Sales revenue of animation industry South Korea 2021, by industry

In 2021, the production sector of the animation industry in South Korea posted a sales revenue of around 588.8 billion South Korean won. This made it the most successful industry sector, followed by distribution, which generated sales worth about 145.7 billion won. Overall, the South Korean animation industry made a sales revenue of roughly 755.5 billion won that year.

South Korea’s animation landscape

Capitalizing on their supportive role in international productions as well as the rise in popularity of domestic productions, production companies made up the majority of active businesses in the South Korean animation industry. Most of these businesses were located in the capital city of Seoul as well as the surrounding province of Gyeonggi. Between 2015 and 2021, the industry experienced a 29.4 percent increase in employee numbers, most of whom were likewise employed in the production sector.

Animation imports and exports

While South Korea also imports animation, most notably from Japan, the total import value in 2021 only amounted to around 8.5 million U.S. dollars. In contrast, exports of Korean animation in the same year amounted to over 156.8 million dollars. North America was the most popular destination for Korean animation, with nearly 40 percent of exports heading to the continent. South Korean animation studios have long established themselves as reliable producers for high-profile international animation productions, playing a role in many well-known American cartoon series and films such as “The Legend of Korra.”