Canadian producers are celebrating the signing of a new co-production treaty between Canada and South Korea that will make working together easier and expands co-pro opportunities to film and digital media for the first time.

The treaty replaces the MOU on TV co-production that the two countries signed back in 1995. The industry has changed a lot since then, and the new agreement contains a clearer, more flexible modern framework, according to the Canadian government. 

The Canadian ratification process involves tabling the treaty for 21 days, followed by approval from the Treasury Board. Once it’s ratified, the government org Telefilm will share the treaty on its website.

The two countries already have a reciprocal market when it comes to the creative sector. In 2023 (the most recent data available), almost half (40%) of Canada’s US$126.3 million in exports to Korea were audiovisual in nature, and South Korea imported US$112.9 million in “creative works” to Canada, according to the Canadian government’s release.

Canada has been focusing on modernizing its treaties—it signed 10 updated ones between 2016 and 2024—and prime minister Mark Carney has made no secret that he wants to turbocharge business partnerships (including screen partnerships) between Canada and other countries as it looks to diversify its business away from the US.

The kids industry in Canada welcomed the news of the treaty. Veteran Canadian producer and Nelvana co-founder Michael Hirsh, who produced animated series like MetaJets and Magi-Nation with Korea roughly 20 years ago, highlighted the value of the country’s talent. “Obviously, Korea is a great country for Canadian animation companies to partner with—great music talent, great design talent and excellent animation studios,” he said.

“The Canada-Korea co-production treaty is a major step forward for international collaboration,” agreed Sarah Haasz, creator of Pillango Productions’ Canadian/Korean series Gangnam Project. The 20 x 30-minute live-action series is about a Canadian/Korean teen who starts training at a K-pop school to become an idol. Federation Kids & Family just signed a slew of new distribution deals for the show—in Brazil, Australia, Germany, Portugal, Spain and more—highlighting that there’s a global demand for projects that bring Canadian and Korean culture and talent together. This treaty means that Canada is now in a better position to make more shows like hers, Haasz tells Kidscreen.

Her company has been talking to orgs like KOCCA (the Korea Creative Content Agency) and is exploring new co-production opportunities with Korean studios, she adds. Armed with this fresh agreement, her studio is looking to do more in the country, including finding a Korean partner and unlocking Korea’s 25% tax incentive on TV and film projects produced or co-produced by Korean companies—an incentive Gangnam Project wasn’t able to tap in its first two seasons.

“We had the pleasure of filming in Korea for Gangnam Project and had an exceptional experience working with the local crews,” says Haasz. “We’re excited to build on that foundation, shoot more in Korea and bring globally resonant projects to life.”

Photo by Daniel Bernard on Unsplash.