President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to France, on the 7th (local time) stressed about the increasingly difficult conditions for the global film industry, saying, "It is time to pool our wisdom together to turn this change into an opportunity, not a crisis."
In the afternoon, at the Lumière Summit, an international film and video leaders' meeting held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France, the president attended and, in an opening address, stated accordingly.
The president said, "Right now, cinemas are in crisis," adding, "After the pandemic, the pattern of gathering together to watch movies has changed significantly, and as OTT (over-the-top) services have spread, the number of viewings has dropped sharply."
He then added, "With the rise of OTT, the shrinking influence of local broadcasters and content producers has also become a new challenge."
The president said that the emergence of these global OTT services has created new challenges, such as reduced influence for local broadcasters and producers. The president also noted that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are an opportunity to drive innovative change but are leaving homework such as job losses in the industry and copyright issues.
The president said, "Korea, as a key country in the global AI supply chain, will do its part to ensure that humans and AI coexist in harmony," adding, "Multilateral cooperation is needed so that more independent films can continue to be made. Korea will also be a reliable partner for independent films."
On local content as well, the president emphasized, "Korea will play a role in making the symbiosis and coexistence of local and global the first principle of the film industry."
In addition, the president said that, on the occasion of this summit, Korea and France agreed to launch the Lumière Partnership, a global film and video industry investment cooperation initiative.
The president said, "Korea and France will each invest 800 billion won and 500 million euros in the film and video industry over the next five years," adding, "I hope this partnership will be a light that shines a new future for the global film and video industry beyond bilateral relations."
Meanwhile, the president gave special meaning to this summit by referencing the "history of Korean cinema."
The president said, "2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the release of Na Un-gyu's 'Arirang,'" adding, "Parasite, which unraveled class issues in Korean society, and director Lee Chang-dong's Burning both entered the Cannes Film Festival and raised the profile of Korean cinema, and Kingdom and K-pop Demon Hunters promoted the gat, Joseon's traditional hat, and Korean culture to the world."
The president then said, "In such a year, I hope this summit, named after the Lumière brothers, the founders of cinema, will be recorded in history as a special venue that led innovation and growth in the film industry."