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Second ‘K-Drama in LA’ event draws Hollywood’s attention

May 14, 2015

“K-Drama in L.A.” was attended by about 100 industry representatives Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. (Korea Times)

By The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

Are K-dramas attractive enough for the world market?

The Korea Creative Content Agency — and about 100 representatives from ABC, NBC, Sony and Netflix, as well as buyers from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Colombia — seem to think so.

The second “K-Drama in L.A.” event took place inside Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Wednesday for the business forum.

Korean broadcasting stations KBS, MBC, SBS, JTBC and CJ E&M held previews of 14 K-dramas.

Last year’s event helped tvN’s “Gap-dong” and JTBC’s “Cruel City” sign contracts for foreign remakes; both “Bad Guys” and “Reply 1997″ are in the process of being brought onto American TV screens as remakes.

According to KOCCA, more than 20 million viewers flock to K-drama streaming sites like DramaFever and Viki each month.

Kim Il-joong, director of KOCCA’s Los Angeles office, said interest and demand for K-dramas in the U.S. and Central America is increasing.

The event is an opportunity for dramas to find distribution and facilitate remake deals, he said.

Since 1962, the L.A. Screenings — which attracts industry representatives in numbers up to 1,500 from around the world to conduct deals on distribution and other rights for American shows — have taken place in the city.

The arrival of “K-Drama in L.A.” is a mark of how far Korean content has come.