Inside K-Dramas: Producer Song JinSun of “True Beauty” And “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”

Creative Producer Song JinSun seeks to collaborate with global creators who are inspired by K-Style storytelling.

Creative producers may not enjoy the same level of recognition as K-Drama actors, directors, or writers, but they play an important role behind the scenes. They identify stories with potential for dramas, determine the message they should convey, and select the appropriate director and writer to bring them to life.

“We give direction to others who might not yet see the full potential of an idea. And since we’re part of building the script, we understand its essence. That means we can have meaningful conversations with directors, actors, and even crew members,” HAJI CEO and Creative Producer Song JinSun told Kpopmap in an interview in Seoul.

Watch the full interview below.

Starting as a comic writer, Song became a creative producer for a major TV station and production studio in South Korea. For over 15 years, she has helped create around 20 dramas across different genres, including popular titles such as “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim,” “True Beauty,” “Duty After School,” and “Connect.”

“I mostly work on the script. I spend more time speaking with the writers. “I ask so many questions about the characters,” Song detailed, describing her role as a creative producer. “We can finalize the script only after we’ve gone through all that. Then, we give it to the actors. That reduces the number of questions actors or directors might have later.”

As a seasoned creative producer with an ability to spot highly potential ideas, she is now actively searching for engaging stories not only in Korea but also internationally. She is particularly focused on merging “K-Style storytelling” with various global cultures to produce content that resonates worldwide through collaborations with international creatives and producers.

“When I first went to Taiwan, it wasn’t for a full 8-month workshop. Initially, they simply asked me to share my experience. I just spoke honestly about my process—what worked and what didn’t. There aren’t many opportunities to hear someone speak about the reality of production like that,” she explained. “After that, I was invited to mentor creators through a group like TAICCA (similar to Korea’s KOCCA). We paired up in mentor-mentee relationships and co-developed stories. The trust we established through these interactions led to the development of co-production projects. It’s often scary to work with people overseas if you don’t know them, but when you share 8 months of creative time, you build real trust.”

When it comes to highly potential ideas, Song highlighted her highly popular projects, “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “True Beauty,” both still gaining viewership on platforms like Netflix. She noted that the strength of K-Dramas often lies in their emotional depth and relationship-driven narratives.

“What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” was compelling because of its offbeat, assertive male lead and an independent, proactive female lead. “True Beauty” touched on universal themes like being loved for your true self—classic romantic clichés paired with coming-of-age storytelling,” she added.

“Good content, ultimately, portrays the dilemma of a human being—our desires. Stories aren’t just about events or plot twists. They’re about how people respond to those events. A good story starts with a compelling dilemma that the character is facing. If that dilemma has enough potential to expand over multiple episodes, and if the main character has the capacity to evolve—it has power.”

Song also keeps an eye on short-form content on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Despite their easy consumption, these videos often resonate with audiences on a personal level, sharing emotional hooks similar to popular dramas.

“These days, when people are constantly comparing their lives to others and getting stressed out, they want stories that bring comfort and healing. While I don’t consider it a trend, I believe a growing number of people gravitate toward such narratives. These are stories that make you realize the characters’ lives aren’t so different from your own. This type of storytelling has always been central to good content, and I believe it will remain so,” she observed.

However, a compelling story alone does not guarantee a drama’s success. Song emphasizes the crucial role actors play, reflecting on her positive experiences working with Seol KyungGu, Park SeoJun, and Jung HaeIn that left a deep impression on her.

“Even after reading the script countless times, I still find myself laughing or crying because of an actor’s performance. Park SeoJun in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” understood his character deeply and contributed many ideas. Jung HaeIn in “Connect handled a complex genre and international collaboration with outstanding focus. Seol KyungGu in “The Whirlwind” showed passionate leadership throughout.”

For Song, producing dramas requires not only identifying high-potential ideas but also patience. She attributes her successful career to her passion, which enables her to discern truly compelling stories.

“Producing requires a true love for storytelling. Projects can take 3 to 6 years to complete, and there’s no set schedule. But watching the finished piece air out is deeply rewarding. I may never stop doing this work—even until the end of my life,” she shared.

After more than 15 years of producing globally popular Korean content, Song has recently co-founded HAJI, a production company allowing her to freely select and work on projects without boundaries. She established the company with acclaimed writer Park KyungSoo, known for dramas such as “The Chaser,” “Empire of Gold,” “Punch,” and “The Whirlwind.”

“When we created HAJI, we would rather not call it just another production company. We wanted to name it a creative collective—a ‘storytelling house.’ This is due to our desire to consistently produce new works. Ideally, those stories should possess literary merit and have their roots in human experiences. That’s our motto. As long as the story holds that value, we aren’t concerned about the genre. It can be anything,” she emphasized.

She added, “We prepare original scripts internally and also collaborate on high-quality script development using others’ IP. Occasionally we co-produce. Our involvement isn’t limited to Korea—we develop scripts with creatives and producers abroad too. As long as there’s a solid narrative, we’re open to working with any country or creator.”

HAJI currently has several projects in development, including a family crime drama written by Park. Song also enthusiastically discussed adapting the webtoon “It’s Mine” into an animated series, a project she has personally discovered and long pursued.

“I’ve wanted to develop “It’s Mine” since my previous company, but I never got it completed. Instead of just using the original work as-is, I built out an expanded universe, added new characters, and created a pitching package. When I sent it overseas, the response was that not only was the original work attractive, but the three additional storylines I created were very appealing. So now, we’re preparing to turn it into an animated series in the U.S., and we’re continuing discussions there.”

Finally, expressing her global aspirations, Song shared her favorite Hollywood actors she’d love to work with, given the chance:

“Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya. I’d love to explore roles that transform their appeal into something new, placing them in stories filled with intense dilemmas.”