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K-Everything

2026Series
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Daniel Dae Kim explores Korea’s cultural reach

K-Everything follows Daniel Dae Kim on an exploration of South Korea’s global cultural influence. The CNN series connects music, film, food and beauty through the people working in those fields. Its central question is how creative industries rooted in Korea have found audiences and customers far beyond the country.

Kim is both host and executive producer. In CNN’s announcement, he describes the project as a personal and professional opportunity to explore the dynamics of Korea’s cultural success. His role gives the subject a continuing human perspective as the programme moves between different creative disciplines.

Music, cinema, food and beauty

The four-part structure assigns an episode to each of the main fields. Announced participants include singer Taeyang, actor Lee Byung-hun, chef and restaurateur Corey Lee, and model Irene Kim. Their inclusion gives the series concrete points of entry into subjects that can otherwise seem as broad as a whole national culture.

The journey extends from Seoul to Singapore and beyond, according to the commissioning announcement. That movement reflects the programme’s interest in cultural circulation as well as origins. The subject is not simply what is made in Korea, but how creative work is encountered, adapted and valued internationally.

Creators at the centre of a global story

CNN describes the programme as host-led and character-driven. This approach puts individual careers and conversations alongside the wider idea of a Korean cultural wave. For viewers, it offers a way to connect a familiar song, film, dish or beauty product with the work and choices of the people behind it.

The CNN production context

The series brings together CNN Originals and the network’s APAC-based Global Productions teams. CNN identifies Hyundai Motor Company as sponsor. That production context is relevant to understanding the programme’s celebratory cultural exploration, while its four subject areas provide the main framework for choosing where to begin.

Episodes

S01 · E01

K- Pop

Behind the catchy tunes and slick choreography, there's a fine-tuned formula for creating hits and harnessing the power of fans.

S01 · E02

K- Film

In one generation, South Korea's film and TV industry went from censorship to winning Oscars and breaking streaming records.

S01 · E03

K - Food

K-barbecue might have put Korean food on the map, but it's just one part of the country's richly diverse cuisine.

S01 · E04

K - Beauty

While today's generation aspire to look like flawless K-pop idols, Daniel hears how the desire to control appearance is ingrained in Korean society.

Episode descriptions: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0

Film details

Format
Documentary series
Release year
2026
Premiere date
2026-05-09
Production companies
CNN Original Series
Country of production
United States
Language
English
Episode runtime
45 min

Catalogue information: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0