K-Musical Market Ranks 4th Globally; Calls for Research and Archives
Creatrip Team
24 days ago
At the 2026 K-Musical International Market academic forum in Seoul, Professor Hong Jung-min (Dongguk University) said South Korea’s musical market is now the world’s fourth largest after Broadway, West End, and Japan, but lacks scholarly foundations. He urged systematic collection and digitization of performance records, scripts, recordings, and stage designs to build an archive. Hong’s analysis of 947 overseas and 692 Korean musical studies found Korea focuses on fandom, industry, and production practice, while foreign research emphasizes history, criticism, and text analysis. He noted Korea’s shortage of primary archival materials and cautious data sharing due to copyright and plagiarism concerns. To raise international recognition, Hong recommended more English papers and books, international conferences, and incentives for industry participants to share materials. An accessible archive, he argued, could be monetized and serve as a gateway to introduce Korean works abroad. The forum featured domestic and international scholars and is part of the 6th K-Musical International Market, a global business and showcase platform for musical creators, producers, and investors.
