[Anchor]

K-content, including K-pop, K-dramas, and films, continues to demonstrate an overwhelming presence on the global stage. However, the intellectual property (IP) industry, which expands this content into merchandise and other services, still has a long way to go.

Reporter Kim Gyeong-hui has the details.

[Reporter]

A massive crowd has gathered at a Pokémon pop-up store set up in Busan.

Starting from a game released in 1996 and expanding into animation and character merchandise, Pokémon is cited as a prime example of successfully expanding a single piece of content into multi-industry businesses.

Various attempts are also being made in South Korea to nurture global intellectual property, or IP, just like Pokémon.

K-pop stars are actively rolling out related merchandise alongside music and albums.

[Park Sang-wook / Gwanak-gu, Seoul: I already own all the dolls, but when I heard that various types of merchandise were coming out, I rushed right over.]

Domestic animation characters such as Pororo, Baby Shark, and Catch! Teenieping are expanding beyond merchandise into experiential industries such as performances and exhibitions.

Low-budget content, including social media webtoons, has also recently been spotlighted in the IP industry.

Starting from emoticons, they are knocking on overseas markets by joining hands with various industries such as cosmetics, food, and stationery.

[Park Mi-na / Director at a Licensing Company: (In the IP industry) there used to be a notion that an animation was a prerequisite, but nowadays, it seems to be driven by fandoms following what they love.]

[Heo Ji-an / Seodaemun-gu, Seoul: After a exhausting daily routine, I can heal while reading things like Instagram webtoons, and there is this emotional resonance that characters like dogs and cats give you...]

While South Korea's content market size has risen to 8th in the world, the content IP industry remains at 17th.

To enhance competitiveness in the global content IP market, which reaches the 1,200 trillion won range, the government is supporting collaboration between small and medium-sized content creators and large distribution and manufacturing companies, while also carrying out networking reinforcement projects.

Because the content IP industry requires large-scale capital, joint investment systems that consider IP expansion from the planning stage—much like Japan's "production committee" system that made the production of the animated film Demon Slayer possible—seem necessary.

(Photojournalist: Jeon Jae-hyun from KNN, Video Editor: Shin Se-eun, Designer: Seo Seung-hyun, VJ: Oh Se-gwan)