Korean entertainment has spent years building a global audience through music, television and film. Now one of South Korea’s biggest media companies is trying to turn that cultural momentum into a broader distribution business across Europe.
CJ ENM, a major South Korean entertainment and media company with businesses spanning television, film, music and content distribution, is expanding in Central and Eastern Europe through new partnerships with regional broadcasters and cultural institutions. The company has agreed to supply a total of 10 titles to TV Nova in the Czech Republic and TV Markíza in Slovakia while also building a stronger foothold in Poland.
The expansion reflects the next phase of the Korean culture boom. Netflix, Disney and Amazon helped introduce Korean programming to audiences far beyond Asia, but Korean media companies are increasingly broadening the ways they reach viewers. Direct relationships with regional television networks give companies such as CJ ENM additional outlets for their programming and another way to generate revenue from content that has already been produced.
That shift matters to the global media industry because Korean entertainment is no longer defined by a handful of breakout titles. Korean dramas, movies, music and other cultural products have developed audiences across North America, Europe and other markets, creating an incentive for Korean media companies to build distribution networks that extend beyond the largest global streaming platforms.
CJ ENM is pursuing that strategy in Central and Eastern Europe. The company participated in the 2026 Korea Poland Brand Week, held in Poland on Sept. 15 and 16, where it signed an agreement with the Korean Cultural Center in Poland and the Korea Creative Content Agency, a South Korean government backed organization that supports the country’s content industry.
The agreement is intended to expand cooperation around Korean entertainment in Poland through screenings, promotional programs and other activities. CJ ENM also used the event to introduce local audiences to Lovely Runner and The Legend of the Kitchen Soldier through interactive programs and a special screening.
Studio Dragon, a major South Korean television production company affiliated with CJ ENM, also participated in the event. Kim Tae hoon, a chief producer at the studio, discussed the planning and production process behind The Legend of the Kitchen Soldier with attendees.
The more important commercial development came through CJ ENM’s agreements with broadcasters elsewhere in the region. The company reached partnerships with TV Nova in the Czech Republic and TV Markíza in Slovakia and plans to supply the two broadcasters with a total of 10 titles from its existing library.
The deals give CJ ENM another route into European households beyond global streaming platforms. They also show how Korean media companies are trying to convert growing international interest in Korean culture into recurring distribution relationships in individual markets rather than relying on a single global channel.
Selling existing programming into additional countries can extend the commercial life of a television library without requiring an entirely new production for each market. CJ ENM has said it plans to tailor its international distribution strategy to local viewing habits and media environments while continuing to work with both broadcasters and streaming platforms.
The company plans to expand those partnerships across Europe as it seeks to turn the global popularity of Korean entertainment into a wider and more durable international distribution business.
