한일 문화콘텐츠 산업의 무역 동향에 관한 연구

초록

This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the trade trends in the cultural content industry between Korea and Japan, which has emerged as a key driver in the 21st century. To investigate the impact of the 2019 Korea-Japan trade dispute a period of political tension on cultural exchange between the two nations, the HS codes were redefined based on UNESCO's classification of cultural goods. Using customs import and export trade statistics data from 2009 to 2024, a multifaceted analysis was performed on the following aspects: 1) trends in Korea's cultural content industry's imports and exports; 2) trade trends by sector within Korea's cultural content industry; 3) trends in cultural content industry imports and exports with Japan; 4) trade trends by sector within the cultural content industry with Japan; and 5) trade trends for items categorized by 6-digit HS code. The analysis revealed that the 2019 trade dispute did not significantly affect cultural content trade between the two countries. Instead, trade volume increased by approximately 38.3% the following year, in 2020. This suggests that cultural exchange between Korea and Japan is no longer subordinate to political and diplomatic variables and has secured its own independent momentum, driven by platforms and fandoms. After 2017, cultural content trade between Korea and Japan shifted to a new paradigm. Korea successfully turned its overall cultural content trade balance to a surplus in 2022, led by the export of music CDs and DVDs (HS code 8523.49) and related merchandise (HS codes 4909.00, 4910.00) based on K-pop fandom. Conversely, Japan significantly increased its exports of gaming devices, such as the Nintendo Switch (HS code 9504.90), to Korea, based on its console game intellectual property. Consequently, the study confirms that the current trade between the two countries has settled into a complementary structure, with Korea exporting "fandom-driven music albums" and Japan exporting "game platform IP." However, this study has limitations due to the constraints of the HS code classification and the lack of trade statistics for digital content. Therefore, it is urgently recommended that a new statistical system be established to include the trade volume of intangible intellectual property and global online content, in addition to further subdividing the HS codes for physical items.

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