At the Disney+ Open House event held on May 23rd at The Walt Disney Company Korea headquarters in Gangnam, the platform laid out its content game plan for the second half of the year. They revealed a mix of large-scale productions and content designed to meet fast-changing viewer tastes, with a clear interest in what’s next for K-Dramas.
Choi Yeon-woo, General Manager, highlighted Disney+’s broader strategy, saying, “We aim to broaden our lineup with diverse stories, genres, and formats that can complement each other, thereby satisfying a wider range of audiences.” He added, “Given the nature of the platform, we seek to discover various forms of content that align with rapidly changing viewer consumption patterns and tastes.”
The upcoming lineup includes a steady rollout of new titles. It kicks off with the currently airing ‘Nine Puzzle‘, followed by ‘Tempest’, starring big names Jun Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won. Then there’s ‘Made in Korea’, set in the gritty 1970s, and historical dramas like ‘Low Life’ featuring Ryu Seung-ryong and Yang Se-jong, ‘The Murky Stream’, and ‘The Manipulated’.
Next year’s first reveals also stirred excitement—‘Delusion’, starring Suzy and Kim Seon-ho, and the survival-style entertainment show ‘Fate War 49’, are already grabbing attention.
Based on their experience creating over 40 Korean original titles, Choi explained, “Our strategy is to build a solid lineup with verified IPs and large-scale productions featuring top-tier actors and production teams.”
But it’s not all about size and fame. Disney+ is also paying attention to how people consume content nowadays—quicker, lighter, and often in shorter formats. Yoo Jung-hoon, CEO of Merry Christmas (the studio behind ‘A Shop for Killers’), pointed out, “When a character enters and an event occurs, there are stages of event development. But now, this pacing doesn’t seem to fit. For people accustomed to consuming short-form content and webtoons quickly, lengthy explanations aren’t necessary.”
He added, “There are various formats like 12 or 14 episodes, but YouTube seems to be the only place making money this way, through summary videos. It seems we need an appropriate level of tension that can be consumed adequately.”
Speaking of adapting to new trends, Yoo emphasized the importance of world-building early on: “I want to talk about universes. Rather than focusing on an event, a character’s growth or awakening, or adventure stories, we need to consider the universe from the very beginning of content design. It seems necessary to expand this universe and allow viewers to enjoy the work from various angles.”
Kim Won-guk, CEO of Hive Media Corp. (behind ‘Made in Korea’), shared a similar sentiment about formats. “Traditional broadcast dramas are 16 episodes or more, and we couldn’t even dream of making something like that. But having the opportunity to create various formats has allowed us to take on these challenges.”
He also credited OTT platforms like Disney+ for changing the playing field: “I believe the role of these platforms has been significant in allowing film-based production companies like ours to enter the drama market by producing series.”
Yoo Jung-hoon added, “Legacy media and cinemas had firmly dominated the market. However, through Disney+, writers and directors began transitioning to series. Creators who previously performed limited roles in their respective fields can now tell the stories they want to across different mediums with the advent of OTTs.” He went on, “Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of ‘Squid Game,’ was a film director, wasn’t he? They seem to have played a crucial role in the development of Korean content.”
As for global aspirations, Kim explained, “Our primary goal is to create content that can succeed in Korea. We believe that if it succeeds here, it can also be popular globally,” adding that they’re looking at “worldview expansion to create spin-offs or extend into series.”
Still, there’s concern about discovering fresh talent. Yoo Jung-hoon said, “Along with the success of established stars, there has always been a need for new writers and directors,” but he admitted, “Recently, those aspects seem weak. The reliance on good actors, writers, and directors is increasing. This can reduce freshness.”
He concluded, “The actors, directors, and writers who are successful now also had unknown periods. It would be good if someone put more effort into discovering new talent. We are also contemplating this.”
