Lee: "The Strongest Global Competitiveness Comes from Local Uniqueness"... Support for Joint Production and Investment

Attendance at Film and Video Roundtable
Netflix, Motion Picture Association, Naver, CJ ENM Gather Together
"Combining Global Capital and Distribution Networks with Local Narratives... Aiming to Build a Virtuous Cycle in the Ecosystem"

During his state visit to France, President Lee Jae-myung met on the 7th (local time) with representatives from global film and video companies as well as domestic content companies and organizations, where he pledged policy and institutional support to facilitate joint production, investment, and expanded global distribution. He also shared his vision that, in order to maintain the competitiveness of K-content, a new model of cooperation integrating Korea's unique narratives and creative ecosystem with global capital and distribution networks is necessary.

President Lee Jae-myung listens to remarks by Yoon Sanghyun, CEO of CJ ENM, at the film and video-related roundtable of the Lumiere Summit held on the 7th (local time) at the Mag Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southern France. 2026.9.7 Yonhap News Agency

At the film and video roundtable held at the Mag Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, President Lee stated, "We are in an era where the most local and unique characteristics have become the most global competitive edge." Attendees from abroad included Isabell Hascky, Vice President of Global Policy & Strategy at Netflix; Emilie Antonis, Head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa at the Motion Picture Association of America; and Pierre-Antoine Capton, Chairman of the Board and CEO of France's Mediawan.

On the Korean side, the meeting was attended by Choi Sooyoun, CEO of NAVER, Yoon Sanghyun, CEO of CJ ENM, Miky Lee, Vice Chair of CJ Group, Choi Juhee, CEO of Tving, Kang Daehyun, Co-CEO of Nexon Korea, Park Joonseo, Head of Production at SLL Central; Kim Yoonji, President of the Korea Creative Content Agency; Han Sangjun, Chairman of the Korean Film Council; and Park Kwangsoo, Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival.

President Lee identified "the originality of the local" as the key reason why content from various countries, including K-movies and K-dramas, has succeeded in the global market. He explained that we are now in an era where the region’s distinctive stories and emotions resonate universally with audiences worldwide.

He further stated, "The unique narratives of each region, including K-movies and K-dramas, have continued to deeply inspire and move audiences globally," adding, "These achievements go beyond the success of individual countries and are expanding the horizons of world culture, enriching the global film and video ecosystem."

President Lee also proposed a collaborative structure that connects local creative ecosystems with global platforms and capital. "The synergy created when the originality of local ecosystems meets the scalability of global networks is the most crucial system for amplifying the success of all involved," he said.

In particular, he emphasized, "I hope that, as global capital and distribution networks combine with the promising stories of local creators, each region’s production ecosystem will be reinvigorated, thereby establishing a solid virtuous partnership that cycles back to enhance the competitiveness of global platforms."

The government also expressed its intention to support such cooperation so that it can lead to tangible joint productions, investments, and expanded distribution. President Lee stated, "The government of the Republic of Korea will spare no effort as a reliable partner to provide policy and institutional support for the global co-production and investment in film and video, as well as for enhancing global distribution capabilities."

President Jae-myung Lee spoke at the film and video roundtable of the Lumière Summit held at the Mag Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southern France, on the 7th (local time). 2026.9.7 Yonhap News Agency

The roundtable became an opportunity to concretize the "coexistence of local and global" proposed by President Lee in his opening speech into a cooperative model at the industrial site. President Lee said, "I hope that history will record our dialogue today as a deeper turning point that opened the door to the sustainable prosperity of the film and video industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.