Korea involved in shutdown of Thai-based illegal streaming platform in landmark operation

An illegal streaming platform based in Thailand has been shut down in a joint effort by the Korean government and international organizations to protect the copyright of Korean content.

An illegal Thailand-based website, recently shut down for illegally distributing copyrighted content, displays a list of its content.[MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

An illegal streaming platform based in Thailand has been shut down in a joint effort by the Korean government and international organizations to protect the copyright of Korean content.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Thursday that it had implemented a comprehensive access block on a Thailand-based illegal streaming platform, which had distributed an estimated 6,400 videos, including Korean dramas and U.S. films.

This joint investigation marks a milestone in the content market, setting a precedent as the first case where an entire website was blocked rather than individual URLs. The effort involved international partners such as the Thai government, the U.S.-based Motion Picture Association and major Korean broadcasters like JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, alongside KBS and SBS.

This action aligns with the Culture Ministry's initiative to ban the illegal distribution of K-content, introduced in July last year, following previous actions against notorious illegal platforms like Bam Tokki and noonoo TV, which are estimated to have caused more than 5 trillion won ($3.7 billion) in damage to the industry.

“Protecting our content overseas is as important as distributing it," said Jung Hyang-mi, director general of the ministry's copyright bureau. "We will place the same emphasis on protecting our content as we do on promoting its global spread."

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]