The Broadcast Media Telecommunications Commission said on Tuesday it will invest a total of 7.2 billion won in an "AI and digital-based broadcast programme production support" scheme to back 20 productions.

The commission and the Korea Communications Agency also held a briefing session on the programme on Tuesday.

The scheme covers 5 areas across 3 categories: AI-based broadcast content designed for overseas expansion (drama and non-drama series), documentary overseas expansion (K-DOCS), and AI-based public interest broadcast content.

In the overseas expansion broadcast content category, it will provide up to 1.0 billion won for 4 drama series and up to 400 million won for 4 non-drama series. In the documentary overseas expansion category, it will provide up to 150 million won for 2 productions. In the public interest broadcast content category, it will provide up to 280 million won for 10 productions.

Eligible applicants include domestic broadcasters and online video service (OTT) operators. At least 20 percent of the subsidy per project must be budgeted and spent on AI or digital technology use. The documentary overseas expansion category does not mandate the use of AI technology, considering production characteristics.

This year’s designated long-form themes for the public interest category were selected as "the 150th anniversary of Kim Gu’s birth" and "Korean society in the AI era". The public interest category must also produce audiobooks and audio-description broadcasting for the visually impaired.

Last year, 21 productions were made under a programme worth a total of 7.7 billion won, and funded titles "Taxi Driver 3" and "Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung" ranked first in terrestrial TV ratings in their respective time slots.

Applications will be accepted via the e-Naradoeum system until 2 p.m. on March 9.

Commission Chairman Kim Jong-chul (김종철) said, "We will actively support production innovation using AI and digital technology so that it can raise the quality of our country’s broadcast content and lead to overseas expansion results."