Today we’d like to introduce you to Semin Kim
Hi Semin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello, I’m Semin Kim, a Brand & Content Director with expertise in planning, producing, and marketing K-culture content globally. Thank you for having me as an interviewee on Voyage LA. It’s an honor to share my journey and future plans with you.
My passion for sharing ideas and stories with the world through creative content led me to begin my career at CJ ENM, a leading entertainment company in South Korea. I started about ten years ago as an assistant director for one of Korea’s most popular music programs, Show Me The Money 4. Over the next few years, I worked on Show Me The Money Seasons 4, 5, and 6, which gave me the opportunity to experience major success in the content business early on.
Later, as a main director, I led the global success of the music show My Boyfriend is Better and strategically developed branding for the K-pop channel Mnet and the MAMA Awards. Notably, My Boyfriend is Better gained significant popularity in Korea, winning the Best General Entertainment, Game or Quiz Program category at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2022. The show later expanded globally, successfully localized in Thailand, Brazil, and Vietnam, proving the potential for K-entertainment content to thrive in international markets.
With a deep understanding of how K-pop and K-culture content should be produced, marketed, and branded, I’ve dedicated my career to connecting with global audiences and enhancing the value of K-content worldwide. As an expert who oversees every stage of content creation—from planning and production to marketing—I now aspire to expand my focus beyond K-pop to broader areas of K-culture, such as K-food and K-beauty. With the growing global interest in Asian culture, fueled by the Korean Wave (Hallyu), I am passionate about promoting the richness of Korean and Asian culture to global markets. I believe introducing these cultural elements here in Los Angeles is just the beginning of a broader cultural exchange across the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest obstacles and challenges I’ve faced have often been tied to breaking away from conventional thinking and overcoming the tendency to stick to familiar methods. As a Brand & Content Director, the value I prioritize most is “challenge.” More specifically, I believe that to become the best, you must first dare to be the first. However, being the first comes with its own set of significant difficulties—it often means stepping into uncharted territory and pushing against the resistance of fixed mindsets.
For example, My Boyfriend is Better was a project where I, as the main director, set a bold goal: not just domestic success, but global expansion through format exports. Many around me were focused on traditional metrics like “domestic ratings” and pushed for a typical audition-style music show with popular singers. However, I believed that clinging to the conventional would not lead to anything groundbreaking. Instead, I envisioned something entirely new—a music game show with a unique format.
Every aspect of this project, from planning and production to global sales, was a first-of-its-kind challenge. The show’s identity as the first music survival program without judges was groundbreaking. We collaborated with the team behind The Masked Singer and worked closely with the international content business team from the very beginning of planning. These efforts paid off—the program was selected as one of the “Fresh TV Formats” at MIPTV and eventually won an award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. It was successfully localized in multiple countries, including Thailand, Brazil, and Vietnam, solidifying its global presence.
This success wasn’t achieved by taking the safest or most predictable route, but by daring to innovate and pursue bold, original ideas. It was only by challenging conventional practices and embracing the risks of being the first that we could achieve such groundbreaking results.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Have you ever wondered how K-pop and K-culture are shaping global trends and connecting people across cultures?
As a creative Brand & Content Director, I was invited to USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in the fall of 2023 as a Research Scholar, a role I continue to hold today, focusing on the global impact of K-culture. In 2024, I supported Professor Hyejin Lee in planning, organizing, and hosting the Behind the Scenes of K-pop symposium. Leveraging my expertise in content branding and production, I contributed to shaping the symposium, which brought together leading industry professionals in K-pop production, marketing, and management. The event facilitated in-depth discussions on the cultural, business, and future value of K-culture, providing a meaningful experience for USC students and K-pop enthusiasts, and achieving significant success both online and offline.
Beyond this, through my other research and various projects at USC, I’ve witnessed firsthand how K-culture is expanding far beyond K-pop into broader domains. From Korean BBQ restaurants in Koreatown bustling with international patrons to the global success of Netflix’s Korean culinary competition show, Culinary Class Wars, and the rise of Korean cosmetic brands dominating Amazon’s top categories, these trends vividly demonstrate the growing influence of K-culture.
Building on these insights, I’m exploring new ways to support the rapid growth of the K-culture industry through innovative marketing and branding strategies. By expanding into areas like K-food and K-beauty, I hope to connect with diverse audiences across the U.S. and beyond, fostering meaningful cultural exchange and engagement.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to continuing this exciting journey together!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seminxx
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semin-kim-3b43bb181/
