Ministry of Culture and Tourism With strong government support, Korea's game industry plans diversification of markets and overseas roadshows are lined up for 2006 With the Korean government showing keener interest in nurturing the country's burgeoning game industry, a Game Industry Division was recently established for the first time within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT). The establishment of the Game Industry Division reflects the necessity to coordinate Korea's game policy on the whole, such as arcade games, in helping smaller game publishers make inroads into overseas markets, preventing online hacking from abroad, and countermeasures to cope with illegal reproduction, etc. from China. Kim Sang-ug, Director of the Game Industry Division, MCT, who underscores that the Division's establishment is timely, says in an interview with the Korea IT Times that the Division will lay emphasis on easing unnecessary regulations for domestic game publishers or the industry to make inroads into global markets, mentioning that the Division is planning to support them in securing domestic demand markets and producing more diverse games. As a preferential priority project in 2006 New Year, Kim explains that the goal of the Game Industry Division is first of all to promote diversification of overseas markets, pointing out that to sell Korean-made games in international markets, contents have to be above all excellent. The Director pointed out that the introduction of Korea's online games, the cutting edge of Korea's game industry, is insufficient abroad, adds that in that respect, the Game Industry Division is planning all sorts of overseas explanation meetings, overseas roadshows, and matchmaking networks next year, in cooperation with KOTRA, etc. to help the world markets become better acquainted with the high standard of Korea's game industry. In conjunction with the opinion that the focus of Hallyu (Korean wave) is moving from the movie to the game industry, Kim cautions against a backlash or a negative point of view about Hallyu, noting that in that regard, the role of the government side is to prevent such negative point of view arising. He further proposes that Hallyu has to develop in a direction of changing Korea's image by coating Korea's traditional culture and tourism etc. on the culture industry, like the game industry. Concerning the state of things by each market, Kim analyzes that India is somewhat early for domestic online game to make inroads there and China is actually a very difficult market, since China is a country that does reproductions well. The Director especially elaborated on the real state of affairs in China, pointing out that China raises invisible trade barriers as the country puts foreign game publishers under an obligation to collaborate with Chinese counterpart by all means when they attempt to make inroads into China or foreign game publishers must overcome perplexing regulations there. In regard to the illegal reproduction problem in China, Kim said that the Korean game industry must exert efforts to protect their own contents, adding that China's illegal reproduction problem is not a short-term problem solution. The Director concluded his interview by emphasizing the importance of nurturing human power as well, explaining that game business circles are expressing discontent over the lack of sufficient skilled workforce.