Globalization, Upgrading and Regional Engagement: International Coproduction and the Korean Animation Industry in Asia

In Anthony D’Costa ed. After-Development Dynamics: South Korea’s Contemporary Engagement with Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 65-84. 2015

27 Pages Posted: 10 Aug 2015

Date Written: July 2015

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, Korea has had a keen interest in nurturing cultural industries as a new source of economic growth. Korean firms scrambled to engage in global cultural value chains and upgrade therein, and the state provided the support to help them compete globally. With the case of the Korean animation industry and its rising involvement in international coproduction, this chapter argues that upgrading challenges prompted Korean firms and the government to step up their engagement in global partnerships and that those efforts changed Korea’s relationship with Asia. A changing structure in global animation production networks, notably, the growing importance of emerging country markets and the rising localization demands of global media firms, opened a new upgrading opportunity for Korean firms in the form of international coproduction. The chapter highlights how successful participation in international coproduction required Korean firms and policymakers to build new types of capabilities. Now, firms need to bolster their creative, marketing and distribution resources, and the state is mandated to arrange international treaties to facilitate cross-national collaboration. Simultaneously, Korean firms’ engagement in international coproduction has redefined Asia as a source of finance, talent and market, which further advances regional integration in the post-industrial sector.

Suggested Citation

Lee, Joonkoo, Globalization, Upgrading and Regional Engagement: International Coproduction and the Korean Animation Industry in Asia (July 2015). In Anthony D’Costa ed. After-Development Dynamics: South Korea’s Contemporary Engagement with Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 65-84. 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2639992

Joonkoo Lee (Contact Author)

Hanyang University ( email )

School of Business
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Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
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