Celebrating over a decade of unparalleled contributions to the global content development landscape, Laurence Herszberg, Founder and General Director of Series Mania (Festival: March 20-27, 2026), has announced that the Series Mania Forum (Forum: March 24-26, 2026) has selected the Republic of Korea as its first Country of Honour.
As such, KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency), a government organization that oversees and coordinates the promotion of the Korean content industry, along with eight additional Korean companies will be attending this year’s Series Mania Forum. The eight participating companies include: Channel A Corporation, CJ ENM, EO Content Group, KBS Media, MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corp.), SLL Joongang, Studio S, WHYNOT MEDIA.
This new Country of Honour initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the CNC and its president, Gaëtan Bruel. KOCCA and the CNC signed a Memorandum of Understanding during Series Mania 2024 in which they announced plans to promote exchanges between Korea and France and to lay the foundation for the growth of the content industry between the two countries.
As part of this new initiative, there will be a Coming Next from Korea session, prestigious speakers from the country in conferences panels, a networking cocktail, and other highlights during the event not to be missed.
The selection of Korea as the Country of Honour coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea (1886 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation). It also dovetails closely with last year’s BroadCast Worldwide (BCWW), Asia’s largest marketing event for broadcast video content, which honored France during its 25th edition in Seoul.
As of 2024, the size of the Korean content market was estimated at USD 43.169 billion, representing a 5.7% increase from USD 40.849 billion in 2023. Korea continues to rank 8th globally in terms of content market size. The popularity of K-content in France is also rapidly expanding not only through OTT platforms such as Netflix but also via traditional French broadcast channels. According to viewership data released by Netflix, viewing time for Korean content in France increased by more than 200% year-on-year.
“This will be the first time we have highlighted a country at our event, and we are thrilled that it is Korea, whose excellence and creativity in film and audiovisual production are widely recognized. This celebration is especially meaningful as it coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea. Both countries have rich histories and cultures, united by mutual fascination and a shared commitment to strengthening ties in an increasingly globalized world,” said Herszberg.
Moonju KIM, General Director of KOCCA France, said: “It is a great honor for Korea to be invited as the Country of Honour at Series Mania Forum in France. Through globally recognized Korean series such as Squid Game and Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, the Korea Creative Content Agency has contributed to the growing resonance of Korean storytelling and creative excellence worldwide. We hope that Series Mania, as one of the world’s leading platforms for series content, will further deepen mutual understanding and foster sustainable cooperation, including co-production and investment, between Korea and France. We extend our deepest appreciation to CNC, Series Mania, and all French industry partners for their invaluable support and commitment to strengthening cultural and industrial exchange between our two countries.”
