Seoul to develop world-class film

Seoul, Feb 16 (Bernama) Seoul will create a film andentertainment complex hub by 2014, aiming to promote localentertainment business and tourism, South Korea''s Yonhap newsagency quoted city officials as saying.

The city government will spend USD 151 million onexpanding the Digital Media City (DMC) in western Seoul, todevelop a cluster for the film, game and animation industrieswith a central emphasis on South Korean pop culture, known as"Hallyu," officials said yesterday.

"We will create DMC as the best Hallyu contents hub,just like America''s Hollywood and England''s Sheffield," SeoulMayor Oh Se-hoon said.

"(The project) will greatly contribute to realisingSeoul''s vision to emerge as one of the world''s top fivecities."

The construction plan includes building the world''slargest computer graphics center with three virtual studios,city-themed movie sets, pre/post production facilities as wellas promotional exhibition halls of famous Korean dramas thatare big hits across Asia by 2013.

A theme park featuring famous game and animationcharacters will be set up there by 2012, officials said,noting the city government plans to gradually create a videogame theme park in a nearby area to offer fans the opportunityto experience a fantasy world.

For the convenience of visitors, the neighbourhood willturn into an entertainment and commercial district withshopping malls, spas and hotels, officials said, adding thatthey will also prepare tourism packages mixing variouscultural experiences to attract tourists.

The research centers will also move into the complex aspart of the project to strengthen research capabilities inentertainment, information technology and design, they added.

The Seoul government expects the DMC project to create68,000 jobs and make 35 trillion won in annual sales revenueby 2015 when the media complex takes full shape.

More than 270 companies in broadcasting,movie/animation, game and IT firms have moved to the complexsince 2002 and other local major media and entertainmentcompanies plan to move in from 2015, according to cityofficials. (Bernama)