With a 2026 slate spanning premium television, feature films, music, live entertainment, and international co-productions, South Korea’s Big Ocean ENM is accelerating its global ambitions. In this exclusive interview with ttvnews, Producer and Head of Global Business Deborah Youn discusses the company’s strategy behind its expanding portfolio.
As Korean content continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most influential creative exports, production companies are looking beyond traditional television to build entertainment businesses that span film, music, live events, and international partnerships.
Among those leading this trend is Big Ocean ENM, which has assembled an ambitious 2026 slate that reflects both the growing demand for Korean storytelling and the industry’s increasingly borderless future.
The company’s upcoming lineup includes the return of hit crime drama Flex x Cop, new Netflix romance Fall In! Love (working title), the revival of the classic horror property M, and a diverse film slate ranging from family fantasy and political drama to an unprecedented Korea-Nigeria co-production. At the same time, Big Ocean ENM is pursuing strategic collaborations in markets such as Kazakhstan while broadening its activities into artist management and live entertainment.
In the following interview with with ttvnews, Deborah Youn, Producer and Head of Global Business at Big Ocean ENM, discusses the company’s vision for its expanding global business, its latest productions and international partnerships, the growing appeal of Korean intellectual property, and how it is preparing for the next phase of the entertainment industry’s evolution.
Big Ocean ENM has unveiled one of its most ambitious slates to date for 2026. What are the company’s main strategic priorities as it expands across television, film, music, and live entertainment?
Our priority is to expand globally by creating premium content that is both bold and forward-thinking while remaining emotionally authentic. We want to tell stories that are fresh and innovative but still resonate with audiences everywhere through universal themes, compelling characters, and high production value.
Following the success of titles such as Our Beloved Summer, Flex x Cop, and My Lovely Liar, what key lessons has the company applied when developing its new generation of projects?
At the end of the day, audiences connect with characters they can either relate to or aspire to become. Whether our protagonists are ordinary people or larger-than-life figures, what matters is that they each have their own struggles, vulnerabilities, and emotional journeys. When those stories are told with sincerity, they create genuine empathy and leave a lasting impression.
Flex x Cop is returning for a second season. What can audiences expect from the evolution of the franchise, and what factors convinced the company that the series was ready for a new chapter?
Season 2 raises the scale in every aspect: from the action and storytelling to the characters. We are introducing actress Jung Eun-chae as the new team leader, Joo Hye-ra, a former police academy instructor who once made Jin Yi-soo’s life extremely difficult. Her arrival brings a completely new dynamic to the team.
We are also excited to welcome Yoo Seung-ho in a special appearance as Yoo Sung-won, a new chaebol character who will add another layer of intrigue to the story.
The first season achieved ratings of over 11% and established itself as a perfect fit for SBS’s Friday-Saturday primetime lineup, delivering the fast-paced, satisfying entertainment that audiences love. The strong audience response gave us the confidence that the franchise was ready for a bigger and more ambitious second chapter.
Netflix series Fall In! Love (w/t) pairs two of Korea’s most popular actors, Park Hyung-sik and Park Gyu-young. What makes this workplace romance stand out in today’s highly competitive K-drama landscape?
This is not a typical Cinderella romance. The story plays with shifting power dynamics between the two leads, creating a relationship that feels more modern and unpredictable. It also incorporates a military element, which is something audiences do not often see in Korean romantic dramas. In addition, we’re filming several action sequences overseas, giving the series a broader scale and a visual style that sets it apart from conventional workplace romances.
With M: Reboot, Big Ocean ENM is revisiting one of Korea’s most iconic horror properties. How do you balance honoring a beloved classic while making it relevant for contemporary global audiences?
The original M was deeply rooted in the Korean concept of “han” -that profound sense of unresolved longing and sorrow- which was essential to its emotional impact. Preserving that emotional core was one of our highest priorities.
At the same time, today’s audiences expect horror that is more grounded and psychologically believable while still delivering strong emotional resonance and cinematic visuals. We have also expanded the role of the male lead, placing greater emphasis on the love story. This allows the emotional stakes to feel even stronger, making the horror more impactful for contemporary audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original.
The company’s film slate ranges from family fantasy and political drama to a K-pop/Afrobeats co-production. How important is genre diversification in your overall content strategy?
Genre diversification is extremely important to us. Today’s audiences consume content across many different platforms and markets, so we believe it’s essential to tell a wide variety of stories that appeal to different tastes and demographics. Whether it’s fantasy, procedural, horror, or music-driven films, our goal is to create compelling stories that can travel globally while maintaining a distinct creative identity.
The planned Korea-Nigeria film project represents a significant international milestone. What opportunities do you see in cross-cultural storytelling, and could this serve as a model for future collaborations in emerging markets?
Because major streamers have expanded globally, audiences are becoming increasingly open to stories that blend different cultures and perspectives. That creates exciting opportunities for creative collaboration and for introducing audiences to stories they may not have experienced before.
Of course, there is always a learning curve. Different industries have different production cultures, working styles, and creative expectations. But we see those differences as strengths rather than obstacles, and we believe this project can become a meaningful model for future collaborations in emerging markets.
Big Ocean ENM is also partnering with Kazakhstan’s Kinopark studio on local remakes of Korean titles. What has been driving international demand for Korean IP, and how do you approach adapting these stories for different cultural audiences?
The stories we tell are rooted in universal emotions and relationships, which is why they resonate across cultures. While each remake should reflect local customs and cultural nuances, the emotional core of the story remains the same. Ultimately, we want our content to be meaningful, entertaining, and accessible to audiences wherever they are.
Beyond content production, the company is developing the multinational girl group iii across music, acting, and variety entertainment. How do you see the relationship between talent management and content creation evolving in the years ahead?
The boundaries between talent management and content creation are becoming increasingly blurred. Management companies are becoming active producers, while content companies are also discovering and developing new talent. We see this convergence continuing, creating more opportunities to build artists and intellectual property together in a more integrated way across music, television, film, and digital platforms.
The global entertainment industry continues to face rapid changes driven by streaming, AI technologies, and shifting audience behaviors. What trends do you believe will have the greatest impact on content producers over the next few years, and how is Big Ocean ENM preparing for them?
AI is inevitable, and we believe it can be a powerful tool when used responsibly. It has the potential to significantly improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and support the creative process. We are currently developing an AI-related film project that we are not yet able to disclose, but we see AI as an important part of our future strategy.
From a storytelling perspective, we are also developing a sci-fi series titled Another Heaven, which follows a vigilante detective who moves between the real world and a virtual reality game. The series explores questions surrounding technology, artificial intelligence, and the ethical challenges that society may face in the near future. As technology continues to evolve, we believe these themes will become increasingly relevant to audiences worldwide.
