LA Culture Center Chief Urges Hollywood Ties for K-Content Growth

Lee Hae-don advocates for Los Angeles as a strategic base, not just a market, for Korean content to achieve global competitiveness. His vision involves the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles and the Korea Creative Content Agency's Los Angeles business center acting as "core bases" to support this expansion. The aim is to move beyond quantitative growth to a qualitative leap for the Korean Wave, connecting content companies with local investors, distributors, and platforms.

The strategy centers on combining Korea's "core planning and creative work" with Hollywood's established global entertainment ecosystem. Lee suggests Korean companies can address their reported deficiencies in funding, talent, technology, and global distribution by actively learning from and using local industry know-how. This includes leveraging Hollywood for financing, global distribution, and the commercialization of intellectual property.

Lee Hae-don believes that Hollywood offers new opportunities for Korean content, citing a demand for "new subject matter, new stories, originality and creativity" that Korea can provide. This approach is intended to help the Korean film industry, which he noted is facing domestic stagnation and a difficult investment and distribution environment, to access broader business networks.

The director also observed a broadening interest in Korean culture in the United States, extending beyond pop culture to encompass traditional and everyday aspects. This expanding cultural receptiveness is seen as a favorable backdrop for the proposed "bridgehead" strategy.