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HONG KONG, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Seoul is at the global epicenter of the K-pop industry, where those who rise can easily become household names around world. Daniel Dae Kim has come to Korea to speak with Korea’s biggest artists to find out how we got here.
Daniel Dae Kim explores the phenomenal rise of K-pop on the international stage in the premiere episode of CNN Original Series K-Everything
In the premiere episode of CNN Original Series K-Everything, host and executive producer, Daniel Dae 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 and examines the superfan phenomenon driving this industry.
Kim sits down with Psy, one of the most famous entertainers in Korean history, to discuss his impact on the K-Pop scene and his evolving strategy for success.
In the recording studio, he meets Taeyang, member of legendary Korean boy band BigBang and chart-topping solo artist who is working on his latest solo album. They talk about BigBang’s 20-year reunion and what it takes to have lasting success in the K-pop industry. Over lunch at a café run by her father, Kim also chats with pop superstar JEON SOMI where she reflects on her idol career and journey to gaining greater creative freedom. Kim also joins singer-songwriter eSNa for a walk in Namsan Park to go over her experiences working in the industry.
Carrying on this musical legacy, new acts are constantly breaking through – including AllDay Project, a uniquely co-ed band which debuted in June last year. Kim catches up with them on the day of the release of their first EP and follows their progress across multiple K-pop-focused awards events across Asia. He also gets to know MEOVV, a five-part girl group and part of The Black Label, an agency known for cultivating creative freedom with its roster of talent.
For a different perspective, Kim connects with some of the producers behind the soundtrack of global phenomenon “KPop Demon Hunters” – where he voiced the role of Healer Han – who share their thoughts on the movie’s success and show how they put together “Golden”.
He also speaks with David Kim, a YouTuber turned Adjunct Professor to learn more about the modern history that paved the way for today’s music scene and finds out from K-pop fans about why they spend a small fortune on tickets, merchandise, travel and more.
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.
Additionally, a dedicated digital hub featuring a rich suite of digital and social content celebrating Korean creativity and cultural impact can be found at https://edition.cnn.com/world/k-everything.
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 8pm HKT and replays on Sunday, May 10 at 8am and 11pm HKT and Monday, May 11 at 3am HKT 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 (K-pop) trailer: https://bit.ly/4n75OqF
K-Everything (K-pop) images: https://bit.ly/4w9HGrv
K-Everything microsite: http://edition.cnn.com/world/k-everything
Airtime for K-Everything (K-pop) Episode
Saturday, 9th May at 8pm HKT
Sunday, 10th May at 8am and 11pm HKT
Monday, 11th May at 3am HKT
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.
