[INTERVIEW]

 

“K” has gone global.

 

From K-pop topping worldwide charts to Korean films winning international awards, Korea’s cultural imprint is everywhere. But how did this relatively small nation capture the world’s attention? CNN’s new travel show “K-Everything” sets out to answer that question, with Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim as its host. Kim says the series is not just for newbies to K-culture, but for so-called K-experts as well.

 

 

“I think a show like ‘K-Everything’ is important because to people who don’t know anything about Korean culture, they get their first introduction to all the things that make it special,” Kim said during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily last month, offering a sneak peek into the show and sharing his experience filming it.

 

“And even for those who do know Korean culture, I think there’s something in there that will be entertaining and maybe something that even […] the K-experts will learn,” he said.

 

“K-Everything” follows Kim as he travels across Korea in search of answers to how the country has sparked a global pop culture movement that spans entertainment, beauty and food. Viewers can expect to see one of Hollywood’s most prolific Korean American actors meet with big names like singer PSY and travel to some of the country’s most exquisite locations. 

 

The show features cameos from across the K-culture spectrum, including “Squid Game” (2021-25) actor Lee Byung-hun, Michelin three-star chef Kang Min-goo, K-pop idols such as Meovv and the producers behind “Golden” (2025), the hit song from Netflix’s sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” (2025). Kim even shared that a personal cameo appears in the show: his parents.

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, far left, listens to Kang Min-goo, chef of the Michelin three-star restaurant Mingles, center, and chef Corey Lee of Benu, a Michelin three-star restaurant in San Francisco, explain dishes at the restaurant in Seoul in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

Kim’s parents happened to be visiting Korea while the show was shooting, and he asked if they would sit for the camera. They agreed, and the three of them sat down over
jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) to talk about their experience as immigrants and the difference between the careers they once knew and the careers of today.

 

One standout experience during the filming of “K-Everything” for Kim was witnessing the creation process of “Golden,” something he said he had never seen up close before.

 

“I’ve known the music industry, and I’ve known musicians and music [executives], but I’ve never actually been in a recording studio the way I was for this show,” he said. “[The producers] walked me through the process of writing Golden and how they chose the beat, and you know how they patch things together, they worked with the singer EJAE, and so it was just fun to watch how it got created.”

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim is seen in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

The song’s reach hit him outside the studio, too. Walking through Myeongdong in central Seoul while shooting, Kim kept hearing “Golden” spilling from street vendors’ speakers and noticed posters for “KPop Demon Hunters” plastered across the area.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this — a
gyopo-based story from something Korean American transferring to Korea,” said Kim, using the Korean word for those of Korean descent living abroad. “How wonderful that Koreans have accepted this story that was made in America about their culture and are as proud of it as Korean Americans are.”

 

Kim also met “Squid Game” actor Lee, whom he said he had known for a while. He expressed excitement to introduce Lee to those unfamiliar with him, saying, “Everyone in Korea knows who he is and how good an actor he is, but it’s also nice to know that others are learning how great he is.”

 

The show also goes behind the scenes of the K-beauty industry, where Kim actually meets the supplier of an awkward yet effective ingredient used in Korean cosmetics: snails.
 

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, left, is seen in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

“We went out to a snail factory where they produce the mucin that goes into all the makeup, and I met the snails who do all the hard work,” Kim said.

 

He praised the environment in which the snails live, saying they are “treated quite well,” adding, “the snails live pretty happy lives from what I saw.”

 

While filming, Kim also explored the world of Korean cuisine, where he came to appreciate the significance of
jang, Korea’s traditional fermented pastes and sauces.

 

“I always knew
ganjang [soy sauce] and
chojang [spicy and sweet red pepper paste] and things like that, but I didn’t realize what a rich history that soy sauce had in Korea,” he said. “I just saw Korean cuisine in a different way.”

 

Having previously experienced Korea largely through his family, Kim described the show as a chance to see the country from a broader perspective.

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, right, speaks with Korean actor Lee Byung-hun in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

“Through ‘K-everything’ and my visits [to Korea] as an adult, I was able to see so many different walks of life there, so many different people doing so many different things,” Kim said. “So it was really great to kind of get a more comprehensive understanding of the things that make Korea special.”

 

The show also turns its lens on Korean film and television, a sector that has produced some of the country’s most visible global exports of the past decade — from Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (2019) sweeping the Oscars to “Squid Game” becoming Netflix’s most watched series. For Kim, the surge of international attention on Korean directors is hardly surprising.

 

“I think when you have filmmakers at the level of the big three in Korea — Kim Jee-won, Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook — making world-class movies, people are going to notice,” he said. “When you have a cuisine that is so unique, you know it’s going to make a mark, and when you have people who are as beautiful as Koreans are, you’re going to want to know what their skincare secrets are.”

 

“All of these things, and of course, the music industry […] the people are going to stand up and take notice,” he added. “They call it a wave for a reason. It’s not just one act, it’s several acts in every industry that are just making a real impact on the world.”

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim walks around Bukchon Hanok Village in Jongno District, central Seoul in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

Of the big three directors, Kim said his longest history is with Park, whose work he first encountered through “Oldboy” (2003) and “Joint Security Area” (2000). He likened the current period of Korean cinema to a particular era in American film.

 

“I think of this era in Korean cinema like the 1970s in American cinema, where you have auteur directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese — they all emerged at the same time,” Kim said. “And this is what’s happening, I think, in Korea.”

 

He was careful, though, not to confine the conversation to the three names most often cited.

 

“It’s not just about the three directors we mentioned. There are generations of really, really good directors in Korea, not just on film but in TV,” Kim said. “This is the reason why I think that this wave will continue, because it won’t die out with just those three directors. There are many others ready to take the stage and already are.”

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, left, speaks with Korean actor Lee Byung-hun in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

Working in Hollywood, one of the most competitive media industries in the world, Kim has been one of the representative figures as a Korean American actor on screen, appearing in shows like ABC’s “Lost” (2004-10) and CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” (2010-20).

 

Reflecting on his identity, Kim said, “There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not aware of who I am and what I look like.”

 

“There are times where it’s an obstacle, but there are also many times where it’s a blessing, and that’s why I think it’s important to keep in mind both perspectives,” he said.

 

That vantage point also informs the kinds of stories he wants to see told. Kim said he has spoken with executives in both Korea and the United States who believe gyopo stories will struggle to find an audience because the diaspora is a minority on both sides of the Pacific. His Hulu series “Butterfly” (2025), he said, was an attempt to push back.

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim eats Korean food in an episode of the CNN travel show ″K-Everything″ [CNN]

 

“’Butterfly’ is actually a gyopo story,” Kim said. “I want to prove these executives wrong and show them that we can have successful stories that integrate into both Korean culture and American culture.”

 

He added that the industry is in an “intermediate” stage.

 

“We have to promote representation of marginalized communities, so we can give them their share of the spotlight, so that we can get to the final step of just looking at their humanity,” Kim said.

 

The four-episode CNN series “K-Everything” is set to premiere on Saturday.

BY KIM JI-YE, LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]