Korean Film Council (KOFIC)

Overview

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) is the South Korean government agency responsible for overseeing and developing the Korean film industry. Established in 1999 under the Film Industry Promotion Act, KOFIC administers production financing programs, maintains the domestic screen quota system, supports international co-production initiatives, promotes Korean cinema at international festivals and markets, and conducts industry research and data collection. KOFIC is the central institution through which the Korean government's commitment to developing a world-class domestic film industry is operationalized.

KOFIC's significance extends beyond its administrative functions. The agency played a meaningful role in the institutional infrastructure that supported South Korean cinema's remarkable global emergence over the past three decades -- from domestic box office dominance through the international recognition of directors including Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Lee Chang-dong, culminating in Parasite's Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020.

Screen Quota System

One of KOFIC's most significant functions is administering South Korea's screen quota system, which requires domestic cinemas to screen Korean films for a minimum number of days per year. The screen quota has been a contentious but consequential policy instrument: it guarantees Korean films a minimum exhibition presence in domestic cinemas, protecting the domestic industry from being overwhelmed by Hollywood imports and providing Korean films with the theatrical exposure needed to build commercially viable domestic audiences.

The screen quota has been reduced from 146 days to 73 days per year following negotiations with the US government in 2007, and debates about its appropriate level continue. KOFIC monitors compliance and administers the quota system, which remains a meaningful structural support for the domestic Korean film industry.

Production Funding and Development

KOFIC administers several production funding programs supporting Korean film at development, production, and distribution stages. The Korean Film Development Support program provides grants for script development. The Production Incentive provides support for feature films meeting qualifying criteria. The Diversity Film Fund specifically supports films with artistic ambition beyond mainstream commercial production. These programs collectively form the public funding infrastructure that supports Korean films that might not attract commercial financing alone.

For Korean directors working on projects with artistic ambition, KOFIC funding provides the developmental and production support that allows projects to reach completion without depending entirely on commercial investors whose risk appetite may not extend to challenging material.

International Co-Production and Promotion

KOFIC manages South Korea's international film co-production treaty relationships, supporting co-productions between Korean and foreign producers that qualify for treatment as Korean productions under bilateral treaties. KOFIC also promotes Korean cinema internationally through representation at major markets (Cannes Marché, AFM, EFM), the Korean Pavilion at Cannes, and support for Korean films at international festivals.

The Korean Pavilion at Cannes -- administered with KOFIC support -- is one of the most active national pavilions at the market, reflecting South Korea's status as one of the world's most commercially and artistically significant film industries.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international producers seeking Korean co-production partners, KOFIC's co-production support programs and its published list of Korean co-production treaty partners provide the starting point for understanding what qualifies. KOFIC-supported Korean co-productions benefit from both Korean public funding and from the international credibility that KOFIC involvement signals.

For Korean filmmakers, KOFIC funding programs represent the primary public financing infrastructure for projects that commercial studios and investors may not support. Understanding which KOFIC programs match a project's scale, subject matter, and creative ambition is essential development planning.

See Also

For the Korean directors guild that advocates for Korean directors within the KOFIC framework, see Korean Film Directors Guild (KFDC) in this directory. For major Korean theatrical distributors, see Showbox Korea and CJ ENM in this directory.