Planning to designate Free Economic Zone... Installation of the Hallyu Experience Center and Marine Leisure Park;

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority has an idea to bring together drama production centers of domestic broadcasting stations and video industry facilities of OTT companies in one place at Mt. Eulwang's "IFUS Hill."

According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority on the 28th, they plan to designate Mt. Eulwang in Eulwang-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon as a free economic zone through deliberation by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Free Economic Zone Committee within this year.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, plans to create a video industry complex and cultural tourism complex, "IFUS Hill," on a site of 807,773㎡ at San 77-4.

Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority plans to host a drama production center for terrestrial broadcasters if the agenda is passed by the Free Economic Zone Committee.

The station's current drama production center is located in Tanhyeon, Ilsan, Gyeonggi, where the site is small and there is only an indoor set, so it is inconvenient to find out outdoor spaces and set up a set to film dramas.

Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority said the broadcasters have strong will because they can save their time and money if they open their station in IFUS Hill.

In addition to this broadcasting station, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority also plans to host other terrestrial broadcasters' drama production centers.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority also plans to attract global OTT companies' video industry facilities in IFUS Hill to grow into an Asian strategic base among the global OTT market.

Viewers have been turning to OTT markets such as Netflix, Wave, Watcha from traditional media such as newspapers and TV.

Moreover, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority is paying attention to the growing number of new global OTT subscribers as Hallyu is spreading around the world and Korean content is intensively developed.

Netflix invested about $700 million in Korea, and Korean dramas in Netflix are dominating the top 10 in Asia and have entered the top 10 in the U.S.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority is turning to the global market as well as the domestic market because of its geographical advantage in Yeongjong-do, where Incheon International Airport is located.

Currently, broadcasters discussing the relocation of the drama production center with the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority are easy to enter Mt. Eulwang, and Mt. Eulwang is close to Incheon Airport for foreign companies.

In response, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority decided to build a high-tech OTT video industry complex, a special filming studio, and a large outdoor filming site, and to have experience centers, drama exhibitions, and video production support facilities.

In addition, marine and leisure parks, entertainment complex cultural spaces, recreational resorts, waterfront street malls, residential areas, and public facility sites will be installed as tourist sites.

"At a time when the OTT market is growing globally, we will make Mt. Eulwang, a large site, the best video industry complex," said an official at the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority. "First of all, it is important for the government to designate the area as a free economic zone."

Baek Seungjae

Source : http://www.joongboo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=363483813