[Exclusive]"Disney→Pixis, Next is Locust." Hong Seong-ho (President) and Vice President Hwang Su-jin Aim for Global Top 6 [★Research Institute] [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

[Editor’s Note] [★Research Institute] StarNews meets with individuals driving the entertainment industry, uncovering their unique know-how and success strategies. We introduce the practical experience and philosophy of those who quietly pave the way behind the glamorous stars.

'Locust, which has established its presence in the domestic animation market, is now targeting the global market. The goal is to establish itself as a new 'major studio' in the animation market dominated by global major studios such as Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks.

'Locust's confidence is based on achievements already confirmed in the global market. The animated film 'Red Shoes,' released in 2019, was pre-sold to 123 countries worldwide and eventually exported to 179 countries, demonstrating the potential of Korean animation.

'Hong Seong-ho (President)' mentioned the structure of the global animation market, stating, "Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, Illumination, and Sony currently lead the global market with essentially five studios. When thinking of the sixth studio, there is no place that clearly comes to mind yet. Our goal is to place the name of Locust in that spot."

'He continued, "Japanese studios have strengths in the adult-targeted market but cannot broadly capture the family market. We are modeling ourselves after Sony Studios, which covers both family and adult targets."

'To achieve this, Locust is preparing a lineup of approximately 20 works based on eight IPs over the next five years. Large-scale IP projects such as the sequel to 'Tale of the Nine Tailed,' 'Electronic Game Guardians,' 'Tiger Brother,' and 'Denma' will be sequentially unveiled.

'Vice President Hwang Su-jin said, "The domestic animation market is very strong in toddler content, but there has been a continuous thirst for high-quality animation targeting adults. When we presented 'Tale of the Nine Tailed,' fans reacted by saying, 'They are trying this in Korea as well.' That response became the strength to continue the sequel projects."

'The future that Locust envisions is not limited to simple quantitative expansion. Regarding the criteria for a good work, Hong Seong-ho (President) stated, "Ultimately, it must be able to provide emotion and inspiration. Although we are in the position of making commercial films, we want to convey the best possible emotions within them. Our goal is to consistently create such works."

'Vice President Hwang Su-jin also said, "If the company disappears, the know-how and IPs accumulated over time will inevitably disappear as well. Our goal is to survive in any way, continue the lineage of the IPs, and remain as a studio that is passed down to future generations."

'Recently, the Korean animation market is experiencing a new turning point as its box office share grows rapidly. Locust has expressed its ambition to grow Korean-style animation IPs into global brands within this trend. Hong Seong-ho (President) said, "As one of the companies that invests most actively in animation in the Republic of Korea, we will continue to strive to show good works."

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*This content was translated by AI.