A+E Studios’ First Korean Drama Debuts

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If You Wish Upon Me, A+E Studios’ first Korean drama series, has premiered on KBS and the OTT platforms Viu, Viki and U-Next.

The series centers on an impoverished man with a troubled past who joins Team Genie, an organization inspired by the Make-a-Wish Foundation that carries out the last wishes of patients in hospice care. As part of the team, he begins to care for people other than himself for the first time.

If You Wish Upon Me debuted on KBS in South Korea, followed by Lifetime Korea. It premiered worldwide on Viu in 16 markets in Asia, the Middle East and South Africa; Viki in the Americas, Europe and Oceania; and U-Next in Japan.

A+E Networks is the sole studio financier and distributor for the series, which stars Ji Chang-wook, Sung Dong-il and Choi Soo-young.

Saugato Banerjee, managing director for Asia at A+E Networks, said, “A+E Networks continues to double down on creating relevant and globally monetizable IP across genres and formats. The global demand for K-dramas continues to grow. If You Wish Upon Me is our first creative partnership with A+E Studios and reflects the ambition and confidence in the appeal of the genre.”

Youngsun Soh, general manager of Korea and regional head of digital business development at A+E Networks, added, “Korean content has become a global phenomenon thanks to its distinctive stories and production values. As a part of a global media group, A+E Networks Korea aims to provide exceptional content globally by strengthening our investments in creative works. We are pleased to premier If You Wish Upon Me on the public network KBS2 in prime time and on Lifetime Korea. Based on our strength as a global media group, A+E Networks Korea also expects to fuel IP creation in the form of adaptations and remakes.”