Culture ministry, YouTube discuss stronger cooperation on K-content growth

The culture ministry said Monday that First Vice Minister Kim Young-soo met YouTube Vice President Kim Woo-jin in Seoul to discuss closer cooperation on South Korea's content-creator ecosystem and K-content's global growth.

At a morning meeting at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Kim Woo-jin said YouTube had helped drive K-content's global reach, with overseas viewing accounting for 30 percent of total watch time on Korean YouTube channels. "YouTube will continue to actively support Korean creators so they can exert influence in global markets and create economic value," he said. Kim also said YouTube would work to provide safe, appropriate content for all viewers, including young people.

The discussion covered the future of the new-media video-content sector, including YouTube videos and short-form video. They agreed its continued growth called for promotion-focused policy and closer cooperation, with innovation and growth taking priority over regulation. The two sides also pledged to strengthen communication and cooperation so the content-creator industry can grow as a pillar of the K-content ecosystem.

"YouTube has played a major role in helping Korean content creators work across diverse fields and in bringing K-culture to the world, and I hope there will be active exchanges going forward," Kim Young-soo said.