Korea, Republic (South)

Several high-end TV series and films touched down in South Korea in 2024 to make use of its on-location sites and its infrastructure. The list includes Frederik Solberg’s South Korea-Denmark co-production Hana Korea, which filmed in September and October 2024, Taiwan-South Korea co-production Niko from Julien Birban Levy, and Malaysia-based Darryl Yap’s Seoulmeyt. Net­flix’s The Recruit chose South Korea for its season two storyline, and XO, Kitty returned for its second season. 

Liz Brandenburg, producer on XO, Kitty, says a big draw is the experienced crew base, as well as availability of equipment. “Almost all of the same gear or similar that we would expect in North America can be found in Seoul,” she says. “We bring a few filters and lenses but most of the cameras and G&E [gear and equipment] packages we rent locally.”

While the local crews’ experience is a boon to productions, it can also create challenges. “Korean crews are not used to filming television episodically,” says Brandenburg. “K-dramas are all shot by one director, more like a movie. But we were easily able to explain how the system works and tailor our staff to episodic.” 

XO, Kitty filmed its second season from April to June 2024, and used about 200 South Korean crew, plus construction and office staff. “We only brought 16 US department heads/AD staff, and the rest of the crew is Korean,” confirms Brandenburg. The producer also notes that when budgeting a project, “some departments, such as set dec and construction, are contracted on a per project basis. The construction companies will bid the builds inclusive of the labour.” 

Language barriers can present a challenge. “Another thing the team here wasn’t used to doing was saving and storing sets for the next season,” says Brandenburg. “Our construction co-ordinator does not speak English, so it took a lot of explaining and translation but they did a great job.”

Filming in a city like Seoul has its logistical complications, “but the team here is very used to it,” says Brandenburg. “We’ve been able to film in popular, dense neighbourhoods like Seongsu, Itaewon and Gangnam. Partner with a [local] production services company from the very start. They will guide you through the process and help throughout the entire shoot. It can feel daunting to be here at first, but Korea has been an incredibly welcoming country to film in.”

For those looking to co-produce specifically, Hana Korea producer Sara Stockmann says: “It’s always a good idea to do some research and ensure the local producer has experience in co-productions. We did a lot of research before we found the right partner.” Hana Korea used Seesaw, which helped to secure funding from Seoul Film Commission’s Location Incentive.

Grant Torre, producer on Anderson .Paak’s feature K-Pops!, also credits the 85-strong South Korean crew with making its weeklong shoot in May 2024 a smooth process. “With such a robust industry existing in South Korea, they were pros and understood the constraints of filming an independent film around Seoul to get as much production value as possible,” he says.

The country’s locations incentives are complemented by dynamic landscapes ranging from cutting-edge skyscrapers to traditional houses seated against mountains, seas, rivers and fields, along with a solid local film and broadcasting industry. 

There are diverse landscapes, cultural heritage sites and other modern cities within two hours of Seoul, connected by the KTX high‑speed rail.

South Korea has four distinct seasons, though summer humidity hovers around 80%, and half of the country’s annual rainfall happens at the end of July.

South Korea has several studios, including the Netflix-leased facility in north Seoul, and there is a variety of production service companies such as Nine Tailed Fox (XO, Kitty). “Infrastructure is very solid, the stages are top notch, but production offices tend to be small with few private offices,” says XO, Kitty producer Liz Brandenburg.

Crews are “dedicated”, says Hana Korea producer Sara Stockmann, who employed 50 local crew via Nine Tailed Fox. “They were very professional and welcoming on all levels,” she adds. “They did their utmost to find creative solutions, even when our ambitions collided with a limited budget.”

South Korea covers 100,000 square kilometres; its capital Seoul is easily accessible via the country’s two international airlines. There are diverse landscapes, cultural heritage sites and other modern cities within two hours of Seoul, connected by the KTX high‑speed rail.

“Be aware of the traffic,” warns Stockmann of Seoul. “It can be horrible, and you can spend hours stuck in traffic jams. This can be tiring and time-consuming if the production requires frequent location changes.”

First contact: Sumin Seo, Korea Film Commissions & Industry Network seo.sumin@kfcin.or.kr