Kakao Entertainment
South Korean entertainment company
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Kakao Entertainment Corp. (Korean: 주식회사 카카오엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment, mass media, and publishing company founded in 2021. A subsidiary of the Internet company Kakao, it was established subsequent to the merger of the latter's two subsidiaries KakaoPage and Kakao M.[2][3][4]
 | |
Native name | 주식회사 카카오엔터테인먼트 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | |
| Predecessor | (as separate companies) |
| Founded | March 2, 2021[1] |
| Headquarters | Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products |
|
| Services | |
| Owner |
|
| Parent | Kakao |
| Divisions |
|
| Subsidiaries | see list |
| Website | KakaoEnt.com |
History
KakaoPage Corp.
Podotree Co, Ltd. was founded on July 20, 2010, as a subsidiary of Kakao, and launched KakaoPage three years later. On August 1, 2018, the company changed its corporate name to KakaoPage Corp.
Kakao M
Seoul Records, Inc. was established in October 1978 by Min Young-bin, the founder of South Korea's leading educational company YBM Group (formerly Sisa English). In 2005, the company was acquired by SK Telecom and relaunched as LOEN Entertainment, Inc. three years later, before being sold to Star Invest Holdings (a subsidiary of Affinity Equity Partners).
In January 2016, it was taken over by Kakao and renamed again as Kakao M Corp. in December 2017.
In October 2020, the company expanded in Asia by launching a Thailand-based subsidiary called Kakao M Asia (Private) Co., Ltd. (currently Kakao Entertainment Asia Co., Ltd.).[5]
Merger as Kakao Entertainment (2021–present)
In December 2020, KakaoPage Corp. proposed a merger with Kakao M Corp. as a unified company.[6] It was seen as an action by their parent company against US-based Google’s new policy for its app market place users, which would've affected Kakao M, which KakaoTV platform was starting to become popular in South Korea.
Both companies announced the plans and timeline for their merger, as well as the proposed name for the unified company Kakao Entertainment Corp on January 25, 2021.[7] Under the plans, KakaoPage Corp. is the surviving entity.
The merger was completed on March 1, and Kakao Entertainment was formally founded a day later.
On July 15, it was announced that Kakao Entertainment and Melon Company would be merging, with the merger expected to be complete in September 2021.[8]
On September 17, Kakao Entertainment announced that Play M Entertainment and Cre.ker Entertainment would be merging in the future.[9] On November 12, it was announced that the company's new corporate name would be IST Entertainment, which took effect on November 1.[10]
Divisions
Page Company
Headed by co-CEO Joy Lee, the Kakao Entertainment's Page Company is in charge of the company's web fiction publishing and web development business. It is situated in Pangyo, Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province.
M Company
Headed by co-CEO Stephan Kim, the Kakao Entertainment's M Company is in charge of the company's entertainment and mass media business. Its headquarters is in Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu in Seoul.
Subsidiaries
Under the Page Company
- AdPage[a]
- Daon Creative
- KW Books
- Kiwi Vine
- RS Media
- Radish Media
- Samyang C&C
- Soundist Entertainment
- Tapas Media
- Yeondam
Under the M Company
Entertainment companies
- Antenna Music
- EDAM Entertainment
- High Up Entertainment
- Starship Entertainment
- Starship X
- Highline Entertainment
Talent companies
- Awesome ENT
- BH Entertainment
- J.Wide Company
- King Kong by Starship
- Management SOOP
- Ready Entertainment
- VAST Entertainment & Media
Production companies
- 3Y Corporation
- Baram Pictures
- Dolphiners Films
- GRAYGO
- Maison de Baja
- Kross Pictures
- Logos Film
- Mega Monster
- Moonlight Film
- ootb Studio
- Sanai Pictures
- Shownote
- Story & Pictures Media
- Studio K11O
- Zip Cinema
Assets
Buildings
- Jungsuck Building (Seoul) - headquarters of the Kakao Entertainment M Company
- The Kakao Entertainment M Company also owns a building at Samseong-dong in Seoul, where the headquarters of IST Entertainment and Flex M are located.
Internet properties
Works
Discography
Filmography
TV and web series
| Year | Title | Network | Credited as | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean/Other language | Screenwriter | Director | Producer | |||
| 2021 | Dr. Brain | Dr. 브레인 | Apple TV+ |
|
Kim Jee-woon[b] |
|
[15] |
| 2022 | Business Proposal | 사내맞선 | SBS TV |
|
Park Seon-ho[c] |
|
[16] |
| Roppongi Class | 六本木クラス / 롯폰기 클라쓰 | TV Asahi | Koji Tokuo[d] |
|
[17] | ||
| 2023 | The Worst of Evil | 최악의 악 | Disney+ | Jang Min-suk | Han Dong-wook |
|
[18] |
| Castaway Diva | 무인도의 디바 | tvN |
|
Oh Chung-hwan |
|
[19] | |
| 2023-2024 | Gyeongseong Creature | 경성크리처 | Netflix | Kang Eun-kyung |
|
|
[20] |
| 2025 | Secret Relationships | 비밀사이 |
|
Lee Yoo-jin[e] | Yang Kyung-hee |
|
[21] |
| Karma | 악연 | Netflix | Lee Il-hyung[f] | Lee Il-hyung |
|
[22] | |
| Crushology 101 | 바니와 오빠들 | MBC TV |
|
Kim Ji-hoon[g] | Kakao Entertainment | [23] | |
| Nine Puzzles | 나인 퍼즐 | Disney+ | Lee Eun-mi |
|
|
[24] | |
| You and Everything Else | 은중과 상연 | Netflix | Song Hye-jin | Jo Young-min | Kakao Entertainment | [25] | |
| 2026 | Perfect Crown | 21세기 대군 부인 | MBC TV | Yoo Ah-in |
|
|
[26] |
| The Wonderfools | 원더풀스 | Netflix | Heo Da-joong | Yoo In-sik |
|
[27] | |
| TBA | Solo Leveling[h] | 나 혼자만 레벨업 | Netflix |
|
|
|
[28] |
Baram Pictures
| Year | Title | Network | Credited as | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean/Other language | Screenwriter | Director | Producer | |||
| 2021 | Kingdom: Ashin of the North | 킹덤: 아신전 | Netflix | Kim Eun-hee[i] | Kim Seong-hun |
|
[29] |
| Jirisan | 지리산 | tvN | Kim Eun-hee | Lee Eung-bok |
|
[30] | |
| 2022 | Behind Every Star[j] | 연예인 매니저로 살아남기 | tvN |
|
Baek Seung-ryong |
|
[31] |
| 2023 | Race | 레이스 | Disney+ | Kim Ru-ri |
|
|
[32] |
| Not Others | 남남 | Min Seon-ae[k] | Lee Min-woo |
|
[33] | ||
| Song of the Bandits | 도적: 칼의 소리 | Netflix | Han Jung-hoon |
|
|
[34] | |
| 2024 | When the Phone Rings | 지금 거신 전화는 | MBC TV | Kim Ji-woon[l] |
|
|
[35] |
| 2025 | When Life Gives You Tangerines | 폭싹 속았수다 | Netflix | Lim Sang-choon | Kim Won-seok |
|
[36] |
| Walking on Thin Ice | 은수 좋은 날 | KBS 2TV | Jeon Young-shin | Song Hyun-wook |
|
[37] | |
Logos Film
Mega Monster
Moonlight Film
| Year | Title | Network | Credited as | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean/Other language | Screenwriter | Director | Producer | |||
| 2022 | Narco-Saints | 수리남 | Netflix |
|
Yoon Jong-bin |
|
[38] |
Sanai Pictures
| Year | Title | Network | Credited as | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean/Other language | Screenwriter | Director | Producer | |||
| 2024 | Gangnam B-Side | 강남 비-사이드 | Disney+ |
|
Park Noo-ri |
|
[39] |
Story & Pictures Media
Zip Cinema
Locations
- Kakao Entertainment Page Company: Twosun World Building 8/F, 221, Pangyoyeok-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea[1]
- Kakao Entertainment M Company: Jungsuck Building, 17, Teheran-ro 103-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea[1]
Extra info
- Tachiyomi, A free and open-source Manga, Manhwa etc. reader app, was forced to stop development after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the developers.[40]
- ReaperScan, A free and fan translated Manhwa and Web Novel site, was forced to shutdown after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the site admin.[41]
Notes
- joint venture with Kakao Games
- Adaptation of The Office Blind Date by HaeHwa
- Adaptation of Itaewon Class by Jo Kwang-jin
- Adaptation of Secret Relationships by McQueen Studio
- Adaptation of Karma by Choi Hee-seon
- Adaptation of Bunny and Her Boys by Nieun
- Adaptation of Solo Leveling by Chugong
- Adaptation of The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il
- Korean adaptation of the French TV series Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent)
- Adaptation of Strangers by Jung Young-rong
- Adaptation of The Number You Have Dialed by Geoneomulnyeo
