With no less than seven new pictures on its MIFED slate, Korean giant CJ Entertainment is dramatically stepping up production volume.

The stock-market traded film subsidiary of the Cheil Jedang chaebol, or conglomerate, CJ Entertainment is planning to produce as many as 15-18 films a year.

'Korean films have large and growing appeal in the domestic Korean market and we have an expanding need for product,' said sales chief Mark Yoon. 'Nearly all will have appeal to Asian buyers across theatrical, TV and home entertainment sectors, and a good handful will work well in European territories. Strongest for these markets are our action and horror titles.'

The MIFED roster is headed by Dinner Table, a psychological horror flick directed by first-timer Lee Soo-youn and with a cast headed by rising female star Jeon Jee-hyun and Park Shin-yang. The film, about a man who sees ghosts at his dinner table on the eve of his wedding, is currently in production and set for delivery in May.

Unborn But Forgotten is another horror picture which goes out on Korean release on November 15. Also with international appeal is Tube, an underground action vehicle by Baek Woon-hak, assistant director of Shiri.

CJ's hunger for product is also explained by its ongoing expansion into new parts of the entertainment chain. It is already one of Korea's top three exhibition groups and operates a general entertainment cable TV operation. Adding a number of other more specialist channels is on the cards for next year.

This week it appointed Edison Jeon, a Warner Bros veteran of 10 years, who will relocate to Seoul to oversee distribution and TV sales.