CANNES: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) and Korean Broadcasting Institute (KBI) have announce the first co-production partnership to cultivate local filmmaking talent.

The partnership will facilitate the production of quality made-in-Korea documentaries for global viewers. It will provide $1.2 million in filmmaking funds for 4 one-hour films, titled Korea to the World.

NGCI CEO David Haslingden says, "We are proud to be the first international factual network to partner with KBI and are delighted to expand NGCI's presence in Asia. We want to develop and bring Korean talent to the notice of our global audience in 162 countries and in 27 languages worldwide".

KBI president Gyun Yu says, "We are excited to establish this partnership with NGCI. As a renowned international television network, NGCI, provides the perfect platform for Korean documentaries to reach viewers globally".