The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) announced on the 18th the "2025 Korea Content Export Outlook," assessing the export competitiveness and potential of K-content across various sectors for the upcoming year.
The survey involved 167 content industry experts through questionnaires and in-depth interviews, covering nine industries: broadcasting, animation, games, comics/webtoons, characters, stories, music, fashion, and new technology-integrated content.
Export outlook scores were assessed on a seven-point scale, with the following results: ▲Broadcasting 2.9 ▲Animation 3.4 ▲Games 4.7 ▲Comics/Webtoons 4.7 ▲Characters 4.6 ▲Stories 4.9 ▲Music 5.5 ▲Fashion 5.2 ▲New Technology-Integrated Content 5.5. Broadcasting scored the lowest, indicating a challenging export environment.
Broadcast content faced criticism due to rising production costs and heavy reliance on global OTT platforms. The downturn in the advertising market further reduced drama production. Consequently, dramas from other countries are emerging as substitutes in major export markets such as Japan and Southeast Asia.
In contrast, the game industry is expected to maintain or slightly increase its export level due to positive factors such as China’s issuance of foreign publishing licenses and the release of new titles by domestic developers. However, intensified competition and rising marketing costs could limit significant export growth.
The music industry is projected to be ‘Clear’ next year, driven by global K-pop artists' digital music sales and expanding overseas tours. Groups like BLACKPINK, BTS, NewJeans, and others are expected to dominate, though experts warned of potential K-pop fatigue in certain countries.
Despite ongoing difficulties in broadcasting and music exports to the Chinese market due to regulatory issues, the character content sector is expected to remain popular. In North America and Japan, comics/webtoons and music exports are likely to grow, supported by stable K-pop streaming and tours.
Notably, the 60th anniversary of normalized Korea-Japan diplomatic relations in 2025, coupled with the Osaka-Kansai Expo, is expected to boost cultural exchanges and demand for K-content.
A KOCCA representative stated, "Exporting K-content is crucial for enhancing national image and driving related industry exports. We will continue to expand exports through various initiatives such as K-Expos and specialized overseas business centers."