Discover K-Culture: Why Global Fans Are Obsessed with K-Content?

Daniel Kim 2026.03.17 Views

Photo: Provided by tvN

[Sports Today reporter Song Oh-jeong] tvN is launching a voice documentary titled ‘I Am K’ that captures the perspectives of people around the world who love K-content.

‘I Am K’ (planned by Min-sik Jung; produced by So-yeon Park, Jong-hoon Park, Ji-won Han) probes the essence of the K-content phenomenon through the varied viewpoints and deep insights of highly engaged creators, scholars and fans at home and abroad. Produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), the series is grounded in the ‘Overseas Hallyu Survey,’ a global study conducted across 30 key countries. The documentary is distinctive for being interview-driven: the entire narrative unfolds only through questions and answers.

The online survey was conducted from November to December 2025 and polled 27,400 local residents across five regions—Asia-Pacific, the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa—who have experienced Korean cultural content. The findings are expected to offer fresh perspectives and new interpretations of the ongoing K-content surge.

The film assembles questions and answers from 43 figures in Korea’s pop-culture scene, global scholars and K-content fans, presenting a range of storytellers. It features major voices behind the K-film and K-drama waves—director Park Chan-wook; writer Kim Eun-hee; and actors Lee Jung-jae, Jang Hye-jin, Im Yoon-a, Lee Jun-ho, Im Si-wan, Choi Woo-sik, Byun Woo-seok, Kim Min-ha and Lee Chae-min—as well as Arden Cho of ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters.’ Leading K-pop artists including Moon Hee-joon, Tony An, Sunmi, ONEW, ATEEZ, P1Harmony, TWS and izna will also appear. The program further gains credibility from global thinkers such as novelist Bernard Werber; James A. Robinson, the 2024 Nobel laureate in economics; Janet Yang, the Academy’s first Asian president; and Donald Sassoon, professor emeritus at the University of London and a leading authority on comparative European history. Combined with candid fan feedback, these perspectives aim to deliver a more layered understanding of the K-content phenomenon that has captivated the world.

‘I Am K’ is presented in two parts: Part 1, “Why do you love K?,” and Part 2, “What is K?.” In Part 1, figures from Korea’s pop-culture scene serve as interviewers, asking fans worldwide why they are passionate about K-content; fans respond. In Part 2, the roles reverse: fans pose questions about K-content’s appeal, and Korean figures answer as interviewees.

The first teaser reveals the single question domestic artists most wanted to ask their fans: “What do you like most about me?” Artists stand before the camera and react with surprise at the fans’ answers. The teaser promises to share those responses and the artists’ honest reflections on the K-content phenomenon, building anticipation for the series.

Part 1 of ‘I Am K’ airs on tvN on April 7 (Tuesday) at 10:10 p.m., and Part 2 airs on April 8 (Wednesday) at 10:40 p.m.