ORBi: Promoting the European film industry in South Korea: united we stand, divided we fall? - 2026

Article (Scientific journals)

Promoting the European film industry in South Korea: united we stand, divided we fall?

Rossato Fernandes, Marina; Vlassis, Antonios

2026 • In International Journal of Cultural Policy, 32 (5), p. 778 - 794

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/349283

DOI
10.1080/10286632.2026.2661635

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Keywords :

audiovisual policy; European film industry; film co-productions; film promotion; South Korea; Cultural Studies; Sociology and Political Science

Abstract :

[en] The European Union (EU) has long recognised the artistic, economic, and geopolitical value of its cultural industries, with the European Film Industry (EFI) playing a key role in its external cultural relations. Given the South Korean film industry’s relevance in the internal and international market, it offers a valuable case for analysing the interface between European and non-European film industries, particularly in the context of the EU’s external cultural relations. This paper examines how the EU promotes European films, and more broadly the EFI, in South Korea, focusing on market performance, policy instruments, and the consistency of initiatives between the European and the national levels. Based on market data, document analysis, semi-structured interviews with European and South Korean film professionals, and participant observation at the Asian Contents & Film Market, the article provides a comprehensive analysis of the EU’s and member states’ interests and strategies in promoting the EFI in South Korea.

Disciplines :

Political science, public administration & international relations

Author, co-author :

Rossato Fernandes, Marina ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Cité

Vlassis, Antonios ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Cité

Language :

English

Title :

Promoting the European film industry in South Korea: united we stand, divided we fall?

Publication date :

2026

Journal title :

International Journal of Cultural Policy

ISSN :

1028-6632

eISSN :

1477-2833

Publisher :

Routledge

Volume :

32

Issue :

5

Pages :

778 - 794

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10286632.2026.2661635

Funders :

EU - European Union

Funding text :

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the European Union\u2019s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101094796. This research was funded by the Horizon Europe programme of the European Union and the call HORIZON-CL2-HERITAGE-01-06 under the Grant Agreement No 101094796 (REBOOT: Reviving, Boosting, Optimizing, and Transforming European Film Competitiveness project). It does not reflect the views of the European Union.

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