Series Mania Forum has chosen the Republic of Korea as its first-ever Country of Honor, bringing a prestigious delegation of Korean entertainment companies to the industry event taking place from March 24-26 in Lille, France.
In recent years, Korea has maintained a strong presence at the event, with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) leading a delegation of eight companies to the forum. These companies include Channel A Corporation, CJ ENM, EO Content Group, KBS Media, MBC, SLL Joongang, Studio S, and Whynot Media.
Laurence Herszberg, the founder and general director of Series Mania, announced the Country of Honour designation, acknowledging Korea’s significant contributions to global content development. The forum is part of the larger Series Mania Festival, which runs from March 20-27.
This initiative has received support from France’s National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC) and its president, Gaëtan Bruel. KOCCA and CNC previously signed a memorandum of understanding during Series Mania 2024 to promote France-Korea exchanges and enhance bilateral content industry growth.
The programming for the Korean focus will feature a “Coming Next from Korea” session, Korean speakers participating in conference panels, a networking reception, and various other events.
The designation of Korea as the Country of Honor coincides with the 140th anniversary of France-Korea diplomatic relations, dating back to the 1886 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation. This honor reciprocates France’s recognition at BroadCast Worldwide last year during its 25th edition in Seoul, Asia’s largest broadcast content marketing event.
The Korean content market reached $43.1 billion in 2024, reflecting a 5.7% increase from the previous year. Korean content viewership in France has grown significantly on platforms like Netflix, as well as on traditional French broadcast channels.
Moonju Kim, the general director of KOCCA France, highlighted the agency’s role in promoting Korean storytelling globally through series like “Squid Game” and “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.” Kim expressed hope that Series Mania will deepen mutual understanding and foster cooperation between Korea and France through co-production and investment opportunities.
Series Mania, based in Lille since 2018, has become a premier television series event, attracting over 108,000 spectators to its festival and 5,000 professionals from more than 75 countries to its forum. With 84 exhibitors and 25 international delegations, Series Mania continues to be a leading platform for series content worldwide.
