South Korea’s CJ ENM has appointed Jang Kyung-ik as CEO of its listed Studio Dragon unit. The company is one of the most prolific TV production houses in the world and a major partner of both Netflix and Tving, with hit shows such as ‘The Glory’, ‘Crash Landing on You’, ‘Hotel Del Luna’ and ‘Arthdal Chronicles’ . ”
Jang is the former president of Studio & NEW, a rival TV production company that is part of the investor-distributor group Next Entertainment World.
CJ ENM described Jang as “a leading content producer with a stellar career.” “His exceptional planning skills and keen insight have led to the production of highly successful dramas and films. He notably produced the hit dramas “Descendants of the Sun” and “Doctor Cha,” which received both high ratings and critical acclaim, as well as the film “The Great Battle,” which attracted 5.44 million viewers. Last year, Jang further cemented his reputation on the global stage with the series ‘Moving,’ released on Disney+.”
‘Moving’ won major awards, including the top prize for TV at the Baeksang Arts Awards, best series at the Grand Bell Awards and multiple accolades at the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards.
A representative of CJ ENM said: “With Jang’s appointment, CJ ENM aims to strengthen Studio Dragon’s position as a leading content studio in the global market.”
Studio Dragon, which has at times cast itself as the headquarters and quality control unit of a giant TV content factory – it has eight drama production subsidiaries and claims to have 270 creative producers on its books, is currently aiming to deliver 25 TV shows per year. But it has weathered turmoil in its upper ranks.
In June 2023, co-CEO Kim Young-kyu, whose responsibility was content production, resigned for personal reasons, leaving Kim Jey-hyun, previously in charge of business management, as sole CEO.
Local media reported at the time that Kim Young-kyu resigned to take responsibility for a case of embezzlement by a now-fired producer within the studio. The company’s statement from June 2023, reported by Korean media, seems to confirm this. “It has been confirmed that there has been misconduct during the content production process. [..] Kim Young-gyu, who was responsible for overseeing the content department, resigned and took moral responsibility for the incident,” the company said.
According to Studio Dragon’s website, Kim Jey-hyun was CEO and board director. His term of office did not expire until March 29, 2025.