Gangwon Film Commission brings together 18 cities and counties for first workshop to uncover hidden filming locations

【Financial News, Hoengseong = Kim Gi-seop, reporter】As the film “The Man Who Lives with the King” became a box-office hit and visitors flocked to tourist attractions in Yeongwol County, officials responsible for attracting productions from 18 cities and counties in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province gathered for the first time to discuss ways to jointly uncover hidden filming locations.
According to the Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation on the 29th, its affiliate, the Gangwon Film Commission, held a workshop the previous day at the Kkumteul Eoullim Center in Hoengseong for officials from 18 cities and counties, with the aim of building a cooperative framework for attracting productions in Gangwon. The event was organized for the first time on the understanding that attracting productions can go beyond simply providing locations and help revitalize local economies and identify tourism resources.
The impact of screen content set in Gangwon State has recently been demonstrated in Yeongwol County. After “The Man Who Lives with the King,” set in Yeongwol County, was released, visitor numbers at major tourist attractions rose sharply, and interest in filming locations also grew. The Gangwon Film Commission says this has increased the need for systematic efforts to attract productions and cooperation among cities and counties.
The workshop began with an introduction to the Gangwon Film Commission and its support program for attracting productions, followed by an expert lecture, a Q&A session and an exchange of information. The commission outlined its key initiatives, including identifying and recommending filming locations, coordinating filming permits and providing administrative support, and building local cooperation networks. It stressed that close coordination with city and county officials is essential in supporting productions. Going forward, it plans to strengthen coordination with officials in each city and county and step up the sharing of information on new locations and permit coordination, creating an environment where production crews can film without hindrance throughout the province.
The special lecture was delivered by Kim Tae-young, CEO of Location Market and regarded as one of Korea’s first-generation filming-location scouts. His topic was “Moving Beyond Discovery to a Time of Unearthing.” Kim cited cases in which filming locations for Korean screen productions, including “The Man Who Lives with the King,” helped revitalize local communities, and suggested ways to find and use potential filming spaces hidden throughout the region. In particular, he stressed the importance of broadening the range of filming resources beyond well-known tourist attractions to include unused facilities, industrial sites and everyday spaces, and of linking neighboring cities and counties.
“This is the first time officials responsible for filming in all 18 cities and counties have joined forces to attract productions,” said HyunSang Shin, president and CEO of the Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation. “Even unused facilities and everyday spaces that have gone unnoticed can become cultural and tourism resources when captured on camera. We will work with neighboring cities and counties to uncover filming locations and make Gangwon State a place production crews seek out first.”

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter