBC Studios. The show features celebrity chef Edward Lee and actor Ryu Soo-young. The documentary is currently in production and slated for release in 2025.

Kocca plans to hold an online information session in April to provide details about the program. A representative from BBC Studios will join the session to speak directly with local production companies.

Applications for the initiative are available until May 2. Details on how to apply can be found on the Kocca website.

“This project offers Korean production companies a valuable opportunity to coproduce and distribute content with globally recognized platforms,” said Park In-nam, head of Kocca’s broadcasting and video content division. “We’ll continue to offer multifaceted support to help our creators expand into global markets in a stable and sustainable way.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]