Programming Profile

Diane Min, head of European content sales at South Korea’s CJ ENM, will be at Content London next week to push her new strategy for ready-mades in Europe, after opening the company’s new office in the UK capital earlier this year.

After more than 20 years of the Korean Wave, how is global demand for K-content changing?

Global demand for K-content has grown significantly, and the biggest shift is how much the geographical reach has expanded. Twenty years ago, our sales were concentrated almost entirely in Japan, China and a few Southeast Asian markets. The US market was barely on the map for us. But over the years, the demand steadily widened across regions, and today Korean dramas are sold virtually worldwide.

What started as a regional wave in Asia has evolved into a truly global phenomenon. Now we see strong, consistent interest from North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and even in Africa. This expansion reflects not just the popularity of individual titles but the recognition of Korean storytelling as a mainstream, premium global content category.

What is the thinking behind CJ ENM’s strategy to focus on ready-made K-dramas in Europe?

Our strategy is aimed at building closer relationships with local broadcasters and local streaming platforms. Of course, our partnerships with global streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ have allowed European viewers to access a wide range of CJ ENM titles in real time already for many years now. But the reason we established an office in the UK this year is to build deeper, long-term relationships with local players who truly understand their markets. We also have a dedicated strategy for global streamers.

Beyond our current global deals, we aim to work closely with each streamer’s regional/local teams to curate and deliver Korean content that genuinely reflects the tastes and preferences of each local audience. Relying on just two trips to Mipcom each year and the occasional visit was no longer enough, and that’s why we decided to establish a presence here in the UK. Since relocating, I haven’t stayed only in London. I’ve been spending nearly half my time traveling across Europe to meet partners in their territories.

We believe that collaborating directly with established European partners is essential to expanding the K-drama ecosystem country by country here. By working side by side with local channels and platforms, we can introduce Korean content in a way that best fits each market’s audience, viewing habits, and programming needs. Ultimately, our goal is to make Korean dramas even more accessible and to help more European viewers discover and enjoy high-quality K-content.

What recent success have you had with selling ready-made K-dramas in Europe?

Our most recent success is the deal we signed with Amazon Prime Video UK. Through this partnership, we’re rolling out 30 catalogue titles and two new premium series by the end of the year. The line-up includes some of CJ ENM’s most iconic dramas – Lovely Runner, True Beauty, Hotel Del Luna, My Mister, Encounter, Eve, Flower of Evil, Signal and others.

This marks a significant milestone, positioning Prime Video as a key home for K-content in the UK and giving local audiences access to a much broader range of Korean storytelling, from beloved romances to edgy crime and thrillers. With this deal, it’s not a one-off opportunity, Prime Video subscribers can now enjoy a curated slate of iconic Korean dramas across diverse genres. It’s a meaningful step that expands the reach of high-quality K-dramas in the UK market. We’re actively pursuing similar partnerships in other territories, and we expect to announce additional deals in the very near future.

Which European markets have the most and least demand for ready-made K-dramas?

I’ve only recently taken on the European ready-made sales, so it’s still early for me to make definitive comparisons. But if I look at our current activity, France is clearly one of the strongest markets for ready-made K-dramas. We’ve already had multiple deals this year alone.

Lovely Runner is currently available on M6+, and we have been working with Mediawan for more than two years for Insomnia channel and discussing with them to expand to entertainment content as well. Through Canal+ Distribution, Mistress and Highclass are now airing on Novelas TV with French dubbing. And later this month, CJ ENM titles will be available on TF1+ for the very first time. All these developments show that French audiences and platforms have a strong and growing appetite for Korean dramas.

Of your recent European deals, Lovely Runner stands out; what can you tell us about that show?

Lovely Runner is a great example of what I mentioned earlier about wanting to work more closely with local broadcasters and local platforms. It was one of the most beloved Korean dramas of last year, and we took a strategic approach by bringing it to strong local partners in each market.

The results have been remarkable. The show became a top performer almost everywhere it launched, consistently reaching No.1 on ranking or making the highest rating titles across various platforms and channels. And now, with Lovely Runner arriving on Prime Video UK and on M6 in France, we expect even more viewers in both countries to discover the series, engage with those platforms, and explore other Korean dramas as well. It’s a great starting point for broadening the K-drama audience in both the UK and France.

What new K-dramas are you launching to the international market next year?

Next year, we’re launching an even larger and more exciting slate of K-dramas for the international market. Our Korean channel tvN has two primetime drama slots, but with the newly added Wednesday/Thursday slot, we’ll be presenting more titles than ever before.

One of the most anticipated releases is Second Signal. It’s the return of one of the most beloved Korean dramas from 10 years ago, and expectations are incredibly high. The first season ended with a shocking finale, and as someone who watched it at the time, I’m personally very excited for its comeback.

Our goal is to ensure that these new dramas – including Second Signal – are well prepared for international rollout so that European audiences can enjoy them at the same time as fans around the world.

How will this strategy impact European sales of format/remakes rights to CJ’s K-dramas?

Our focus on ready-made dramas doesn’t change the importance of format and remake sales for us. Formats remain a key pillar of our international business. I Can See Your Voice is a great example – we’ve sold the format to 31 countries so far, and we’re continuing to develop and distribute new formats that can travel just as widely next year. If anything, having a UK office has created more opportunities for format discussions. Being closer to our European production partners and commissioners allows us to engage earlier and more deeply, and we expect this to lead to even more format and remake deals across the region.

How has the market responded to Infinite Loop, CJ ENM’s recent unscripted copro with TBS in Japan?

The market’s response to Infinite Loop has been overwhelmingly positive. At Mipcom, it was one of the most talked-about titles. Buyers kept telling us how fresh, distinctive and innovative it felt – some even called it the standout format of this Mipcom. Because of that reaction, we’ve been incredibly busy with follow ups; we’re having at least one development call related to Infinite Loop every single day. It really feels like this year will end as ‘the year of Infinite Loop.’

And for us, the coproduction process itself was genuinely enjoyable with amazing the TBS team. Even though the Korean and Japanese teams don’t share a common language, the partnership worked beautifully. Both sides had so much fun creating the show together, and I think that positive energy is coming through to buyers, which makes the response even more meaningful.