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The New Korean Wave Is Animated

The nation's animation was an undisputed star at the Asia Animation Conference, part of the Asia Media Festival 2005 in Singapore. The conference ended Friday at the Shangri-la Hotel.

At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, which drew around 200 companies from 40 countries, Lee Boon Yang, Singapore's minister for information, communications and the arts, hailed Korean animation, which is being featured in a special showcase event. Right next to the main venue, the Acacia Ballroom, eight Korean animation companies had set up booths and were showing off their work to great acclaim from press and buyers.

Singapore broadcaster MediaCorp was first in line to snap up a 3D health and fitness animated short titled "The Fat Snow White". Directed by Kim Jae-hyun and produced by Primpo, it will be shown on a Singaporean children's channel in January. The broadcaster even wants to transform it into a musical and go on tour with it. Animation magazine Rogue said it will now showcase more Korean work after focusing mainly on Japanese productions.

Participants said the strongest point of Korean animation is that themes and emotions have a traditional feel even as the technology is state-of-the-art.

"Korean drama and movies have succeeded here, and now it's the turn of Korean animation", an official with the Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency said. "Along with attempting a conquest of the traditional market, we are trying to open up new markets, so the outlook is bright".

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