South Korea’s CJ ENM has appointed Jang Kyung-ik as CEO of its stock market-listed Studio Dragon unit. The company is one of the most prolific TV production houses in the world and a key partner of both Netflix and Tving, with hit shows that include “The Glory,” ‘Crash Landing on You” “Hotel Del Luna” and “Arthdal Chronicles.”
Jang is the former president of Studio & NEW, a rival TV production nexus that is part of investor-distributor group Next Entertainment World.
CJ ENM described Jang as “a distinguished content producer with a stellar career.” “His exceptional planning skills and keen insight have led to the production of highly successful dramas and films. Notably, he produced the hit dramas ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Doctor Cha,’ which achieved both high viewership ratings and widespread 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+.”
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“Moving” swept major awards, including the Grand Prize in 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 CJ ENM representative said, “With the appointment of Jang, CJ ENM aims to strengthen Studio Dragon’s position as a leading content studio in the global market.”
Studio Dragon, which has at times pitched itself as the headquarters and quality control unit of a giant factory for TV content — it has eight drama production subsidiaries and claims to have 270 creative producers on its books, currently aims to deliver 25 TV shows per year. But it has endured turmoil in its senior ranks.
In June 2023, co-CEO Kim Young-kyu, whose responsibility was content production, resigned for personal reasons, leaving Kim Jey-hyun, previously responsible for business management, as the sole CEO.
Local media reported at the time that Kim Young-kyu resigned in order to take responsibility for a case of embezzlement by a producer within the studio who has since been fired. The company’s June 2023 statement, reported by Korean media, appears to confirm that. “It has been confirmed that there was misconduct during the content production process. [..] Kim Young-gyu, who was in charge of overseeing the content division, resigned, taking 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.
