Korea Screen Industry Hit W24tr in 2025: MPA Report Key Numbers
The Korea screen industry generated 24 trillion won — about $17.1 billion — for national GDP in 2025, according to a new MPA Korea report released April 21. The sector supported close to 300,000 jobs and produced a 2.1x economic multiplier: for every 1 billion won contributed directly, another 2.1 billion cascaded through the broader economy. The numbers answer a question K-content fans have been asking for a decade: how big is this thing, actually?
What the Korea screen industry report actually measured
The MPA Korea-commissioned Oxford Economics analysis covered the full Korean audiovisual sector: broadcast television, theatrical film, streaming platforms, and the production ecosystem behind them. Per the Korea Herald’s coverage, the core findings:
- 24 trillion won in direct and indirect GDP contribution (2025 data)
- 300,000 jobs supported, with nearly 80% at small and medium-sized businesses
- 240 indirect jobs created for every 100 direct jobs
- 2.1x economic multiplier on direct contribution
Streaming was identified as the fastest-growing segment. Television remains the industry’s backbone. Multiplex cinemas show signs of gradual recovery after the pandemic-era slump.
The report name-checked four titles as economic standouts: “Squid Game” (Netflix’s most-watched series ever), “KPop Demon Hunters” (the 2025 Halloween costume phenomenon), “12.12: The Day,” and “The Man Standing Next.” Streaming partners referenced include Netflix, Disney+, and Viki.
Why the Korea screen industry numbers matter for K-content fans
For most international viewers, the Korea screen industry shows up as individual shows discovered on Netflix or a K-pop group’s music video. The MPA data reframes it as an ecosystem — and that ecosystem is now large enough to operate at the same scale as established industries like shipbuilding or semiconductors for certain metrics.
Three practical implications for fans:
Production values will keep rising. 24 trillion won is not aspiration money. It’s active capital deployed into scripts, sets, visual effects, and actor contracts. The gap between “K-drama production standards” and “major Hollywood production standards” is closing fast — “Squid Game Season 2” and “KPop Demon Hunters” already shot at parity with mid-tier U.S. productions.
More cross-border deals are coming. When a report’s quote comes from Oxford Economics and the MPA, it’s built for export lobbying and tax incentive negotiations. Expect more country-specific streaming licenses, theatrical releases in new markets, and co-productions like the recently announced Korea-India “Amor.”
Your favorite shows are subsidizing 300,000 jobs. That’s the Squid Game multiplier. Streaming one Korean drama on Netflix contributes (indirectly and proportionally) to wages for set designers, CG technicians, catering staff, and rental-house operators across Seoul, Busan, and secondary production hubs.
What to watch for in 2026
Per MPA Korea head Urmila Venugopalan, “Korea is not simply, from our perspective, a leading market. It’s more than that.” Policy signals from MPA of this size usually precede a predictable pattern:
- New tax incentive programs in Korea (already under negotiation for 2026 budget)
- Increased streaming originals with international co-production credits
- Festival presence — expect bigger Korean delegations at Cannes, Venice, and TIFF 2026
- K-content tourism — media visitors heading to specific filming locations (Myeongdong for drama sets, Busan for film festivals)
For travelers: popular drama filming locations typically see 40–60% visitor bumps after a show trends globally. Places like Seoul Forest (featured in multiple recent K-dramas) and Daebudo’s coastal roads will likely absorb a summer 2026 wave.
The bottom line
The Korea screen industry’s 24 trillion won contribution is more than a talking point — it’s the first rigorous economic framework for what K-content has actually become. For fans planning Korea trips around filming locations, it’s permission to take the ecosystem seriously and plan accordingly. For the industry, it’s ammunition for the next funding round and tax negotiation. Track how this plays out in our Culture & Travel News section.
