Kim Woo-taek

Kim Woo-taek (; born ) is a South Korean producer and entertainment executive. He is the founder and current chairman of Next Entertainment World (NEW), which started as a film investment and distribution company and expanded into the musical, record, and drama business. Kim establishing himself as a prominent content producer in South Korea after producing major hit with the drama Descendants of the Sun, as well as film Miracle in Cell No. 7 and Train to Busan, which garnered 10 million viewers.

Kim's name made into the shortlist of Cine21 magazine's '50 Most Powerful Men in Korean Cinema' for seven consecutive years, spanning from 2001 to 2007.

Early life and education Kim Woo-taek, born on July 4, 1964, in Seoul, completed his high school education at in 1984. He went on to graduate from Seoul National University's Department of Business Administration in 1988. In 1990, He earned a master's degree in business administration from Emory University Graduate School in the United States.

He completed the CEO course at Sogang University and the Top Entertainment course at Hanyang University. He also completed the Cultural Content Global Leader Course at Seoul National University.

Career After obtaining his master's degree in 1990, Kim began his career as an expert in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the planning department of the New York City branch of Samsung C&T. In 1996, he further advanced his career by joining Dongyang Global.

In the following year, 1997, he relocated to On-Media, a subsidiary of the Korean food company Orion Group, which had been spun off from Dongyang Group. This move marked his entry into the film industry. At On-Media, he took on the role of general manager of the children's broadcasting channel Tooniverse. In 1999 He moved to another Orion Grup subsidiary Mediaplex established in 1999. Mediaplex brought a new wind to the theater world by operating Megabox Cineplex, which emerged as a representative theater district in Gangnam, Seoul. In 2001, He entered the film business by becoming an assistant managing director at multiplex theater chain Megabox. Kim set a precedent for other theaters by introducing groundbreaking initiatives like hosting a film festival, theater membership, and Thursday releases, all under the slogan "A movie theater that is more fun than a movie."

Mediaplex was absorbed and merged with Showbox in 2003 and Kim became CEO. Followed by the box office success of The Host (2006). In April 2008 Kim became CEO of Megabox.

In 2008, Kim established a film distribution and investment company called Next Entertainment World (NEW). Starting with only four staff members and a capital of 2 billion won, he initiated this startup enterprise. Seo Dong-wook and Jang Kyung-ik were among the four original members who established NEW. The company's headquarters were situated in a corner of a building in Samseong-dong.

Unfortunately, not long after, a fire broke out in the building. Although there were no casualties, everything was destroyed. Reflecting on the incident, he remarked, "Everything burned down. It was a traumatic experience, but it all depended on how you interpreted it. I believed it was a way for things to fall into place." Undeterred by the setback, he set out to explore new horizons in the entertainment industry. Overcoming the challenges posed by the accident, he started anew from scratch, determined to carve out a fresh path for himself and his company.

In 2010, New began investing in and distributing Korean films in earnest. Its investment strategy involved diversifying its portfolio by producing multiple small, low-budget films, rather than putting all its resources into one project. After The Fixer became a box office success and Hello Ghost exceeded 3 million viewers, the industry began to pay attention to New's strength. Based on his confidence at this time, he began distributing works that were difficult for large companies to invest in, such as Late Blossom and Pietà. Late Blossom was a work that major distributors ignored, saying, "Who would watch a movie featuring a grandfather?" When Director Kim Ki-duk received the honor of the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival for Pietà. Kim Woo-taek as Producer witnessed a moment of glory and history enjoyed by the Korean film industry.

In 2011, Kim made a bold decision to leave his secure position as the CEO of Showbox Mediaplex and assumed position as NEW's CEO.

It was in 2013 that NEW finally garnered significant attention. The company had made its debut in 2012 by releasing blockbuster films like All About My Wife, The Grand Heist, and Pietà. Building on this success, NEW continued to captivate audiences in 2013 with hits such as Miracle in Cell No. 7. NEW continued to captivate audiences in 201, it surpassed competitors like CJ E&M, Showbox, and Lotte, and ranked first in terms of audience with the success of Miracle in Cell No. 7, Hide and Seek (5.6 Million viewers), and New World (4.68 Million viewers).

Miracle in Cell No. 7 and New World were films that were rejected by other major companies. Kim was fascinated by the story of New World. The employees were all against it, but Director Park Hoon-jung asked for a little more time. But the scenario was completely different. When Kim thought about why it became so interesting, it turned out that the story wasn't changed, but the characters were made clearer. Kim think It was so amazing and have trust. "We communicate with people and make investment decisions based on whether it is enjoyable or not. These criteria remain consistent for all content."—Kim Woo-taek In August 2013, he established NEW subsidiary Content Panda, a content distribution rights distribution business.

After that period, there was a challenging downhill journey. In 2014 and 2015, Heosamgwan and Daeho encountered significant setbacks, resulting in a sharp decline in stock prices and raising concerns about the Company financial condition. However, Kim Woo-taek remained steadfast in his resolve, showing unwavering determination regardless of the business's performance. In fact, during the past two years, the company has been actively expanding its foundation by establishing divisions dedicated to musicals, sports, and music. Additionally, it has successfully formed connections between China's financial hub and the entertainment industry. This led to speculation that the profits from dramas were going to China. Kim clarified the situation by stating, "While it is true that Huache Media invested in and co-produced Descendants of the Sun, they are not direct investors in the drama but shareholders." He emphasized that the direct profits associated with the drama Descendants of the Sun belong to NEW and KBS, drawing a clear distinction.

In the same year NEW released Train to Busan in the summer market, which is considered the largest market of the year. Kim pushed ahead with the Train to Busan project with the belief that even zombies would have potential if the story had power. "The zombies, freed from their reins, ran at a frightening speed and were eventually able to win the 10 million movie title. I was confident. After watching the movie, I decided that it would be good to put it on the summer market. I myself don't usually watch zombie movies."Train to Busan set the all-time record for daily attendance (1.28 million) and exceeded 10 million viewers, making it the only film of 2016 to achieve this milestone. It garnered positive reviews from both critics and the public for successfully adapting the zombie theme, commonly found in Hollywood movies, to Korean sensibilities.

NEW's first drama production was the KBS 2TV drama Descendants of the Sun. CEO Kim Woo-taek stated, "I came across 'Descendants of the Sun' by chance. I was exchanging greetings with a junior colleague of mine who mentioned that they were preparing a drama. A few days later, we met and I learned about it, and I was immediately drawn to it." Descendants of the Sun achieved the highest viewership rating of 38.8% in the first half of the year, setting an unprecedented record despite the declining viewership ratings for terrestrial dramas. In June 2016, it received the grand prize in the TV category at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards.

In 2021, NEW (Next Entertainment World, Chairman Kim Woo-taek) signed a content supply contract with OTT service Coupang Play and decided to provide 25 movies.

Personal life Kim Woo-taek practices Christianity as his religion and follows the motto "Be thankful in everything," derived from a Bible verse.

He married his spouse, Han Mi, on June 16, 1990, and has one son and one daughter.

A Season of Good Rain 호우시절

Poetry 시 Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp 고死 두번째 이야기 : 교생실습 Haunters 초능력자 Late Blossom 그대를 사랑합니다 Hello Ghost 헬로우 고스트

Poongsan 풍산개 Blind 블라인드 Marrying the Mafia IV 가문의 영광4 – 가문의 수난 Unbowed 부러진 화살 Come Rain, Come Shine 사랑한다, 사랑하지 않는다 The Cat 고양이: 죽음을보는 두개의눈

Dangerously Excited 나는 공무원이다 Miss Conspirator 미쓰 GO The Grand Heist 바람과 함께 사라지다 Pietà 피에타 Ghost Sweepers 점쟁이들 Love Fiction 러브 픽션 All About My Wife 내 아내의 모든 것 Love 911 반창꼬

The Attorney Cold Eyes 감시자들 Miracle in Cell No. 7 7번방의 선물 New World 신세계 The Fake 사이비 Hide and Seek 숨바꼭질

Sea Fog 해무 For the Emperor 황제를 위하여 Fashion King 패션왕 Man in Love 남자가 사랑할 때

Twenty 스물 Chronicle of a Blood Merchant 허삼관 The Phone 더 폰 Northern Limit Line 연평해전 The Beauty Inside 뷰티 인사이드 You Call It Passion 열정 같은 소리 하고 있네 The Tiger 대호

Train to Busan 부산행 Pandora 판도라

Because I Love You 사랑하기 때문에 The Mimic 장산범

The King 더킹 Lucid Dream 루시드 드림 One Line 원라인 What a Man Wants 바람 바람 바람 The Villainess 악녀 Steel Rain 강철비

Psychokinesis 염력 Herstory 허스토리 Believer 독전 The Great Battle 안시성 Rampant 창궐

Homme Fatale 기방도령 Birthday 생일 Inseparable Bros 나의 특별한 형제 Cheer Up, Mr. Lee 힘을 내요, 미스터 리 Start-Up 시동

Honest Candidate 정직한 후보 Peninsula 반도 Night in Paradise 낙원의 밤 The Call 콜

Hostage: Missing Celebrity 인질 Perhaps Love 장르만 로맨스

Special Delivery 특송 The Witch: Part 2. The Other One 마녀 2: the other one Honest Candidate 2 정직한 후보 2 The Night Owl 올빼미

Soulmate 소울메이트 Long D 롱디 The Childe 귀공자 Smugglers 밀수 Marrying the Mafia: Returns 가문의 영광:리턴즈 Television series

Web series +Web seriesYearTitleOTTDirectorProduction houseCredited asEnglishKoreanPlannerInvestor 2022 Rookie Cops 너와 나의 경찰수업 Disney+ Kim Byung-soo 2023Moving무빙Park In-je 2024 The Tyrant 폭군 Park Hoon-jung

Stage

Accolades

Award and nomination

Listicle +Listicle of KimPublisherYearListPlacementCine21 2001 Chungmuro 50 Power Filmmaker 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 E-Daily 2016 Best Cultural Leader Herald Economy 2013 Pop Culture Power Leader Big 30 2014 Korea CXO Research Institute 2023 34 people in the '10 billion club' of culture and content stocks Leader+ 2019 10 Leaders who Lead K-Culture MaxMovie 2016 Power Creator 30 Money Today Star News 2007 Entertainment Power Number One