Fran O'Sullivan: Movie potential pleases Koreans

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South Korea - which is filming some of its own blockbusters such as Antarctic Journal in New Zealand - is on the verge of signing a major incentive deal with the Government.

But the agreement is unlikely to extend to commercials for adult-rated sites, such as those shot for a Korean TV star in Christchurch this year.

Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, in Wellington last week, expects a memorandum of understanding will be signed next month.

Korean film-makers have been particularly impressed by the Kiwi-grown technology behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy and quick to capitalise on the technical advances made by director Peter Jackson's team.

"We can introduce some high technologies for movie-making," said Ban.

"Of course, we would like to have more incentives to be rendered by the New Zealand Government for tax and also some joint investment in film-making industries."

A Korean film delegation visited Wellington in June to learn about the Government's film policies and to inspect industry facilities. It included members of the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Korea Culture and Contents Agency, the Federation of Korean Industries and the Korean Film Council.

Shooting on Antarctic Journal began in Queenstown this year. The film's budget is $7.6 million, of which half is expected to be spent in New Zealand.

Weta Digital - which worked on Jackson's epic - provided technical work.

Antarctic Journal is an adventure movie which tracks the journey of six Koreans to the South Pole. It is the first full-length Korean feature film to be made in New Zealand.

The producers were attracted by this country's scenery and the world-class post-production facilities.

The Korean hit film Silmido, which includes scenes filmed in New Zealand, was viewed by one-quarter of Seoul's 10 million people and broke box office records, said Ban.

Last year the Government unveiled explicit incentives for large-budget film and television productions undertaken in New Zealand, including feature films, television movies, television drama series and mini-series.

The deal between New Zealand and Korea is expected to pave the way for co-productions which will entitle the producers to production funding from the New Zealand Film Commission and to receive the benefits of any tax incentives.

Similar deals have been struck with Australia, Britain, France, Canada and Italy.

But co-operation between New Zealand and Korea will stop short of a full closer economic partnership.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff proposed an early conclusion of a free trade agreement (FTA).

But Ban said that although an FTA would be mutually beneficial, Korea needed more time because of the "very sensitive" nature of domestic agriculture.

At last year's World Trade Organisation meeting in Cancun, a South Korean farmer committed a ritual suicide in protest at the opening of his country's agriculture to foreign competition.