Vice Chairman Yan Chongguang: "Korea-China Animation Exchanges Will Expand Through Co-production and AI" [2026 BCWW]

[Financial News] "Cultural exchange is the link connecting the two countries, while industrial cooperation is the process of turning that connection into tangible results. We are optimistic about the future of industrial exchanges between Korea and China and believe they will become even more active."
Yan Chongguang, vice chairman of the Shanghai Animation Industry Association, offered this outlook on cooperation between the Korean and Chinese animation industries on the 16th at the 2026 Broadcast Worldwide (BCWW).
The Shanghai Animation Industry Association organized a delegation of animation and gaming companies from Shanghai to participate in BCWW for the first time this year. It also held an exchange event with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and the Korea Animation Industry Association under the theme, "Drawing IP with Wisdom · A Shared Future—Global Innovation Cooperation on Korea-China Animation IP through AIGC."

Yan said, "The goal of this participation is to introduce China's outstanding animation works to the Korean market and turn cultural understanding and trust into tangible industrial cooperation. We want to establish a foundation for close cooperation between the Korean and Chinese animation industries in the AI era by sharing AI models, production tools and production experience."
This visit to Korea is an extension of content-industry exchanges between Korea and China that began in 2024. Starting with talent development and industry exchange events, the two associations pursued mutual visits by companies and launched a joint project last year to promote cooperation in talent, technology and IP. With the visit by the Chinese delegation, the exchanges have expanded into two-way cooperation aimed at exploring entry into each other's markets.
He noted, "Korea and China are geographically close and share many cultural similarities, creating a foundation for Chinese animation to reach Korean audiences. Korea has a mature distribution and international operations system, allowing it to influence buyers across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world from Seoul." 
He added, "Because BCWW brings together companies and buyers from across the content industry, including animation, gaming, streaming, VR and AR, screenings and business consultations can be conducted in one place. It is both a gateway for cultural exchange between the two countries and a channel for turning industrial cooperation into tangible results."

A concrete result has emerged: the entry of new Chinese animated films into Korean theaters. Dreamfact Entertainment, a Korean film production and import company, has secured the Korean rights to Journey to the West: The Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain and The Weaver Girl: Children of the Stars and is preparing to release them in South Korea. 
Members of the association and its partners participated in the production and investment of the two films, while the Shanghai Animation Industry Association connected them with a Korean rights partner. Released in China in August last year, Journey to the West: The Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain set the highest box-office record ever for a Chinese 2D animated film. It is a 2D animation that reinterprets the world of the Chinese classic Journey to the West from the perspective of nameless little monsters.
The Weaver Girl: Children of the Stars, released in China in July 2024, is a 3D CG animated film that retells the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend, widely passed down across East Asia, as a modern fantasy action story.
Kim Hak-jung, CEO of Dreamfact Entertainment, said, "Journey to the West: The Little Monsters of Langlang Mountain drew approximately 45 million moviegoers in China and set the highest box-office record among all Chinese 2D animated films. It also topped the box office in Vietnam, surprising local film-industry officials."
Regarding The Weaver Girl: Children of the Stars, he said, "The visual quality is so high, and it has both fun and emotional impact, that it makes you wonder whether Chinese animation has really reached this level."

The Shanghai Animation Industry Association prominently promoted the Korean releases of the two films at the BCWW venue. It displayed Korean-language posters and promotional materials at its booth and showed footage from the films at the forum. The aim was not only to introduce the works to Korean audiences but also to expand the possibility of subsequent rights sales to overseas buyers and sales agencies attending BCWW.
Yan said a theatrical release in Korea could serve as a verifiable 'overseas track record' for entering international markets. He explained that box-office performance and audience response built in Korea could increase confidence when distribution rights are sold in other countries and lead to follow-up businesses such as character merchandise, IP licensing, remakes and adaptation development.
Meanwhile, the two associations plan to develop one-off exhibitions and exchanges into long-term industrial cooperation by pursuing the creation of joint research labs, an IP resource database and a talent exchange system. Their goal is to build a mutually complementary cooperation structure by connecting not only Chinese IP with the Korean market but also Korean IP and technology with the Chinese market.
Yan said, "The industries of the two countries have many areas where they can complement one another, and platforms for regular exchanges are gradually taking root. In particular, cooperation between Korean and Chinese companies involving AI models and production tools, as well as the joint creation of content using AI, will continue to grow."
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter