KCCI calls for strategies to enhance Korea's position in global intellectual property market

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KCCI calls for strategies to enhance Korea's position in global intellectual property market

Published: 18 Aug. 2025, 16:37 Updated: 18 Aug. 2025, 19:37

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A scene from the hit Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” [NETFLIX]

Korean content failed to make the list of the world’s top 50 intellectual properties (IP), highlighting the need to develop homegrown “super IP” as most profits from global hits like Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” go to U.S. and Japanese companies.

None of Korea’s IP ranked among the list of Top 50 Global Licensors, an index measuring the industrialization capacity of IP, according to a report on IP commercialization released Sunday by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

The United States dominated with 32 entries, followed by Japan with seven and China and France with two each. Sweden, Britain, Canada, Italy, Germany, Finland and Denmark each had one, while Korea had none.

The added value of global IP is enormous. The Walt Disney Company, the owner of Mickey Mouse, recorded about $62 billion in merchandise sales last year.

NBCUniversal, which owns the IP for “Wicked,” generated $17 billion, Hasbro, owner of the “Transformers” (2007-2023) series and merchandise, made $16.1 billion, and Warner Bros., which holds the IP for the character “Batman,” earned $15 billion. Together, the 32 U.S. licensors on the list generated $242.45 billion, equivalent to about 13 percent of Korea’s GDP last year.

Japan also reaps massive profits from IP such as Sanrio’s Hello Kitty ($8.4 billion) and the Pokémon Company’s Pokémon characters ($12 billion).

The report cited a lack of original IP, insufficient strategies for diversified utilization of IP and limited investment capacity as reasons behind Korea’s weakness in the field.

Tourists and citizens crowd a street in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, on Aug. 15. [YONHAP]

“With trade barriers rising, it is becoming more important to earn soft money through intellectual property rather than relying on manufacturing-centered hard money,” the report stressed.

It called for a story-driven “super IP” strategy. While the success of “KPop Demon Hunters” has fueled global interest in K-pop, gimbap (seaweed rice roll), ramyeon, hanok (traditional Korean-style house) villages, Namsan Tower, fandom culture and even shamanistic traditions, the actual profits have gone to U.S. platforms and Japanese producers rather than Korea.

Industry watchers argue that Korea must create its own “second ‘KPop Demon Hunters’” and ensure that revenue from related merchandise are not missed.

People line up to enter the National Museum of Korea on Aug. 3. [NEWS1]

“It is time to even consider enacting a ‘KPop Demon Hunters bill’ to provide comprehensive support for developing story-based super IP,” the report said.

The KCCI also proposed measures such as creating an IP sovereignty fund to counter global streaming platforms and supporting overseas IP acquisition for Korean industries.

“Back when the global market was unified, growth was possible simply by producing good products and selling them well,” said Lee Jong-myeong, head of KCCI's Industry Innovation Headquarters. “But that is no longer enough. We need to aggressively pursue a ‘lock-in’ strategy by industrializing IP in K-food and K-content to create sustained global demand.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NA SANG-HYEON [[email protected]]