The Korean Film Council of the Republic ofKorea (KOFIC) has inked a co-operation agreement with Singapore'sMedia Development Authority for film production under the Korean-Singapore FreeTrade Agreement (KSFTA).

KSFTA, made in August this year, is Korea'sfirst FTA with an Asian country.

The new co-operation agreement was signedtoday by MDA chairman Tan Chin Nam andKOFIC chairman An Cheong Sook,who is attending the Asia Film Market in Singapore,to encourage film co-production and distribution between the two countries.

Tan believes the partnership is the startof many opportunities for exchanges in ideas and expertise between the twocountries. "More importantly, it will enable both countries to collaborate toproduce Asian content which will travel," he said.

'The co-operation agreement is the firststep to establishing a full co-production treaty,' says An. 'Singaporeis the third country that KOFIC has a co-operation agreement with a governmentagency - the other two countries are New Zealand and France. KOFIC only has a co-production treaty with New Zealand and is currently preparing one with France.'