Daniel Dae Kim explores the global impact of Korean culture across four fascinating episodes of CNN Original Series K-Everything

HONG KONG, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- How did one relatively small country in East Asia develop such a massive influence on the rest of the world, from California to Singapore and everywhere in between? CNN Original Series K-Everything travels to South Korea to answer that question. Across four compelling episodes, K-Everything will trace the roots of Korean culture with some of the biggest names in the country's creative scene.  

Host and executive producer, Daniel Dae Kim, goes from Seoul to Pyeongchang and beyond, on a journey of cultural exploration. Follow along as Kim uncovers the country's complicated history through travel and entertainment to find out what's driving this global phenomenon.  

"It's both a personal and professional thrill to be able to showcase Korea through our series, K-Everything," said Kim. "There's never been more interest in its people and culture, so it feels like the perfect time to explore the dynamics of its success. Whether you're already a K-expert, or a newbie, we hope you'll be able to gain a unique and fresh perspective on a place that means so much to me."

In the premiere episode, Kim explores what's behind the unprecedented rise of K-pop on the international stage. The Korean pop industry has produced some of the most successful music acts ever. Behind the catchy tunes and slick choreography, there's a fine-tuned formula for creating hits and harnessing the power of fans. Kim meets some of K-pop's biggest artists including Psy, Taeyang, JEON SOMI, AllDay Project and MEOVV, and examines the superfan phenomenon driving this industry.  

In one generation, South Korea's film and TV industry has gone from censorship to winning Oscars and breaking streaming records. In episode two, Kim looks at this period of rapid change, and how it is driving a new wave of storytelling. Through conversations with some of the country's most celebrated creators including leading actor Lee Byung-hun, director Yeon Sang-ho, screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, and entertainment industry pioneer Miky Lee, Kim finds out why themes that preoccupy Korean creatives are resonating with audiences worldwide.   

Korean barbecue might have put K-food on the map, but it's only one aspect of the country's richly diverse cuisine. In episode three, Kim explores the meteoric rise of Korean cuisine, through conversations with legendary chefs and restauranteurs like Corey Lee, Mingoo Kang, and Cho Hee-sook, in a story that is not just about what to eat and how to make it, but about nostalgia, pride, innovation, and determination.   

South Korea is widely regarded as the cosmetics capital of the world, with legions of fans aspiring to look like their flawless K-celebrity idols. In the final episode of K-Everything, Kim digs beneath the surface to learn why the desire to focus on appearance is deeply ingrained in Korean society, driven by rapid modernization and political shifts. He's joined by top model Irene Kim, and leading beauty influencer, LeoJ, to find out what K-beauty means for men and women in Korea. 

K-Everything continues the legacy of CNN Original Series' host-led storytelling that examines global culture and the human experience, joining an award-winning library of premium programming streaming on the CNN app. 

The CNN Original Series is sponsored by one of South Korea's largest companies, Hyundai Motor Company, a global brand deeply rooted in Korean heritage whose growth has mirrored the country's own journey of innovation and progress. 

K-Everything premieres Saturday, May 9 at 8am ET and replays at 8pm ET and on Sunday, May 10 at 11am ET and 3pm ET on CNN International. The 4-episode series will stream live for CNN International pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps weekly. It will be available on demand beginning Saturday, May 9 to CNN's streaming subscribers in the US via CNN.com and CNN connected TV and mobile apps. The series will also be available to stream on HBO Max, where available.

Kim is repped by UTA, Linden Entertainment, Narrative PR and Gang Tyre. 

K-Everything trailer: https://youtu.be/tejmMouplGQ
K-Everything images: https://bit.ly/3OHefMN
K-Everything microsite: http://edition.cnn.com/world/k-everything

About CNN Originals 
The CNN Originals group develops, produces and acquires original, long-form unscripted programming for CNN Worldwide. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, oversees the award-winning CNN Originals portfolio that includes the following premium content brands: CNN Original Series, CNN Films, CNN Presents, and the newly formed CNN Studios, an internal production studio which creates long-form programming for CNN's global platforms. Since 2012, the team has overseen and executive produced more than 45 multi-part documentary series and 60 feature-length documentary films, earning more than 110 awards and 445 nominations for the cable network, including CNN Films' first Academy Award® for Navalny. Acclaimed titles include the Peabody Award winning and 13-time Emmy® Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown; five time Emmy® nominee, Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; Emmy® nominated Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; the Emmy® Award-nominated "Decades Series": The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The 2010s, executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; Grammy® Award nominee Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés; The Many Lives of Martha Stewart; This is Life with Lisa Ling; Primetime Emmy® and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; See It Loud: The History of Black Television, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter; Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight in partnership with the BBC; the Producers Guild Award and three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; BAFTA nominee and Directors Guild Award winner, Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. CNN Originals can be seen on CNN, to stream via a CNN All Access subscription, on the CNN Original Hub on HBO Max and discovery+, on the CNN Originals FAST channel, and with a pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.  

About CNN International  
CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 379 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.

SOURCE CNN International