Disney Asia-Pacific Head: "Korea is a Key Market... Investment Continues"

Ultimate Goal is to Strengthen Streaming Business Profitability
"Collaboration with Korean Creators is Essential"

"Korea is an important market that possesses both the global scalability of stories and world-class production capabilities," said Carol Choi, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Original Content Strategy for The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. At the '2024 Disney+ Content Lineup Media Day' held on the 12th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, she stated, "Among the top fifteen most-watched local original works on Disney+ last year, nine were Korean productions," and declared, "We will continue to invest in Korean content and the creative industry." She also reiterated, "Disney is strongly committed to creative excellence and local content production."

Since its launch, Disney+ has devoted great effort to producing Korean content, as competitors like Netflix have found great success there. EVP Choi emphasized, "As we have confirmed the appeal of Korean content not only in the Asia-Pacific region but also in many other countries, it is important to establish collaborative relationships with various Korean creators." She added, "The fact that Korean content first gained popularity in the local (Korean) market is fundamental," and expressed confidence that "if it is well-loved in Korea, it will survive overseas as well."

The ultimate goal is to strengthen the profitability of the streaming business, viewing investment in Korean content as the catalyst. Kim So-yeon, CEO of Disney Korea, said, "Disney+ aims to take a step further as a sustainable growth business in Korea and establish itself as a service integrated into consumers' daily lives," adding, "We will prioritize offering carefully selected, high-quality local content to resonate with Korean viewers."

The most anticipated original work internally this year is Samshik-i Samchon. It is a drama set in the 1960s starring Song Kang-ho, along with Byun Yo-han, Lee Kyu-hyung, and Jin Ki-joo. Pokgun, directed by Park Hoon-jung and starring Cha Seung-won, Kim Seon-ho, and Kim Kang-woo, as well as Gangnam B-Side, starring Jo Woo-jin and Ji Chang-wook, generated buzz even before production began. Additionally, Jomyunggage, scripted by writer Kang Full; Jibaejong, starring Ju Ji-hoon and Han Hyo-joo and centered on cultured meat; and Trigger, featuring Kim Hye-soo as an investigative reporting team leader, are all scheduled to air within the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.