Korea Creative Content Agency

Association

19 documents

Korean government agency for creative content industries. Publishes the Game Industry White Paper, Games Monitor, and esports data.

Documents

Report

2024 Netflix’s Growth Strategy and Investment Trends in the Korean Market

The analysis evaluates Netflix’s strategic expansion and capital allocation within South Korea’s online video market, emphasizing how subscription‑driven revenue and localized content investment shape the company’s growth trajectory. By charting financial performance from 2019 through 2024, the study demonstrates that Netflix’s streaming revenue in the country surged from roughly 175.6 billion won to 898.3 billion won, a more than five‑fold increase that underscores a robust market penetration. Over 99 % of this income derives from direct user subscriptions, indicating an extremely concentrated revenue structure with minimal reliance on ancillary business lines. Revenue growth exhibits a distinct phase pattern: the most pronounced acceleration occurred between 2020 and 2022, followed by a period of steadier, moderate expansion through 2023 and 2024. This temporal dynamic aligns with a parallel escalation in content spending, where annual investment in Korean productions rose from 15 billion won in 2016 to a peak of 550 billion won in 2021. Notably, 2020 alone saw an outlay of approximately 333 billion won, reflecting Netflix’s intensified focus on locally produced dramas and films to attract and retain subscribers. The scope of the assessment is confined to the South Korean streaming sector, covering the years 2016‑2024 and drawing on secondary data from Statista, DART filings, and Korea Eximbank. The methodology relies on quantitative trend analysis of disclosed revenue figures and investment amounts, enabling a clear view of how subscription reliance and targeted content funding have jointly propelled Netflix’s market foothold in Korea.

investment streaming market-analysis+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

2024 E‑Sports Viewership and Engagement Trends in Korea

The analysis aims to map current e‑sports viewership and engagement patterns among South Korean audiences, highlighting how consumption devices, platforms, and motivations shape the market and indicating the potential for offline event conversion. Findings reveal a sharply concentrated viewing environment: personal computers account for 38.2 % of primary devices and mobile phones 35.9 %, together representing 74.1 % of usage, while laptops, tablets and televisions capture smaller shares. Platform preference is even more centralized, with YouTube commanding 78.5 % of respondents, far ahead of SOOP (14.1 %) and CHZZK (7.2 %). Regularity of consumption is high; 38.5 % of participants watch e‑sports 1–2 times per week and 20.4 % watch 3–4 times weekly, meaning at least 58.9 % engage at least once a week. Weekday sessions cluster around one hour for the majority, whereas weekend viewing extends, with 22 % spending two hours on weekdays and 28.6 % doing so on weekends; longer sessions of five hours or more occur for 4.7 % of weekday viewers and 8.1 % of weekend viewers. Motivational drivers are dominated by entertainment and self‑improvement: 62.1 % watch because the game is fun, 41.9 % seek to enhance their own gameplay, and 37.5 % cite stress relief. Additional reasons include boredom or free access (27.3 %), support for specific players (22.1 %), and social bonding with friends or coworkers (8.6 %). The survey, conducted between June and August 2024, sampled 1,858 South Korean e‑sports viewers aged ten and older, with data supplied by C&I Research and the Korea Creative Content Agency. A clear majority—62.7 %—expressed willingness to attend live e‑sports events, while 26.9 % remain undecided and 10.4 %

market-analysis player-demographics esports+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

2024 Professional Gamer Workforce and Career Structure in Korea

The analysis aims to map the composition, demographics, career trajectories, and income streams of South Korea’s professional e‑sports workforce, drawing on Statista surveys conducted between June and November 2024. It covers domestic players across major titles, Korean competitors active in overseas leagues, and the age, tenure, and earnings profiles of a sample of 138 active professionals, providing a snapshot of the industry’s structure during the current competitive season. Domestic data identify 361 professional gamers, heavily clustered around four titles: League of Legends (58 players), Valorant (56), PUBG (54) and PUBG Mobile (48). Smaller but notable presences include Rainbow Six Siege (37) and Eternal Return (32). Internationally, 372 Korean e‑sports athletes were reported competing abroad, with League of Legends accounting for 169 participants and Overwatch 2 for 108, while StarCraft II, Valorant and other games each contributed fewer than 30 players. Age distribution reveals a predominance of young adults, as 37.7 % fall within the 22‑24 year bracket, followed by 29.7 % aged 25 and older, 23.9 % aged 20‑21, and 8.7 % under 19. Career length shows a polarized pattern: 29.7 % have six or more years of experience, while the

market-analysis player-demographics salary+2

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

2024 Analysis of Short-Form Video Usage Patterns and Platform Preferences in Korea

The analysis examines how South Korean users consume ultra‑short video content, focusing on platform preferences and viewing behaviors between 2021 and 2023. It demonstrates a rapid shift toward videos of 15 seconds or less, with the proportion of viewers favoring this format rising from 19.7 % in 2021 to 53.2 % in 2023, indicating a strong market demand for bite‑sized entertainment. Survey data collected from 1,883 internet users aged 15‑59 who had watched online video in the preceding week reveals distinct consumption patterns across TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. In 2023, TikTok users watched an average of 15.4 short videos per session, outpacing YouTube Shorts (11) and Instagram Reels (10.6). Content preferences also diverge: humor and gag videos dominate on both YouTube Shorts (48.2 %) and TikTok (40.5 %), while TikTok shows a higher appetite for restaurant‑related (35 %) and challenge‑type (24.5 %) clips, and YouTube Shorts leans toward entertainment (39.1 %) and everyday‑life themes. The study’s scope is national, covering South Korea’s digital‑savvy population within the 15‑59 age bracket over a three‑year period. Methodologically, the findings derive from two primary surveys: a Statista‑sourced panel of 1,883 respondents (2021‑2023) and a separate 5,000‑person sample collected in February 2023 by a Korean business newspaper, both administered online via Opensurvey platforms. The combined data set provides a comprehensive view of short‑form video consumption trends, highlighting TikTok’s leading role in session volume and the growing prominence of ultra‑short formats across the Korean market.

market-analysis player-behavior south-korea+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

2024 Financial and Fan Support Structures in Korean eSports

The analysis examines the financial scale of Korean e‑sports organizations and the patterns of fan support, drawing on a longitudinal budget survey (2015‑2023) and two 2024 public opinion polls conducted across South Korea. It targets professional teams, the broader e‑sports audience aged ten and older, and the period from the mid‑2010s through mid‑2024, providing a comprehensive view of market growth and consumer behavior. Budget data reveal a steady expansion, with total team expenditures rising from roughly 22.1 billion won in 2015 to 111.6 billion won in 2023—a near five‑fold increase over eight years. The most recent year alone saw a 15.9 % jump from 96.3 billion won in 2022, underscoring accelerating investment in the sector. These figures originate from C&I Research and are based on the Statista “Pro gamers in South Korea” survey. Fan engagement remains modest: among 2,000 respondents surveyed between June and August 2024, only 35.3 % reported supporting a specific professional team, while 64.7 % did not align with any team. Of the 706 supporters who identified a favorite, T1 commanded an overwhelming 78.2 % share, with the runner‑up Gen.G attracting just 5.4 % and all other teams each receiving under 2 % of votes, indicating a highly concentrated fan base. Motivational analysis shows that personal affinity for players drives support (48.6 %), followed by a positive perception of the team’s image (41.4 %). Interest in tactical or skill‑based aspects accounts for only 9.2 % of the rationale, highlighting the primacy of player appeal in shaping loyalty. Overall, the sector demonstrates robust fiscal growth, yet the majority of the audience remains unaffiliated with specific teams, and fan allegiance is heavily skewed toward a single dominant organization. Player popularity emerges as the key lever for deepening fan commitment and expanding market participation.

market-analysis south-korea player-behavior+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

2024 Analysis of OTT Usage Patterns and Content Consumption in Korea

The analysis evaluates South Korean over‑the‑top (OTT) video consumption, aiming to map content preferences, usage intensity, gender‑based viewing patterns, and drivers of subscription cancellation. It situates Korean OTT behavior within the broader online video market, drawing on multiple surveys conducted between June 2023 and November 2024 and covering a combined sample of roughly 3,200 respondents ranging from teenagers to adults in the 20‑59 age bracket. Domestic dramas emerged as the leading content category, capturing 48 % of viewing share, closely followed by OTT‑produced originals at 45 %. Gender differentials were pronounced: 67.1 % of female respondents reported watching dramas compared with 41.5 % of males, while males favored entertainment programs (58 %), news (33.1 %) and sports (35.2 %). Overall engagement was high, with 81.7 % of users streaming at least once per day and an additional 16.3 % accessing services weekly, indicating entrenched daily consumption habits. Cancellation motives clustered around cost and content scarcity. Sixty‑one percent of respondents cited the burden of usage fees as the primary reason to terminate a subscription, and 51 % pointed to a perceived lack of worthwhile content. Secondary factors included fee increases (31 %), limited viewing time (19 %), and the conclusion of favored series (18 %). These insights derive from data supplied by MezzoMedia, Gallup Korea, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Information Society Agency, and the Korea Creative Content Agency, employing structured questionnaires administered over defined survey windows. The findings underscore the importance of affordable pricing and fresh, locally resonant programming for sustaining OTT growth in Korea.

market-analysis south-korea streaming+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2024

Report

Interview with Game Expert at Line Studio: Japan Market Insights

**Market Insights: Japan** *Prepared for Korean Game Developers & Publishers* *Date: March 2026* --- ## Executive Summary Japan’s mobile gaming ecosystem is undergoing a rapid shift. While heavyweight, long‑session RPGs once dominated the charts, lighter‑weight genres—puzzle, strategy, and simulation—now account for roughly **30 % of all downloads**. At the same time, **39 % of Japanese gamers are already active on two or more platforms** (iOS, Android, console, PC), opening fertile ground for cross‑platform titles and ecosystem‑wide monetisation strategies. Korean “sub‑culture” games have captured a disproportionate share of this evolving market. Collectible RPGs such as **Blue Archive** and **Goddess of Victory: NIKKE**, together with the MMORPG **Lineage W**, resonate because they blend **moe‑style character designs, high‑polish visuals, short‑session playability, and tightly localized narratives**. Success in Japan now hinges less on raw production values and more on **deep cultural localisation, storytelling that aligns with Japanese sensibilities, softer monetisation cues, and design that respects short‑session habits**. Empowering local Japanese partners to co‑create content, operations, and marketing is essential. The most promising near‑term opportunities are: * **AAA‑grade mobile RPGs** with cross‑platform integration (mobile ↔ console ↔ PC). * **Casual or hybrid titles** that combine low‑barrier gameplay with collection‑progression loops. Conversely, **sports** and **Web3** genres face high entry barriers due to entrenched local preferences and regulatory uncertainty. Sustained growth will require **long‑term IP stewardship, fan‑centered brand building, and continuous alignment with Japanese user preferences**, rather than relying solely on technical excellence. --- ## 1. Market Landscape – From Heavyweight RPGs to Light‑Weight Genres ### 1.1 Shift in Genre Preference - **Download Share (Q4 2025):** - Puzzle/Strategy/Simulation: **≈ 30 %** - Traditional heavyweight RPGs (e.g., turn‑based, open‑world): **≈ 22 %** - Collectible/Idle RPGs: **≈ 18 %** - Other (social, casual, AR): **≈ 30 %** - **Drivers of the shift** 1. **Time‑scarcity:** Japanese commuters and office workers increasingly favor games that can be enjoyed in 5‑10‑minute bursts. 2. **Platform diversification:** With smartphones as the primary device, developers are optimizing for quick load times and low‑memory footprints. 3. **Monetisation fatigue:** Players are gravitating toward titles that reward skill and collection rather than pure spend‑to‑win mechanics. ### 1.2 Multi‑Platform Play - **Cross‑platform adoption:** 39 % of gamers regularly switch between at least two devices (e.g., mobile ↔ console, mobile ↔ PC). - **Implications:** - **Data continuity** (cloud saves, shared progression) is now a baseline expectation. - **Cross‑play events** and **seasonal

market-analysis player-demographics monetization+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content Agency