Korea continues to push content to center of world entertainment

We spent most of our work week in Seoul, South Korea to experience the latest K-offering Black Knight. By now, you have been seeing the posters all over the Metro and even EDSA as the brutalist look of our highways can be reminiscent of the vibe the show gives.

Well, in Seoul, posters for the series are also everywhere! As journalists, we usually “cover” news events. But now, it is more than just that already. I say experience because the way events are conducted now, especially by streaming giant Netflix, is that if they invite you to join the event, they immerse you, starting from the hotel check-in to the whole duration of your stay. It is, indeed, the whole shebang which is very advanced from what its streaming competitors, as well as other producers or studios are trying to achieve.

Black Knight is a thrilling adaptation of the widely-acclaimed webtoon series, which takes audiences to a dystopian vision of Seoul in 2071, where it is engulfed by sand and reliant on oxygen deliveries.

It stars Kim Woo-bin as 5-8, the toughest deliveryman who’s admired by many. With his good looks and charm, Kim perfectly captures the hero’s spirit. This is also his third project and most action-packed since his return from his six-year showbiz hiatus due to his nasopharyngeal cancer, which is now a thing of the past.

This columnist with the Black Knight lead star Kim Woo-bin in his third and most action-packed project since returning from his six-year acting hiatus.

Director Cho, who had already shown great teamwork with Kim in Master, praised him highly, saying, “Woo-bin was made for the strong and silent 5-8.” At the press conference, the actor shared that he tried to understand 5-8’s past as a refugee and a lone wolf character.

Black Knight also stars well-known actor Song Seung-heon who will play the antagonist. Seung-heon, who is famous for his roles in Voice Season 4: Judgment Hour, Player and Black, plays Ryu Seok, a ruthless heir to the powerful Cheonmyeong Group. Badass Korean actress Esom, who recently garnered global acclaim for her role in Netflix’s Kill Boksoon, portrays Major Seol-ah in Black Knight. Kang You-seok, on the other hand, is the newcomer to star alongside these veterans.

During the whole #JoinBlackKnight event, Netflix brought us to a mock-up of what a deserted Seoul would look like at the Yeongdeungpo area, complete with props from the show such as outfits and masks, sandy backdrops and activities to enjoy. The fan event and the media conference even took place in what looked like an abandoned warehouse! To top it all off, we were treated to backstage moments with the four cast members, where we exchanged small talk and got to capture content for social media. We even managed to get an autograph from both Woo-bin and Seung-heon, who are among South Korea’s hottest oppas.

Covering Korean entertainment for a decade now, the experience has grown so much not just in how events are being conducted around a show, but also those covering it. There is no doubt that Korean content is major in the Philippines, but in the last year, besides our usual neighbors like Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, I have been seeing more Latin American fans, journalists and influencers being gung-ho and present in covering K-content. Proof that Korean stories are really traveling fast around the globe!

I am certain that in the coming years and seeing the hard work of South Korea to push its stories to the world, Hollywood should not sleep on it or might wake up one day and find out that the tides have turned and the majority of the audiences would choose Korean stories over those made by the west. Nothing wrong with that, but I’m pretty sure Hollywood would like to keep its crown.