SEOUL, November 05 (AJP) - South Korea is stepping up efforts to protect K-content overseas as industry groups seek broader emergency blocking of illegal distribution, action against pirate IPTV services and a crackdown on counterfeit K-pop goods in China, the Culture Ministry said Thursday.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the proposals would be discussed at the 10th Overseas Intellectual Property Protection Council in Seoul, bringing together seven government agencies, seven public institutions and 19 private industry groups.
The meeting comes as Korean music, television, animation, webtoons and other content reach wider overseas audiences while rights holders face increasingly diverse forms of piracy and intellectual property infringement.
Industry groups are seeking measures tailored to different types of violations.
The Copyright Overseas Promotion Association called for an expansion of the targets and scope covered by emergency blocking measures.
The Korea Animation Industry Association raised concerns over illegal sharing of animation through social media, while the Korea Broadcasters Association called for closer cooperation with pay-TV operators to combat illegal IPTV services.
The Korea Electronic Publishing Association sought stronger measures against the illegal online distribution of web novels and webtoons.
The Korea Popular Music Industry Association, meanwhile, called for investigations into counterfeit and imitation K-pop merchandise in China and follow-up support based on the findings.
Government agencies will also present their respective approaches to overseas infringement.
The agenda includes measures against illegal content distribution, protection of Korean brands abroad, diplomatic responses to intellectual property violations and faster handling of cases requiring international legal cooperation.
Police will also discuss cooperation with Interpol through its online copyright infringement program, while trade officials will address the use of free trade agreements in responding to intellectual property violations.
The council was launched by the Culture Ministry in October 2019 as a copyright-focused body. Its scope was expanded in 2020 to cover industrial property rights linked to the broader cultural content industry.
First Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo said stronger coordination between government and industry was becoming increasingly important as infringement methods evolve alongside the global reach of Korean content.
“As K-content gains greater popularity around the world, methods of intellectual property infringement are also becoming more sophisticated,” Kim said.
He said the government would incorporate concerns raised by rights holders into its policies to better protect Korean creators overseas.
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