Kakao Entertainment

Kakao Entertainment Corp.
Native name
주식회사 카카오엔터테인먼트
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Predecessor
(as separate companies)
FoundedMarch 2, 2021 (2021-03-02)[1]
HeadquartersSeongnam, Gyeonggi-do,
South Korea
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Joseph Chang (CEO)
  • Gisu Kwon (CEO)
Products
Services
Owner
  • Kakao (63.50%)
  • Podo Asia B.V. (15.33%)
  • Joy Lee (0.96%)
  • Others (20.21%)
ParentKakao
Divisions
  • Page Company
  • M Company
Subsidiariessee list
WebsiteKakaoEnt.com

Kakao Entertainment Corp. (Korean: 주식회사 카카오엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment, mass media, and publishing company founded in 2021. A subsidiary of the Internet company Kakao, it was established subsequent to the merger of the latter's two subsidiaries KakaoPage and Kakao M.[2][3][4]

History

KakaoPage Corp.

Main article: KakaoPage

Podotree Co, Ltd. was founded on July 20, 2010, as a subsidiary of Kakao, and launched KakaoPage three years later. On August 1, 2018, the company changed its corporate name to KakaoPage Corp.

Kakao M

Main article: Kakao M

Seoul Records, Inc. was established in October 1978 by Min Young-bin, the founder of South Korea's leading educational company YBM Group (formerly Sisa English). In 2005, the company was acquired by SK Telecom and relaunched as LOEN Entertainment, Inc. three years later, before being sold to Star Invest Holdings (a subsidiary of Affinity Equity Partners).

In January 2016, it was taken over by Kakao and renamed again as Kakao M Corp. in December 2017.

In October 2020, the company expanded in Asia by launching a Thailand-based subsidiary called Kakao M Asia (Private) Co., Ltd. (currently Kakao Entertainment Asia Co., Ltd.).[5]

Merger as Kakao Entertainment (2021–present)

In December 2020, KakaoPage Corp. proposed a merger with Kakao M Corp. as a unified company.[6] It was seen as an action by their parent company against US-based Google’s new policy for its app market place users, which would've affected Kakao M, which KakaoTV platform was starting to become popular in South Korea.

Both companies announced the plans and timeline for their merger, as well as the proposed name for the unified company Kakao Entertainment Corp on January 25, 2021.[7] Under the plans, KakaoPage Corp. is the surviving entity.

The merger was completed on March 1, and Kakao Entertainment was formally founded a day later.

On July 15, it was announced that Kakao Entertainment and Melon Company would be merging, with the merger expected to be complete in September 2021.[8]

On September 17, Kakao Entertainment announced that Play M Entertainment and Cre.ker Entertainment would be merging in the future.[9] On November 12, it was announced that the company's new corporate name would be IST Entertainment, which took effect on November 1.[10]

Divisions

Page Company

Headed by co-CEO Joy Lee, the Kakao Entertainment's Page Company is in charge of the company's web fiction publishing and web development business. It is situated in Pangyo, Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province.

M Company

Headed by co-CEO Stephan Kim, the Kakao Entertainment's M Company is in charge of the company's entertainment and mass media business. Its headquarters is in Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu in Seoul.

Subsidiaries

Under the Page Company

  • AdPage[a]
  • Daon Creative
  • KW Books
  • Kiwi Vine
  • RS Media
  • Radish Media
  • Samyang C&C
  • Soundist Entertainment
  • Tapas Media
  • Yeondam

Under the M Company

Entertainment companies

Talent companies

Production companies

Assets

Buildings

  • Jungsuck Building (Seoul) - headquarters of the Kakao Entertainment M Company
  • The Kakao Entertainment M Company also owns a building at Samseong-dong in Seoul, where the headquarters of IST Entertainment and Flex M are located.

Internet properties

Works

Discography

Filmography

TV and web series

Drama credits of Kakao Entertainment and its subsidiaries
Year Title Network Credited as Ref.
English Korean/Other language Screenwriter Director Producer
2021 Dr. Brain Dr. 브레인 Apple TV+
Kim Jee-woon[b]
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Bound Entertainment
  • Dark Circle Pictures
  • StudioPlex
 [15]
2022 Business Proposal 사내맞선 SBS TV
  • Han Seol-hee
  • Hong Bo-hee
 Park Seon-ho[c]
[16]
Roppongi Class 六本木クラス / 롯폰기 클라쓰 TV Asahi Koji Tokuo[d]
  • Naomi Tamura
  • Naomi Kinoshita
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Kross Pictures
  • TV Asahi
  • SLL
  • As Birds
 [17]
2023 The Worst of Evil 최악의 악 Disney+ Jang Min-suk Han Dong-wook
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Baram Pictures
  • Sanai Pictures
 [18]
Castaway Diva 무인도의 디바 tvN
Oh Chung-hwan
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Baram Pictures
 [19]
2023-2024 Gyeongseong Creature 경성크리처 Netflix Kang Eun-kyung
  • Chung Dong-yoon
  • Roh Young-sub
  • Jo Young-min
[20]
2025 Secret Relationships 비밀사이
  • Watcha
  • Heavenly
 Lee Yoo-jin[e] Yang Kyung-hee
[21]
Karma 악연 Netflix Lee Il-hyung[f] Lee Il-hyung
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Baram Pictures
  • Moonlight Film
 [22]
Crushology 101 바니와 오빠들 MBC TV
  • Sung So-eun
  • Lee Sul
 Kim Ji-hoon[g] Kakao Entertainment [23]
Nine Puzzles 나인 퍼즐 Disney+ Lee Eun-mi
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Moonlight Film
 [24]
You and Everything Else 은중과 상연 Netflix Song Hye-jin Jo Young-min Kakao Entertainment [25]
2026 Perfect Crown 21세기 대군 부인 MBC TV Yoo Ah-in
  • Park Joon-hwa
  • Bae Hee-young
[26]
The Wonderfools 원더풀스 Netflix Heo Da-joong Yoo In-sik
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Fantagio
  • Nangmancrew
 [27]
TBA Solo Leveling[h] 나 혼자만 레벨업 Netflix
  • Kakao Entertainment
  • Sanai Pictures
 [28]
Baram Pictures
Drama credits of Baram Pictures
Year Title Network Credited as Ref.
English Korean/Other language Screenwriter Director Producer
2021 Kingdom: Ashin of the North 킹덤: 아신전 Netflix Kim Eun-hee[i] Kim Seong-hun
[29]
Jirisan 지리산 tvN Kim Eun-hee Lee Eung-bok
  • Baram Pictures
  • Studio Dragon
  • AStory
 [30]
2022 Behind Every Star[j] 연예인 매니저로 살아남기 tvN
  • Park So-young
  • Lee Chan
 Baek Seung-ryong
  • Baram Pictures
  • Studio Dragon
 [31]
2023 Race 레이스 Disney+ Kim Ru-ri
  • Lee Dong-yoon
  • Han Jin-sun
  • Baram Pictures
  • Slingshot Studios
 [32]
Not Others 남남
Min Seon-ae[k] Lee Min-woo
  • Baram Pictures
  • SYN&studio (formerly Arc Media)
 [33]
Song of the Bandits 도적: 칼의 소리 Netflix Han Jung-hoon
  • Hwang Jun-hyeok
  • Park Hyun-suk
[34]
2024 When the Phone Rings 지금 거신 전화는 MBC TV Kim Ji-woon[l]
  • Park Sang-woo
  • Wi Deuk-gyu
[35]
2025 When Life Gives You Tangerines 폭싹 속았수다 Netflix Lim Sang-choon Kim Won-seok
[36]
Walking on Thin Ice 은수 좋은 날 KBS 2TV Jeon Young-shin Song Hyun-wook
  • Baram Pictures
  • Slingshot Studios
 [37]
Logos Film
Further information: Logos Film § List of works
Mega Monster
Further information: Mega Monster § Production works
Moonlight Film
Drama credits of Moonlight Film
Year Title Network Credited as Ref.
English Korean/Other language Screenwriter Director Producer
2022 Narco-Saints 수리남 Netflix
Yoon Jong-bin
[38]
Sanai Pictures
Drama credits of Sanai Pictures
Year Title Network Credited as Ref.
English Korean/Other language Screenwriter Director Producer
2024 Gangnam B-Side 강남 비-사이드 Disney+
Park Noo-ri
[39]
Story & Pictures Media
Further information: Story & Pictures Media § Works
Zip Cinema
Further information: Zip Cinema § Series

Locations

Extra info

  • Tachiyomi, A free and open-source Manga, Manhwa etc. reader app, was forced to stop development after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the developers.[40]
  • ReaperScan, A free and fan translated Manhwa and Web Novel site, was forced to shutdown after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the site admin.[41]

Notes

  1. ^ joint venture with Kakao Games
  2. ^ Adaptation of Dr. Brain by Hongjacga
  3. ^ Adaptation of The Office Blind Date by HaeHwa
  4. ^ Adaptation of Itaewon Class by Jo Kwang-jin
  5. ^ Adaptation of Secret Relationships by McQueen Studio
  6. ^ Adaptation of Karma by Choi Hee-seon
  7. ^ Adaptation of Bunny and Her Boys by Nieun
  8. ^ Adaptation of Solo Leveling by Chugong
  9. ^ Adaptation of The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il
  10. ^ Korean adaptation of the French TV series Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent)
  11. ^ Adaptation of Strangers by Jung Young-rong
  12. ^ Adaptation of The Number You Have Dialed by Geoneomulnyeo

References

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  23. ^ Choi, Yu-na (September 19, 2024). 노정의X이채민X조준영, '바니와 오빠들' 출연...2025년 상반기 첫 방송 [Noh Jeong-ui X Lee Chae-min X Jo Jun-young, 'Bunny and the Brothers' appearances... first broadcast in the first half of 2025] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Retrieved December 31, 2025 – via Naver.
  24. ^ Moon, Ji-yeon (May 26, 2023). [단독] 김다미, 윤종빈 감독과 만남..'나인 퍼즐' 주인공 [[Exclusive] Kim Da-mi, met with director Yoon Jong-bin..'Nine Puzzle' main character]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved December 31, 2025.
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