□ The 14th Asian TV Drama Conference, hosted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and sponsored by Netflix, will be held at Paradise City on Yeongjongdo, Incheon, from September 4 to 7.

□ The Asian TV Drama Conference, which began in 2006, is the largest international conference on dramas in Asia where writers and producers from different countries get together to discuss ways to improve Asian drama and cooperate in joint production. This year, over 200 masters of popular dramas from 10 countries including South Korea, China, Japan, and nations in Southeast Asia are set to debate under the theme “Beyond Asia to the World.”

□ On the first day, Wednesday, September 4, various side events for experts such as drama screenings, individual business meetings and get-togethers for writers and producers will be held. Starting with the Japanese dramas Kiss That Kills and I Don’t Love You Yet, popular dramas from Thailand and Romania will be screened, and cooperation beyond borders such as remakes and joint productions will be discussed during some 60 individual meetings.

□ The plenary session of the conference will be held on Thursday, September 5. Oh Seung-joon, producer of the Netflix original series Kingdom which caught people’s attention when it aired worldwide this year, will start the producers’ session under the theme “Asian Drama Industry Today.” Numata Michitsugu, director of the Association of All Japan TV Program Production Companies (ATP), will speak about the present and future of the Japanese drama industry, and You Xiaogang, chairman of the China Television Drama Production Industry Association (CTPIA), will talk about the changes that 5G technology brought to Chinese drama production.

□ At the writers’ session themed “Stories that travel across and beyond Asia,” Zhang Yuan Ang, writer of Ashes of Love, which recorded top ratings in China and 14 billion views on the Internet, and Ryota Kosawa, writer of Japanese drama Legal High, which was remade in Korea, will be presenting. In the Korean writers’ session at the end of the day, Yoo Hyun-mi, writer of drama Sky Castle, which was loved by viewers in not just Korea, but also Japan, China, Singapore, and India, will speak in detail about the initial planning of the series and the writing process.

□ At this year’s conference, big-name producers who are making strides in global markets by working with Netflix will be stepping onto the podium. Angie Chai, producer of the Netflix original series Meteor Garden, Onur Guvenatam, executive producer of The Protector, and Russel McLean, producer of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which has opened a new chapter in interactive content and has many fans in Korea, will be speaking at the special session to share their views on stories transcending borders and the future of entertainment.

□ KOFICE president Kim Yong-rak notes, “This year’s conference will be a meaningful occasion to look at the future of Asian drama from the perspectives of experts who are thriving globally. I hope this conference offers an opportunity for exchanges and cooperation among creators who are leading production sites in different countries, and let Asian drama further spread its wings to the world.”