Daniel Dae Kim To Present & Produce CNN Travel Series ‘K-Everything’
EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Dae Kim and CNN are getting under the skin of the global Korean pop culture movement.
The actor-producer will front K-Everything, a four-part CNN travel series in which he will go on a quest to discover how South Korea has sparked a global pop culture movement, driving trends in music, food, TV and film. Several major names from the country’s creative sector will make cameos.
The multi-platform series is in production and is being made by CNN’s Asia-Pacific-based Global Production teams as a collaboration with CNN Originals. It will premiere next year as part of the CNN Originals slate, and Kim is an exec producer.
“I’ve been lucky enough to watch Korea over the years take center stage as a cultural and economic powerhouse,” he said. “It’s a genuine joy teaming up with CNN to explore the many qualities that make the country and its culture so special.”
K-content, driven by the likes of Squid Game and Parasite, has become among the most-watched screen content in the world.
Kim, who first came to prominence in ABC’s Lost and spent five years in Hawaii Five-O, remains one of the most well-known Korean-American actors. He recently told Deadline about the shoot for Prime Video series Butterfly, which fulfilled a goal to shoot in Korea for the first time. Besides acting, he has become a prolific producer, with his 3AD Productions label attached to the likes of ABC’s medical procedural The Good Doctor and Buttefly, which topped Amazon’s streaming chart in the U.S.
“Daniel brings an exceptional blend of curiosity and thoughtfulness to everything he does, making him the ideal guide for our audiences, who are eager to explore how Korean culture has become a global cultural phenomenon,” said Amy Entelis, Executive Vice President of Talent at CNN Originals and Creative Development for CNN Worldwide.
Executive producers for K-Everything are Kim, Entelis, Ellana Lee, Katie Hinman, Jon Jensen and Ryan Smith for CNN Original Series. It marks the first collaboration between the network’s CNN Originals and APAC-based Global Productions teams. South Korean car giant Hyundai Motor Company is sponsoring the series.
Kim’s other credits include Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender and Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon. He also featured in Netflix’s international animated phenomenon, Kpop Demon Hunters, which has become the most watched film of all time on the platform. Last year, he starred in David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face at the Roundabout Theater on Broadway, and was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Play at the 2025 Tony Awards, becoming the first AAPI actor to be nominated in that category.
Kim is repped by UTA, Linden Entertainment, and Gang Tyre.
