Livetone, the sound production studio subsidiary of Dexter Studios (206560), announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jeonju-si, widely known as the “City of Films,” and the Jeonju IT&CT Industry Promotion Agency to expand the distribution of Korean-style movie sound effects.
The agreement aims to advance the development of Korea’s movie sound effect industry by establishing a large-scale Korean-style “Film Sound Effect Sound Dam” repository and promoting sound effect distribution in the private sector. By combining Livetone’s Hollywood-grade sound production technology and expertise with Jeonju City and the agency’s specialized film policies and infrastructure, the three parties plan to accelerate the adoption of a Korean-style sound effect platform service for domestic and international film and video production.
Under the agreement, the parties will collaborate on strategies to develop the Korean-style movie sound effect industry, revitalize the sound effect platform, expand usage of distribution systems, and support the domestic and global film industry. Through these efforts, they aim to meet the growing international interest and demand for K-content, while strengthening the structured dissemination of Korean-style sound effects and enhancing the global competitiveness of Korea’s film and video industry.
Founded in 1997 and integrated as a subsidiary of Dexter Studios in 2017, Livetone is one of Korea’s leading sound production studios. Beginning with its debut project “Beat,” the studio has handled sound design and mixing for more than 330 titles across film, drama, and OTT platforms, including 14 box office hits that each drew over ten million viewers, such as “The Host,” “The Attorney,” “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” “Train to Busan,” “A Taxi Driver,” the “Along with the Gods” series, and “Parasite.”
Livetone has pioneered numerous innovations in sound technology, producing Korea’s first Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound and the world’s first 14.2-channel D-Cinema 3D sound. Its technical excellence has been recognized with major awards for sound and artistry at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Grand Bell Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, and Blue Dragon Film Awards. Most notably, for its work on Parasite, Livetone received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature at the 67th MPSE Golden Reel Awards, marking a milestone achievement for the Korean film sound industry. Most recently, Livetone became the first Korean sound studio to enter Hollywood through its participation in director Bong Joon Ho’s upcoming feature “Mickey 17.”
Building on a century of Korean cinema, Jeonju-si has declared its vision to become a “global capital of the film and video industry.” The city is advancing plans to establish a “Film and Video Industry Pentagon Belt,” drive innovation in future filmmaking technologies, foster an integrated media ecosystem, and position itself as a world-class film tourism destination. Through its collaboration with Livetone, Jeonju is expected to accelerate progress on its “K-Sound Library” initiative, a private sound distribution service currently being developed through the Jeonju IT & Culture Industry Promotion Agency, the region’s leading digital transformation institution.
Livetone CEO Choi Tae-yeong stated, “This partnership represents an important milestone that combines Jeonju’s cultural vision with Livetone’s accumulated expertise and technology. Together, we aim to strengthen the global competitiveness of Korean film and video content. Our goal is to cultivate an ecosystem where creators can achieve higher production quality using authentic ‘K-Sound,’ in other words sound effects that reflect Korea’s unique atmosphere rather than relying on foreign libraries disconnected from our environment.”
ⓒJeonju City
