Analyzing the competitiveness of Korean content industry service exports

The competitiveness of Korean content industry exports has been assessed by export volume or qualitative surveys without internationally comparable quantitative indicators, despite the ever-increasing status and popularity of Korean content in the international market. This study analyzed the export competitiveness of Korea's content industry by examining trends in market share, revealed comparative advantage (RCA), and trade specialization index (TSI) using internationally comparable data. The analysis revealed that Korea's content exports have grown steadily since 2010, achieving comparative advantage in the global market starting in 2019. Notably, the audio-visual content sector, which initially lagged in improvement compared to overall content exports, demonstrated a sharp increase in export competitiveness from 2020, solidifying its global position. Furthermore, both the service and royalty sectors showed enhanced export competitiveness, confirming the sustainable growth potential of Korea's content industry. The study provides the need to expand export policies for the content industry and develop excellent intellectual property (IP) that can be exported overseas. The study also suggests expanding indirect support policies to help Korean content gain institutional advantages in international markets, and a strategic approach to trade issues in the audiovisual services sector, which has relatively few restrictions on overseas expansion. Furthermore, we emphasize the need for a systematic approach to analyze the export structure based on detailed data to strengthen the sustainability of content exports.