April 13, 2026, SEOUL, KOREA –  Kakao Entertainment’s latest production, “Perfect Crown,” starring IU and Byeon Woo-seok, has won the hearts of global audiences upon its premiere on April 10. According to FlixPatrol, it ranked 4th on the Top TV Shows chart on Disney+ and entered the Top 10 in 43 countries, mesmerizing viewers with its witty tale of romance defying fate and class.

Set in 21st-century Korea under a constitutional monarchy, the drama follows a chaebol heiress with everything but status – Seong Huiju (IU) – who tries to take control of her future after crossing paths with a lonely prince with nothing but his title – Grand Prince Ian (Byeon Woo-seok.) Together bound by a contract marriage, they begin a class-defying romance to rewrite destiny. The first two episodes depict the pair’s first encounter and how the prince ultimately decides to marry after Huiju’s bold flirting.   

The drama’s compelling narrative, combined with stylish direction and art that harmonizes tradition and modernity, are deeply resonating with viewers worldwide. In addition to these factors, IU from Edam Entertainment – a subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment – is also generating buzz for her subtle portrayal of a quirky yet endearing character with a commanding aura.

IP value chain synergy

“Perfect Crown” serves as a flagship case study for Kakao Entertainment’s integrated IP value chain, across its music, story, and media businesses, spanning drama, music, community, and web novels. With this strategy, Kakao Entertainment offers multiple ways to enjoy a single IP across different formats, allowing fans to move from one format to another. By amplifying the content experience, the company expands the overall fandom of an IP, making it a globally competitive player.       

Delving deeper, Kakao Entertainment has planned and produced a star-studded OST featuring prominent teams. Listed in the roster are artists from Kakao Entertainment’s music labels – WOODZ (Edam Entertainment,) KiiiKiii (Starship Entertainment,) hrtz.wav (Kakao Entertainment,) and RIIZE (SM Entertainment.) In addition to these acts, a range of attention-grabbing stars have also joined the lineup, including BOYNEXTDOOR and BIBI. BIBI and KiiiKiii have released “The Pace” and “Go On” on April 10 and April 11, respectively, enhancing the drama’s narrative and deepening its emotional impact. Other tracks will drop sequentially.

“Perfect Crown” also launched an official fan community on Berriz – Kakao Entertainment’s global fan platform. There, fans can watch the drama and share their reviews in real time, enjoying a new space for communication. They can also get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes cuts and highlights of each episode, further elevating their viewing experience. Berriz’s AI comment reports will provide an at-a-glance summary of key fan reactions, showcasing which moments or scenes drew the most engagement. Moreover, users can share their fan art and drama-related images to reinterpret the characters and plot in their own ways, exchange their works, and discover new forms of enjoyment within the community.     

The synergy will get an extra lift with the upcoming launch of the web novel “Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea” (produced by ROKMEDIA) which shares the same fictional universe with the drama. The 30-part novel will be unveiled exclusively on Kakao Page on May 16, allowing fans to hold onto the lingering emotions even after the series wraps up. Penned by the drama’s writer Yoo Ji-won, the novel explores previously unreleased behind-the-scenes stories, following the characters during their time as students at the Royal Academy of Korea. It offers a glimpse into the past lives of Huiju, Grand Prince Ian, and other characters. The story centers on how Huiju encounters the prince and others, revealing how each of them came to develop their distinct personalities.

When Kakao Entertainment integrates its music, story, and media businesses, fans worldwide gain new ways to explore a single IP from diverse angles. Moving seamlessly across drama, music, community, and web novels, this innovative approach delivers a fresh and immersive experience while creating an interconnected, dynamic content ecosystem. To date, Kakao Entertainment has actively pursued IP expansion and diversification – it has produced numerous webtoon- and web novel-based dramas such as “A Business Proposal,” “When the Phone Rings,” and “Karma.” The company has also released a web novel for KiiiKiii exclusively on Kakao Page, with the group putting out a digital single set within the same fictional universe.

Following “Perfect Crown,” Kakao Entertainment plans to roll out more webtoon-based works like “Mousetrap” and “A Bona Fide Killer,” as well as the drama adaptation of the popular web novel “Solo Leveling.”