How CJ ENM’s ‘Kitchen Soldier’ and ‘Filing for Love’ Are Rewriting K-Drama’s Global Playbook: ‘Less Made in Korea, More Made With Korea’

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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When “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” screened at Series Mania in Lille this March, Sebastian Kim was watching the audience as much as the screen. The series had been viewed internally at Korean media giant CJ ENM as a gamble.

“We viewed it as a bold and somewhat risky project, as it incorporates comedic elements that some might describe as ‘too Korean’ and ‘too raw,'” says Kim, head of the Content Business Unit at CJ ENM. What happened in Lille changed his thinking. “Compelling comedy and authentic storytelling can transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries.”

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