L Murugan ends South Korea visit, pushes India–Korea ties in media, gaming and digital innovation

New Delhi: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan has concluded a three-day visit to South Korea, pitching India as a creative and digital partner across films, streaming, gaming and emerging technologies. 

The visit took place from September 22 to 24 and was centred around India’s presence at the 30th Busan International Film Festival and the Asia Contents and Film Market. 

The tour began with a roundtable on India’s creative economy and co-production opportunities, hosted by the Busan Film Commission on the sidelines of BIFF. Discussions focused on policy frameworks, financing and distribution, positioning India as a co-production hub for Korean and global partners.

At “Bharat Parv,” a WAVES and WAVES Bazaar showcase themed around Indian culture and creative enterprise, the ministry brought together over 250 guests, including BIFF chair Park Kwang-su, ACFM director Ellen Y D Kim and BFC director Kang Sung-kyu, underlining India’s cultural diplomacy push in East Asia.

In Seoul, Murugan met members of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Korea–India Parliamentary Friendship Group. Talks covered strengthening the bilateral co-production agreement, tackling piracy and content protection, and exploring cooperation in AI, blockchain and content management. A joint working group was proposed to advance media and entertainment collaboration.

Industry engagement was a key thread. The minister held talks with Krafton’s global CEO Changhan Kim, on India’s new online-gaming legislation, promotion of esports and talent development through institutes such as the Indian Institute of Creative Technology. Krafton conveyed interest in expanding investments and game-development partnerships in India. 

Meetings with The Herald Media Group, publisher of Korea Herald and Herald Business, explored editorial and content partnerships to widen cultural awareness and co-creation. 

Murugan also addressed the Indian diaspora in Seoul, calling them partners in strengthening ties and highlighting India’s digital leadership through platforms such as UPI. 

Capping the visit, Murugan invited Korean parliamentarians, media leaders and industry executives to the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa from November 20 to 28. aiming to convert engagements at Busan into concrete projects through the IFFI marketplace.