Twenty Years of Indie Music: Current Status of Related Policies Status and Support for Advance Into Global Music Scene

Global Hallyu Issue Magazine

Hallyu Now

2017 – 7+8 vol.19

Global Hallyu Issue Magazine

Hallyu Now

2017 – 7+8, vol.19

● Published by: KOFICE

● Publisher: Youngjin Kwak (KOFICE Chairman)

● Editor in Chief : Deok Jung Kim (KOFICE Secretary General)

● Editor: Sang Hyun Nam, Ah Young Kim, Seol Li Ryu, and Mi Rae Seo (KOFICE Research Team)

● Inquiries to: KOFICE Research Team

Tel. +82.(0)2.3153.1786 Email. [email protected]

Hallyu Montage

Indie Contents in Depth

Zoom 1 Twenty Years of Indie Music: Current Status of Related Policies Status and Support for Advance into Global Music Scene

By Yang Seung-gyu, Gyeonggi Content Agency Senior Researcher - Movement of Indie Music Leading Changes in Music Culture - Cases of Korean Indie Music's Advance into Overseas Music Scenes

Zoom 2 Overseas Advance of Korean Independent Films: Cases and Strategies

By Kim Dong-hyeon Seoul Independent Film Festival Committee Head

- Potential of Korean independent Films Demonstrated at International Film Festivals - Indie Film Distributors Pioneer Overseas Markets - Monumental Films from to

Zoom 3 Era of Indiepocalypse and Unique Identity of Indie Games

By Lee Jeong-yeop Soon Chun Hyang University, Department of Korean Culture Contents

- Korean Indie Games Go Overseas - Aiming at Multiplatform: Turtle Cream's <6180 the Moon> - Matching between Game Theme and Platform: Somi’s

① Twenty Years of Indie Music: Current Status of Related Policies Status and Support for Advance into Global Music

Scene

Yang Seung-gyu, Gyeonggi Content Agency Senior Researcher

1. Movement of Indie Music Leading Changes in Music Culture It has been twenty years since Korean indie music equipped itself with a creation and distribution system, and now, it is not anymore a cultural phenomenon limited to the Hongdae (Hongik University) area, which has been a stronghold of indie bands, and has far-extended influence and greater value. Korean indie music currently plays a complementary role in its relationship with mainstream music, in a harmonious coexistence. The prejudice that indie music hardly achieve commercial success has also long gone. The actual change in the music market, that is, an environment where music is generally consumed in the form of digital music rather than records, and through various new media, has positive effects on the activities of indie musicians. The small-scale performances that maintain an "analog" value in this consumer market based on digital music are recognized as a point of contact where Indie musicians and music consumers can meet and directly communicate with each other. In addition, the performances of indie musicians are increasing in quantity compared to the time when buying musical records was regarded as a decent way of consuming music. The popularity of indie music among the general public has been also maintained and expanded as the Korean indie scene has produced many star bands through appearances in various TV and radio programs. Indie musicians are also recognized for their values as they have fresh images that are differentiated from those of the idol bands made by

large entertainment management agencies or the musicians who have become known through audition programs. In addition, the base of indie musicians, which was once limited to the Hongdae area, is also expanding. Although the gentrification phenomenon1 has taken place, the hubs of indie musicians have been extended from the Hongdae and Sinchon area to Daehangno Street, Itaewon, and other areas in Seoul, as well as all cities of Korea including Gwangju, Busan and Daegu. Indie musicians active in these various regions have promoted their performances and music using new media including YouTube. Unlike past Korean musicians who have gone through various trials and errors for advance into the global music scene, the current media environment provides musicians with opportunities to make their music “a born-global content.” Furthermore, the growing popularity of indie music and expanded performance culture are creating complementary concepts such as "Korean Wave in non- idol category" or "K-Pop in terms of diversity," and producing many Korean indie musicians who turn up trumps in overseas music scenes, which proves the potential of Korean indie labels. The past 20 years demonstrate that Korean indie music and musicians have not set a fad, but a trend that has led changes in music creation and consumer cultures.

２. Cases of Korean Indie Music's Advance into Overseas Music Scenes The presence of Korean indie music in the global music scene began to remarkably increase starting from the mid-2000s. Of course, the Korean underground bands that were active in the 1980s, had also made various attempts to enter the overseas music scenes with experimental music and individual networks. However, the mid-2000s was a crucial period when the cornerstone was set for the establishment of the current Korean indie music system and its progress, in that during this period, the advance of Korean indie music to foreign markets was pushed forward not through the conventional entertainment management system, but through an independent and autonomous indie music system, and promotional marketing was also carried out within non-institutional circles. In this process, Korean indie musicians took lessons from the failures of the heavy metal bands that had sought to enter

1 This is a phenomenon in which a depressed old urban center is revitalized and the inflow of the middle class or higher class replaces the existing low income residents. The process of gentrification is related to the suburbanization of large cities. As a city develops, the suburbanization process in which the resident population spreads from the central city area to the surrounding areas progresses. In this process, the suburbs are developed with the concentration of capital, while the areas close to the urban areas turn into depressed areas where low-income residents who cannot afford to move to the suburbs live. Governments and local governments may lead redevelopment projects to revitalize these areas or in some cases, development companies interested in low rent may develop the areas in cooperation with landowners. There are also cases that these areas are revitalized as artists who have gathered in the areas in search of affordable working space develop various activities. (Source: Doosan Encyclopedia)

overseas music scenes in the late 1980s. These heavy metal bands active from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s focused on releasing licensed records in the local markets. Sinawe's fourth full album and Black Syndrome's second full album were released through a Japanese record label Toy’s Factory, but their commercial achievements were not great. Black Syndrome and Blackhole sought to release their albums in Europe, but their plans foundered due to failed negotiation with local partners. The major reasons why their attempts ended up in failure are as follows: First, the bands enjoyed only short-lived golden days (due to military enlistment, disagreement among members, economic difficulties, etc.). Also, emphasis laid only on album releases in the local markets caused the lack of the systematic planning and implementation of local promotional activities centering on the performances of the bands.

The cover arts of Sahara and Jeremy’s full albums. The two bands gained popularity in Japan and Taiwan in the early 2000s.

In the early 2000s, the music of the bands like Sahara and Jeremy resonated with rock fans in Japan and Taiwan. They engaged in album promotional activities as well as performances and concerts and this led to the expansion of their overseas fan clubs. Since then, the marketing method of carrying out regular album activities overseas has become common. The period when various genres based on rock music went abroad was also in early 2000. Crying Nut and No Brain were included in the lineup of the Fuji Rock Festival in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Although their participation was a one-off thing, it was enough to draw attention to the advance of Korean indie music into the global music scene. In 2003, Gum-X entered into a contract with Toy's Factory, and started actively engaging in promotional 6

activities including album releases and performances based on glocalization. The case of this band provided a good model for indie musicians and planners of Korean labels who had struggled to grow bands' influence and make inroads to overseas music scenes in the non-idol music category. Since 2005, the global marketing environment has greatly expanded, and the way in which indie musicians have solidified their presence in the global music scene has also dramatically changed. They began to utilize music service platforms such as Apple Music, including online-based domestic sound service platforms, and release their albums and promote their performances and concerts through social media platforms. This saved them the cost of operating communities for overseas fans. In this born- global business environment, the GMC Record became the first Korean label to establish an online digital music distribution system through iTunes in 2008. Also, in the same year, with the founding of the Seokyo Music Labels Association (SMLA), a group of indie labels based in the Hondae area, the activities of indie musicians entered a new phase. Indeed, from this period onwards, the indie musicians focusing on the release of digital music rather than albums and small-scale performances started to emerge, which led to the expansion of the Korean indie scene and the revitalization of indie music.

Clockwise from left to right are Galaxy Express, Kiha and the Faces, Bolbbalgan4, and Guckkasten.

Since 2010, policies related to Korean indie music have included born-global projects to support indie musicians in securing genre-wide diversity and overcoming marketing limitations in the narrow domestic market. With the expansion of the indie scene, various genres including modern rock, instrumental, emo-core, reggae, and hip-hop have drawn good responses at home and abroad. Bands such as Galaxy Express, Guckkasten, the Black Skirts, Broccoli You Too, Kiha & The Faces, Bolbbalgan4, Hyukoh and 10 cm, have presented various concepts of music that satisfy different tastes of the public based on diversity in genres and individuality unique to each band. During this period, TV and new media began to search for new stars in the indie scene, and in the process, the dichotomous view of separating idols and “musicians” settled in the popular music scene. The current indie scene has been clearly incorporated into the mainstream music system through the exchanges of indie musicians with mainstream entertainment management agencies, the establishment of sub-labels, and large-scale concerts led by indie labels and musicians. In these conditions, indie musicians are actively performing and leading the popularization of indie music. And at the heart of this trend was the SMLA. In the environment mentioned above, this group also expanded its area of activities. From 2010 to 2012, the SMLA held the Seoul-Tokyo Sound Bridge four times and strived to promote exchanges between the indie musicians of Korea and Japan. Also in 2012, it hosted New Wave in Seogyo, a showcase concert to discover new talented indie bands three times, and in 2013, it held concerts such as Tupyohaerak and We Want Gonggam (against the elimination of EBS TV music program for indie musicians, "Space Gonggam”), and organized MU:CON, an indie music fair. Since 2014, the association has participated in international music conferences and festivals such as the SXSW (South by South West) and the Liverpool Sound City Music Festival with MU:CON organizers and member labels. These activities of the SMLA played a pivotal role in cultivating the base of the current indie music scene and in driving the progress of domestic popular music. The regularization and an improved systematization of the SMLA’s activities create expectations towards the further growth of Korean indie music from a long-term perspective beyond the increase in its economic value.

Zandari Festa 2016 (left), Seoul-Tokyo Sound Bridge 2011 (right) Meanwhile, there have been a number of cases of the successful advance of Korean indie music in overseas music scenes through the government's support projects. Actually, Korean indie music has been better received in foreign countries. The band 57, which took the second place at the Indistance- Together Race, an audition program co-organized by the related government organization Gyeonggi Content Agency and CJ E & M's Mnet, was invited to music festivals held in the UK and other European countries and toured the region for two months. MU:CON, which is run by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, has been established itself as an international music fair since its launching in 2012 and is now operated as a popular music exhibition where various domestic and foreign musicians and music companies participate. The fair operates various programs including a conference of major musicians in the world, showcases, network construction among global business partners and business matching. In particular, the MU:CON Choice program that directors of the global music market, famous producers, and sponsors at home and abroad select musicians and support their advance into foreign music scenes has served as a channel that helps indie musicians who want to reach global stage. Through this program, bands such as Nell, Glen Check, Idiotape, Jambinai, Old Man and Woman Riding Stella, and Kiha & the Faces made inroads into international fans. In particular, Jambinai is one of the bands that benefited the most from this networking program. It has toured 14 countries, performing at different international music fairs and festivals including the World Music Expo (WOMEX), the world's largest music exhibition, the SXSW, the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, the 9

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in the US and the Glastonbury Festival in the UK. Of course, there is still controversy over the MU:COM Choice's criteria for the selection and evaluation of musicians. However, in the Korean music industry environment where a stable profit structure is hardly secured with market sales alone, aid through public funds should be recognized its status as a sustainability support project for social welfare effects. In addition, the Asia Pacific Music Meeting (APaMM) and the Zandari Festa of the Ulsan World Music Festival, which take the form of a music exhibition, also assist indie musicians’ overseas advance through various support programs and networking. Through these programs, in 2016, Korean indie bands were invited to the Primavera Sound Festival in Spain, one of the world's premier music festivals; while the band Danpyunsun and the Sailors that participated in the Great Escape 2016 in the UK received praise from The Guardian. Jambinai was also included in the lineup of this festival and selected as one of the Thirteen Teams that Showed the Best Performance. As such, Korean indie bands are attracting more attention overseas than in Korea. Indie music is now recognized as a part of mainstream, and large entertainment management agencies are also working to find and scout excellent indie musicians who are not yet well known. Of course, over the inclusion of the indie scene into huge capitalist market, there exists a worrisome point of view that it may accelerate the commercialization of this experimental and individual music, but as it also has the advantage of facilitating the music's global market entry, we should not prejudge the results that this change will bring about.

② Overseas Advance of Korean Independent Films: Cases and Strategies Kim Dong-hyeon Seoul Independent Film Festival Committee Head

The impact of the Korean Wave, which began to emerge in the early 2000s, has contributed to the revitalization of the overseas advance of Korean films, whose market had been limited to Korea. Representative Korean commercial films such as , , , and formed a significant base in foreign markets thanks to an explosive response to Korean dramas such as . However, this newly gained popularity did not extend beyond the Asian region, and advance into the Europe and the US markets still seemed to be far-off at that time. After many years, now, as of 2017, the achievements of Korean films in overseas markets are truly remarkable. In 2016, with sold in 156 countries after a market screening at the Cannes Film Festival, Korean movie exports reached the highest peak of the recent decade. The buyers of this film were still mainly Asian countries, but the rate of North American and European nations significantly increased compared to the past.2 The experience gained by Korean films should serve as leverage to pave a new way for the overseas advance of Korean independent films in the long run. This article starts in anticipation of bold steps to be taken by Korean independent films.

1. Potential of Korean independent Films Demonstrated at International Film Festivals

Korean independent films were born under specific social and cultural conditions. It is thought that Korean indie film movement started during the 1980s because it was the period when the first group of amateur cineastes was formed, and the activities such as production, screening and publishing were carried out under the banner of “movement.” At that time, filmmakers shared their common goals and experiences and dreamed of new Korean films. During the period of the heated pre-democracy movement against the military dictatorship, indie films delivered social messages and established the political and critical identity. In the 1990s, liberalism penetrated the Korean society and indie films also rapidly separated themselves from politics. Since then, there have been a great deal of non-

2 In 2016, Korean film sales showed a 82.1 % year-on-year increase (101,090,140 dollars) and sales rates per regions were 62.9 % in Asia, 24.1 % in North America, 9.4 % in Europe, and so on. See Korea Film Industry Closing in 2016 (The Korean Film Commission Industrial Policy Research Team, 2017).

political works expressing individualism amidst the changes in film production conditions and the rapid growth of popular culture. Various film festivals were founded and a new ground for indie films was built. Nonetheless, indie films have always been regarded as rebellious, political, and amateur films. What contributed to removing this prejudice was the participation of indie films in international film festivals.

In 1999, Labor News Production's were invited to the Berlin Film Festival, sparking interests in Korean films around the world. In the same year, (directed by Jeon Soo-il), which won the Woonpa Award at the 1st Busan International Film Festival, was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 50th Cannes Film Festival, and was invited to the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Afterwards, several independent films were invited to and awarded at prestigious overseas film festivals such as the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Pesaro Film Festival, proving that Korean independent films had already reached an internationally recognized level.3

A poster of and the production staff of

Recognition of the cinematic potential of Korean independent films acquired through the advance into international film festival contributed more to the formation of the domestic independent film

3 Kim, Eun-jeong. (2015). Study on Cultural Shift of the Field of Independent Film in South Korea: from Social Movement to Culture. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from RISS database. p.108. Quotation after modification.

trend rather than external expansion. Since the Independent Film & Video Makers’ Forum in 1996, many film festivals including the Seoul Independent Film Festival (1999) have been organized under the banner of "Korean indie film festival.” In addition, with the establishment of the indie film distributor Indiestory in 1998, the Korean indie film industry started to build a three-dimensional ecosystem. The elevated status of indie film through the participation in international film festivals, gave a great boost to the activities of young independent filmmakers. Their urgent goal was to revitalize Korean indie films, but the overseas expansion was also one of their major goals.

2. Indie Film Distributors Pioneer Overseas Markets

The major roles of overseas distributors are exhibiting films at international festivals, which are the first gateways to overseas expansion, and participating in the market, which is a place of business. Overseas distribution is a field that requires not only professional manpower, but also a significant amount of initial cost as separate versions of selected films that meet overseas standards and have translated subtitles. Therefore, indie films which have lower marketability were excluded from the selection of major distributing agencies. This is why it can be said that the emergence of indie film distributors gave a true sense of diversity to the overseas distribution market, which had strictly followed the exchange logic of commercial films.

Indiestory, the largest indie film distributor in Korea, has pursued the overseas distribution of Korean indie films as the main goal of the company since its foundation, establishing a team dedicated to the works related to overseas distribution. In 1999 and 2002, short films (directed by Kim Seong-suk) and (Directed by Ryu Cheol-won), respectively, were invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the second year in a row and played a pioneering role in promoting the high cinematic achievement of Korean short films overseas. Given that until the early 2000s, most of Korean indie films were short films due to poor production conditions, Indiestory's strategy of focusing on the distribution of short films was very timely and adequate. Since the participation in the Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2001, it has steadily built the basis of participating short film sales in the market every year. The feature film business, which started with the production of (directed by Lee Ji-Sang), was continuously pushed forward and led to the production of (directed by Nam Ki-woong) that became the first Korean indie feature film screened in overseas in 2003. In the same year, for the first time as a Korean film, (directed by Kim Dong-won) won the Freedom of Expression Award in the world documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival and participated in numerous 13

international film festivals. Based on this achievement, Indiestory signed a contract for the rights of this film with a North American distributor. The company continued to be in charge of distributing Korean indie films overseas in a similar manner, but it did not produce marked results that surpassed its initial fulfillment in pioneering of sales channels until it made a new leap with the production of which drew audiences totaling 3 million people in Korea in 2009, in 2011, and others.4

While Indiestory has played a leading role in introducing Korean short films to overseas countries, Cinema DAL has contributed to the systematic distribution of Korean independent documentaries. Established in 2008, Cinema DAL clearly announced its goal of overseas distribution in the beginning.5 The distribution agency has established overseas business networks by submitting lineup works to prominent documentary film festivals and participating in major film festivals. It has also distributed a lot of documentaries aiming at dealing with essential political and social issues of the Korean society such as 2014's (directed by Lee Sang-ho and Ahn Hae-ryong) and 2016's (directed by Choi Seung-ho). In 2017, the distribution agency premiered (directed by Lee Kil-bora) in movie theaters in Japan. As seen above, agencies distributing indie film have introduced Korean independent films in overseas countries with differentiated works. However, harsh conditions make it difficult for them to carry out distribution activities more actively in overseas countries. And it can be regarded that recent unstable domestic conditions such as the deepening vertical monopoly and the "blacklist incident" has automatically put a damper on their overseas distribution projects.

Regardless of the long experience of independent movie distribution agencies, the film distribution agencies targeting overseas markets as well as selling commercial movie are currently exhibiting more definite results and specialty in distributing Korean independent movies. Movie distribution agencies such as FineCut established in 2007 and M-LINE DISTRIBUTION established in 2008 started a business based on their rich experience in overseas business. Given that the Americas mainly consider commercial potential in selecting movies and Europe artistic value, the strategy of possessing a broad

4 See the brief history of Indiestory on its official web site.

5 Cinema DAL does not stay only in the Korean market. We take charge of the entire process from the entry of films to various overseas film festivals to promotional activities. In addition, we strive to attract foreign funds. We have our own list of overseas film festivals that support documentary films, and actively promote your projects and try to attract funds. See the Cinema DAL web site.

spectrum of movies is not disadvantageous at all. Such a strategy was very effective in that the discussion about independent movies can occur based on the commercial movie networks after all. FineCut's lineups include such eye-catching movies as 2008's (directed by Noh Young-seok), 2010's (directed by Jang Cheol-soo), 2013's (directed by Park Chan-kyong), 2014's (directed by Lee Su-jin). M-LINE DISTRIBUTION has a richer list of indie movies. It has a variety of independent movies ranging from hot ones to the ones that gained attention with their artistic value, such as 2017's (directed by Cho Hyun-hoon), 2016's (directed by Lee Hyun-ju), (directed by Zhang Lu) and (directed by Ahn Sun-kyoung).

3. Monumental Films from to

It is illogical to say that Korean indie films should tide over difficulties through overseas advance as the domestic conditions for its creation and distribution stay unstable. However, given that Korean films have recently formed a new trend in overseas markets, Korean indie films also need to put forth a multilateral effort into pioneering new markets. By reviewing several cases of the films that attained good results in the world market, let us look at both the possibilities and limitations of indie films’ overseas advance.

Posters of , , , that made monumental success in overseas markets.

In many ways, (directed by Byeon Yeong-ju) released in 1995 is a landmark in

the field of independent film distribution. It is the first Korean indie film premiered at a domestic theater, and also the first indie documentary film sold its distribution rights to the world market. The film is a part of a series with the same name that include two successive films: and . The whole process of distribution was led by Docu-Factory Vista, the production company of the films. Awarded at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (Ogawa Shinsuke Prize) and The Brussels International Independent Film Festival, the film series announced its presence overseas. Moreover, what attracted attention from foreign distributors was that these films are a record of the voices of living victims of Japanese military sex slavery. The series was made with overseas distribution in mind from the start of the production and its funding campaign (100 Feet Movement) also drew keen attention. Such an active distributing effort continued in foreign markets. In addition to screening in festivals and theaters, screening tours to a wide range of regions and in a full scope of categories were carried out as a part of efforts to meet more audiences. However, as these activities were led by an individual group, the production company of the films, and concentrated on an individual work, they could not form continuous and accumulated experiences of the overseas distribution of Korean indie films.6

A 2006's film (directed by Lee Song Hee-il) also considered overseas distribution from the production stage. The fact that the know-how of Generation Blue Films, a commercial movie production company, is reflected in its production makes it the first planned independent film of Korea. This film attracted the sponsorship of audiences in a manner similar to that used by , not only to fundraise production costs, but also to strategically make future fandom through the formation of target audiences. As a queer-melodrama, this film demonstrated a clear target marketing strategy in overseas markets. The film made its own headlines as it was decided to be distributed to the world market through Fortissimo,7 an international film distributing agency which had a Hong Kong branch and distributed Asian art films including Wong Kar-wai's . The case of suggests the necessity of overseas market analyse and a specific distribution strategy that matches the characteristics of each work.

6 Dongseo University Im Kwon Taek Film Archive. (2010), Korean Film Council.

7 The Fortissimo is a Dutch film distributor founded in 1991, and is no longer involved in distribution since it filed for bankruptcy in 2016.

(directed by Lee Chung-ryeol), that gathered 3 million moviegoers for after being premiered on seven screens in 2009, formed a clear turning point in the aspect of the industrial potential of Korean indie films. Since the success of this film, Korean indie films have been better received by general audiences, and social and cultural interest in indie films has much increased in the nation with the intense interest of the media that this film drew. and , which were released shortly after the success of , enjoyed the benefits of this atmosphere. is a human documentary with universal nostalgia based on outstanding broadcasting technology, and has resonated with a broad range of audiences. The film was invited to many overseas film festivals. After screening at these festivals, it was released in overseas theaters in the US, Hong Kong, China, and Japan, and won various copyright contracts. This film, which has shown strong power in the market, made a better precedent in the overseas advance of Korean indie films. A similar pattern was observed in another mega hit film (directed by Jin Mo-yeong).

The King of Pigs (directed by Yeon Sang-ho), which was released in 2011, was made as a part of the production project of KT & G Sangsangmadang, for which the core members of the Korean independent film industry have formed a production committee. The film won three awards at the Busan International Film Festival and attracted the attention of overseas programmers who participated in the festival and picked up the film for the screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Produced as an animation with a super low initial budget of 100 million won, this work features a dramatic narrative and strong social messages that is unique to the director and pioneered a new way into overseas markets for Korean animated films. In addition to a remarkable success in the global market as an individual work, it also has much greater significance as a starting point for the production of his following works , , and that renewed the highest export record of Korean films. Could the Korean film industry have achieved the brilliant success of without ? is a key case that demonstrates the potential of Korean independent films that are diverse in genre, theme, and style.

③ Era of Indiepocalypse and Unique Identity of Indie Games

Lee Jeong-yeop Soon Chun Hyang University, Department of Korean Culture Contents