[Sports Seoul | Reporter Lee Seung-rok] KT Studio Genie has strengthened its reputation as a maker of well-crafted dramas by following the hit series Honor: Their Court (hereafter Honor) with Climax. After last year’s run of successes — including Shinbyung 3, Good Woman Busemi, and UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces — the studio aims to sustain momentum in the first half of 2026 with three distinct, genre-driven titles.
▲ Smart selection over volume…solidifying its drama-house status
KT Studio Genie has emphasized story-first development rather than a quantity-driven approach. Its talent for picking projects — demonstrated by successes such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Your Honor, and A House with a Yard — is now regarded as a core competitive advantage. Last year’s varied slate, including Shinbyung 3, Your Taste, My Star Like Gold, Good Woman Busemi, UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces, and Idol I, performed steadily and helped the studio anchor itself in the K-drama market.
In the first half of 2026, KT Studio Genie plans an uninterrupted run of well-made content with ENA’s Monday–Tuesday relay lineup: Honor, Climax, and Scarecrow. Rather than simply increasing output, the company is prioritizing high-caliber projects that can generate both audience engagement and critical recognition.
Honor (directed by Park Gun-ho; written by Park Ga-yeon; planned by KT Studio Genie; produced by How Pictures), which aired in February, transcended its crime-mystery chase premise to deliver a poignant meditation on dignity and honor among survivors. Anchored by strong performances from Lee Na-young, Jung Eun-chae, and Lee Chung-ah, the series held the No. 1 spot on Coupang Play from its first week and closed with a series-high 4.9% metropolitan rating for its finale (Nielsen Korea, paid households). It also demonstrated overseas potential, entering the top 10 across five Asian markets on the regional OTT platform Viu.
Taking the baton, Climax (writers Lee Ji-won and Shin Ye-seul; director Lee Ji-won; planned by KT Studio Genie; produced by HYBE Media Corp and SLL), which premiered on the 16th, has landed with authority. The drama tracks prosecutor Bang Tae-seop as he confronts a power cartel and the survival struggles of those around him. A powerhouse cast — Joo Ji-hoon, Ha Ji-won, Nana, Oh Jung-se, and Cha Joo-young — delivered intense engagement from episode one. After its Disney+ release, Climax ranked No. 1 domestically for eight consecutive days, and its TV ratings have risen for three straight episodes. Episode 4 led Monday–Tuesday dramas in the 20–49 demographic, and Pundex’s third-week March survey placed it No. 1 in combined TV–OTT drama buzz — the first ENA drama to do so since 2022.
The follow-up, Scarecrow (directed by Park Joon-woo; written by Lee Ji-hyun; planned by KT Studio Genie; produced by Studio Anzailen), is widely expected to continue the studio’s winning streak. Set to premiere April 20, Scarecrow is a crime thriller about a detective chasing a serial killer who forms an unexpected partnership with a man he loathes. The narrative spans 1988 to 2019, following Park Hae-soo and Lee Hee-joon as they untangle a fraught past in pursuit of the truth. The series marks Park Hae-soo’s return to television drama after roughly five years and reunites director Park Joon-woo with writer Lee Ji-hyun, who previously collaborated on Taxi Driver.
▲ Platform-agnostic distribution…matching each title with the best stage
On distribution, KT Studio Genie is breaking platform boundaries with an all-fronts strategy. Centered on KT Group’s linear channel ENA, the studio collaborates with major domestic and international OTT partners — including Coupang Play, Disney+, and TVING — selecting the optimal distributor for each project rather than relying on exclusive IPTV windows. Honor streams on Coupang Play, Climax on Disney+, and Scarecrow will be on TVING, broadening audience touchpoints across platforms.
Jung Geun-wook, CEO of KT Studio Genie, said, “KT Studio Genie has focused on planning and producing well-made content while steadily building our storytelling capabilities. We will continue to deliver shows that viewers can trust, so please watch our progress.” roku@sportsseoul.com
