Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has named veteran executive Jang Kyung ik CEO of its K-drama subsidiary Studio Dragon. The appointment was revealed on Monday in Seoul.
An established figure in the Korean entertainment landscape, Jang comes to CJ ENM from content investor-distributor Next Entertainment World (NEW), where he served as head of the company’s film division, as well as president of its recently launched global content production subsidiary Studio & NEW. He scored a major win last year with Studio & NEW’s production of the K-drama action sci-fi series Moving, which became Disney+’s most-watched international streaming series to date.
“With the appointment of Jang, CJ ENM aims to strengthen Studio Dragon’s position as a leading content studio in the global market,” said a spokesperson from CJ ENM in a statement.
Other highlights of Jang’s tenure at NEW include hit dramas like Descendants of the Sun and Doctor Cha, as well as feature films like The Great Battle,” which earned over $41 million.
Since its launch in 2016, CJ ENM’s Studio Dragon has become a formidable force in both Korean and global series creation. With eight drama studio subsidiaries in operation, the company has produced 249 series totaling some 3,928 episodes, including titles that achieved smash global success thanks to a former output deal with Netflix, such as Sweet Home, The Glory and Crash Landing on You.
In his new role, Jang will drive the company’s ongoing internationalization. In 2019, Studio Dragon launched its first U.S. branch in Los Angeles, followed by the opening of Studio Dragon Japan in 2022. The studio partnered with Apple TV+ and Skydance Media on the English language series The Big Door Prize, which ran for two seasons in 2023 and 2024. The company has various other international co-productions in the works, as well as U.S. remakes underway of some of its hit Korean series, like Crash Landing on You and Vincenzo.
