Busan Metropolitan City Expands Filming Infrastructure Through Partnership with K-Water

Busan Metropolitan City has collaborated with the Busan Eco-Delta City (EDC) Business Unit of Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) to expand filming locations for movies and other productions. The partnership will utilize an outdoor set site spanning approximately 253,000 square meters to cater to the increasing demand for domestic and foreign film, video, and web drama production. The Busan Film Commission (BFC) will play a crucial role in attracting and supporting film production and filming, providing location support, and operating the Busan Filming Studio to enhance its competitiveness in attracting locations for large-scale domestic and foreign content.

The outdoor filming location, situated on the outskirts of Busan, was chosen for its secluded location, minimal noise disturbance, and ample space for supplementary production work. Additionally, it allows for filming on unopened roads. The Busan EDC project area, where the location is situated, is primarily intended for digital logistics and industrial development, and the first phase of construction has been completed, including the ground and roads. The remaining unsold land will be utilized as an outdoor filming site until at least 2028.

The agreement between Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Eco-Delta City Business Unit of Korea Water Resources Corporation aims to attract domestic and foreign production films and web dramas to the outdoor filming location in the Busan EDC project zone. The partnership will provide efficient filming support and facilitate institutional promotion cooperation for the filming industry.

To further expand the city's film industry infrastructure, Busan City has initiated a bid for the "OTT platform-based filming studio feasibility study and basic concept establishment service." The project aims to create a contemporary filming studio that utilizes internet video service (OTT) technology to leverage Busan's strengths as the "city of cinema" and its strategic location to existing infrastructure to develop a state-of-the-art filming studio that reflects the latest domestic and foreign high-tech trends.

According to Kim Ki-hwan, Director of the Busan City Culture and Sports Bureau, the newly discovered outdoor filming site is expected to meet the growing demand for indoor studios and locations in domestic and foreign Internet video service (OTT) series. The development of the outdoor site will help address the limited filmmaking infrastructure, and Busan City aims to make active use of the location, promote it, and offer research services for studio construction to strengthen the film industry's infrastructure.