K-Content IP: 11 Contracts and Agreements in Europe and China, 860 Export Consultations

[Financial News] Korean content companies held 860 export consultations and signed 11 on-site contracts and memorandums of understanding at licensing trade shows in Europe and China. The partnerships aim to expand content intellectual property (IP), including characters, into local products and services.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 30th, the ministry and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) operated Korean pavilions at the 2026 Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), held in London, UK, from the 6th to the 8th, and the 2026 China Licensing Expo (CLE), held in Shanghai, China, from the 21st to the 23rd.
Ten Korean companies participated in BLE and 25 in CLE. Across the two events, the value of consultations totaled about $33.62 million, while potential contract value came to about $16.6 million.
At BLE, held at ExCeL London, 405 export consultations took place. Potential contract value was about $9.59 million, up 113% from the previous year. Three on-site contracts were signed, including licensing brokerage and agency agreements involving Roi Visual and K-Vision.
At CLE, held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the number of consultations reached 455, up 43.5% from the previous year. Potential contract value was about $7.01 million. On-site contracts and memorandums of understanding increased from four last year to eight this year.
Soop signed a licensing agreement with Retail Monster to commercialize Komipang stationery products in China. Ocon Studios reached an agreement with a local Chinese company on exclusive master licensing of character IP and business operations.
According to research by Licensing International, worldwide sales of licensed products and services totaled $389.8 billion last year, up 5.45% from the previous year. The entertainment and character sector accounted for $161.8 billion, or 41.5% of the total.
Last May, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA also operated a Korean pavilion at the 2026 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, USA. They plan to continue supporting engagement with local buyers so that Korean content IP can expand into products and services in overseas markets.
Choi Seong-hee, the MCST’s director general for content industry policy, said, “Combining Korean content intellectual property (IP) with various industries to create new added value is important for the sustained growth of the content industry.”

[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter