Development of Korea's animation industry

And now it's time for our regular arts and culture segment. We just can't seem to get away from the "Frozen" flurry that seems to be taking over Korea. Everywhere I go, "Frozen" seems to have impacted life in some way or another. Just this weekend, I was eating dinner and some girls next to me were singing "Let it go" and we'll just say----they've been out of school for quite some time. It really is popular amongst all age groups. The fact that it broke the 10 million mark here is really incredible. The only other imported foreign film to have met that mark here in Korea is Avatar, and that left quite the impression. But "Frozen" is on a whole different level. Books are flying off the shelves at stores---and becoming best sellers---not to mention the soundtrack covers that are topping play lists everywhere---and it's almost impossible to find any "Frozen" gear at all. I heard that all the cool kids in school have some kind of "Frozen" paraphernalia. But I'm curious, how does Korean animation animation fare compared to international powerhouses such as Disney's "Frozen"? Korea has long been known for being able to produce high-quality animation. The content is where the industry struggles a bit. It's said that Korean animation studios lack content that can be applied to all ages. But there are a few other reasons why Korea's animation industry has not been quite as influential as say "Frozen." Let's take a look at why. Korea's animation industry is in the midst of becoming one of the world leaders in animation production. With the international success of the "Pororo" series, Korea's animation industry has been making its presence known in the global market. Along with the popular penguin, "Larva" is another Korean animation success story. Since its debut in 2011, the short, slapstick humor of two lovable slugs has been making it onto screens worldwide. Geared towards audiences of all ages, the "Larva" series has become the hope of carrying Korean animation further onto the global market. But there's a problem with the Korean animation industry. Riding on the tail-end of the Korean Wave, Korean animation is often left with very few resources. "There's no security with Korean animation. We have to support many things with our own funds. The money for animation is always decreasing, so the manpower for animation decreases as well." The problem arises with the distribution of funds. Sixty to 70 percent of funds designated for Korean television go directly into dramas. And only 10 percent is allotted to Korean animation. The remaining money is used for advertising and marketing of Korean television. The result is a lack of Korean animation in the global market, even though the talent and ability is very much present. "In actuality, we need about 30 billion dollars to go into the television fund evey year. But even if 30 billion dollars were to go into the fund, the government never inquires about the second part." In Canada, France and other developed countries, animation is recognized as an influence in the emotional development of children. Therefore funding for television is often supported. "Right now, in Korean broadcasting companies, the content for children is being looked at closely because the broadcasting culture is important to cultivate and develop for the sake of children." The demand for animation in Korea is very clearly present, seen by the response to the recent hit "Frozen." South Korea is the biggest market for "Frozen" outside of the U.S., bringing in over 75 million dollars. Korean animation has a long way to go until it catches up to some of the heavy hitters from the States, but the potential is there. Well, I'm looking forward to Korea's future in animation. But I also know that Korean animators have been part of major animation companies overseas. Korean animation is outsourced to many countries, including the U.S. But now Korean animation companies are really trying to keep everything in-house -- from start to finish. "Pororo" and "Larva" are examples of purely Korean animation, and I think there will be many more fun projects to look forward to.