South Korea signs film co-production deal with India in New Delhi

South Korea's culture minister traveled to New Delhi to oversee a film co-production signing ceremony and meet with entertainment industry leaders from both countries, the Korea Times reported Tuesday.

The deal aims to pair India's standing as the world's largest film-producing country by volume with Korean cinema's reputation for sweeping major international festivals — a combination both governments described as the basis for expanded bilateral cultural cooperation, according to the Korea Times.

Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young met with film industry figures from both South Korea and India at Korean Cultural Centre India in New Delhi, where Seoul-based studio Flix Oven signed a co-production agreement with an Indian counterpart for a joint project carrying the working title "AMOR," the Korea Times reported.

Choi described the partnership as drawing on complementary national strengths. "India exerts tremendous influence in the global content market, backed by its scale of filmmaking and creativity," Choi said. "Korean cinema, meanwhile, has swept the world's major film festivals and earned recognition for both artistic merit and commercial appeal, while K-culture is already beloved worldwide."

The "AMOR" project is slated to enter production in September, according to the Korea Times. Flix Oven is a Seoul studio that specializes in film and series development and cross-border co-productions.

The minister framed Tuesday's ceremony as the start of a longer industrial relationship. "This meeting will be a starting point for a new synergy that emerges from combining the creative and industrial strengths of both countries," Choi said. "Korea and India will solidify the foundation for cooperation to produce more successful stories that resonate across borders and cultures."

India produces more films annually than any other country by volume, while Korean cinema has gained sustained international prestige through recognition at major festivals in recent years, the Korea Times noted.

No release timeline was announced for "AMOR," but officials indicated the September production start would represent the first concrete output of what both sides described as a broader framework for ongoing film industry collaboration.