Issue Focus

The rising global popularity of K-content, including films, dramas, and music, has enabled South Korea to achieve its highest-ever surplus in the music and video copyright sectors in the first half of 2024. According to the Bank of Korea's intellectual property trade statistics, the intellectual property trade surplus reached $140 million during this period.
Specifically, the surplus in music and video copyrights hit a historic high of $610 million, significantly contributing to the overall intellectual property surplus of $1,340 million. The widespread export of Korean content through foreign online video platforms was a major driver of this growth.
This positive trend has allowed the cultural and artistic copyright sector to maintain a surplus for the ninth consecutive half-year, marking its second-largest surplus ever after the second half of 2022. Strong performances in research and development, software copyrights, and extensive trade with countries like China and Vietnam have further bolstered this growth.