Youko's chief executive announced that Youku Tudou, China's largest online video site is partnering with Korea's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), to help up and coming South Korean filmmakers.

 During an interview, Victor Koo, Youku Tudou's chairman and chief executive, said China and South Korea's cultural similarities will make Koreans be easily accepted in the Chinese market.

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According to Koo, Korean movies and those including Chinese, will be an important trend in the future.

In addition, Youko's chief executive said the company has recently signed deals with three of South Koreas four main movie distributors, including Showbox/Mediaplex, Lotte Entertainment and CJ Entertainment, so that Youko will be able to stream Korean movies.

On Saturday, Youko signed a memorandum of understanding with BIFF organizers regarding a three year joint production, where the company will sponsor four experienced and four new Koreans and Chinese directors, who will direct movies which will be shown in the company's sites and will premier in the BIFF.

Youko will then choose the best film directed by the new directors and finance its production into a full-length film.

China has a rule regarding showing foreign films; the country has imposed a quota that only 34 big-studio foreign movies can be shown a year.

However, Beijing gave an exception to the quota for South Korean films that were produced with China, but the exception does not cover online streaming sites.

Koo refused to comment about China's state policies, but said his company had good "working relationships" with Chinese authorities.

Meanwhile, Youku's partnership with Korean filmmakers came as China increased its scrutiny of foreign films that are streamed through video sites, such as Youku, iQiyi and Sohu.

According to China's state-run media, the majority of films showed in the country have been foreign.

Tagsyouko tudou, online film