- The MCST formed a government-wide consultative body on March 28 to eradicate K-content piracy

 - The MCST to announce a plan to eradicate piracy in June after hearing opinions from the industry and stakeholders

Following President YOON Suk Yeol’s order to develop government-wide measures to eradicate content piracy, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) will launch a consultative body with the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Korea Communications Commission, and the National Police Agency. The new organization convened its first meeting on March 28 (Tue).

The soaring popularity of Korean content (K-content) has been accompanied by its growing illegal distribution or piracy. Piracy continues to threaten the content industry, as evidenced by the growing number of visitors on illegal video streaming websites as well as emerging websites dedicated to illegally sharing web novels. However, globalized and advanced online environment complicate the response to these violations.

The new consultative organization has been designed as a government-wide collaborative framework to address these challenges. The organization will strengthen interministerial cooperation in eradicating K-content piracy as they investigate copyright violators, enforce the relevant laws, block access to websites dedicated to illegally sharing content, respond to violations in other countries, and raise awareness among content users while looking for institutional reform opportunities. After organization working-level meetings, compiling action plans from relevant ministries, and hearing the opinions of the industry through the “Video Copyright Protection Consultative Body” consisting of businesses and organizations in the over-the-top (OTT) streaming sector, the consultative body is planning to announce a strategy for eradicating K-content piracy by the end of this June.

According to LIM Seong Hwan, who leads the MCST Copyright Bureau, “The content industry has been the lifeline of Korea’s export front. The industry recorded an annual growth rate of 9.0% over the last five years (2017–2021).” LIM added, “Through the consultative body, we plan to develop an ambitious, proactive, and comprehensive plan to safeguard K-content copyright and keep the industry growing. We expect that safeguarding the copyright of K-content creators will also strengthen our cultural sovereignty.”