Kakao Entertainment Begins Full-Scale Film and Drama Production... Targeting Global Studios

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Kakao Entertainment announced on the 13th that it will produce more than twenty films and dramas this year and supply them to various platforms. The company is determined to join the ranks of global studios based on original storytelling and outstanding directing skills. Jang Se-jung, head of Kakao Entertainment's Video Content Business Division, said, "We are strengthening our global content competitiveness through various forms of collaboration and co-production," adding, "We will continue bold attempts and active investments to target the global market."

Kakao Entertainment has solidified a creator-centered studio system by organically combining multiple subsidiaries with production capabilities. While diversifying the portfolio of content intellectual property (IP), it has also built related systems, infrastructure, and networks to lay the foundation for growth into a global studio. A Kakao Entertainment official said, "This year marks the starting point for full-scale production of well-made content across various genres," and added, "We will strengthen our influence in the global market by securing unparalleled IP competitiveness."

In the drama market, Kakao Entertainment has already secured a certain level of influence. Recently, titles such as "Business Proposal," "Forecasting Love and Weather," "Military Prosecutor Doberman," and "Again My Life" have gained great popularity. Upcoming dramas preparing for broadcast include "Gyeongseong Creature" and "Worst Evil." The former is a creature thriller starring Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee, depicting two youths confronting monsters born from greed. The latter is a crime action drama starring Ji Chang-wook, focusing on an undercover investigation that cracks down on drug trafficking among Korea, China, and Japan.

The KakaoTV original lineup will be joined by "Marriage White Paper," "Borrowed Body," and "Aquaman." "Marriage White Paper" is a romance starring Lee Jin-wook and Lee Yeon-hee, portraying the chaotic realities that occur during the marriage preparation process of a couple in their 30s. "Borrowed Body" is a fantasy mystery starring Nam Yoon-su, Park Hye-eun, and Ryeo-un, depicting the commotion caused when high school students swap bodies. "Aquaman" is a youth drama based on the webtoon of the same name, starring Hong Seok and Jung Woo-jin.

Works released through global online video services (OTT) include "Suriname" and "Money Heist: Joint Economic Area." The former is a drama directed for the first time by director Yoon Jong-bin. It depicts a secret operation by the National Intelligence Service to capture a Korean drug lord controlling Suriname and the life-risking journey of a civilian businessman cooperating with the operation. The cast includes Ha Jung-woo, Hwang Jung-min, Park Hae-soo, Yoo Yeon-seok, and Jo Woo-jin. The latter is a remake of Netflix's "Money Heist," showing an unprecedented hostage robbery in the Korean Peninsula. The cast includes Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Yoon-jin, Park Hae-soo, Jeon Jong-seo, Lee Won-jong, Park Myung-hoon, Kim Sung-oh, and Jang Yoon-ju, with director Kim Hong-seon of "Voice" at the helm.

On the big screen, films such as "Broker," "Hunt," "Night in Paradise," "Remember," "The Match," and "Accident (working title)" are awaiting release. "Broker" is the first Korean film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, highlighting various conflicts surrounding baby boxes. The cast includes Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun, and Lee Joo-young. "Hunt" is actor Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut, portraying a National Security Planning Agency agent chasing the head of a North Korean spy ring and confronting a huge truth. Jung Woo-sung and Lee Jung-jae reunite on screen for the first time in about 20 years since "No Sun in the Sky."

"Night in Paradise" is a crime drama starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Nam-gil. It depicts the process of a brother chasing his sibling's murderer and a writer who discovers clues to the case in his novel, approaching the truth. "Remember" tells the story of an octogenarian who lost everything to pro-Japanese collaborators and embarks on revenge. Directed by Lee Il-hyung of "A Violent Prosecutor," it stars Lee Sung-min and Nam Joo-hyuk. "The Match" is a drama about the inevitable showdown between Korean Go legends Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho. Starring Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in, it is directed by Kim Hyung-joo of "The Outlaws." "Accident" is a remake of the Hong Kong film of the same name, dealing with an organization that covers up contract killings as accidents and the events that unfold when they receive a new case. Directed by Lee Yo-seop of "Queen of Crime," it stars Gang Dong-won.

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