Webtoon writer and broadcaster Kian84 is establishing himself as a ‘trend among trendsetters’.

Having taken on various formats of entertainment programs, including reality shows showing personal lives, he has now taken on the challenge of an ‘office show’, drawing attention.

He once again showed off his enhanced entertainment sense by leading the new ENA entertainment program ‘Kian Isseo’, which first aired on the 5th. ‘Kian Isseo’ is a combination of Kian‘s name and ‘CEO’, and is an office entertainment program where Kian84 provides ‘counseling’ to CEOs of various industries. Kian84 took on the role of the CEO of Kian Iseo in the program, while Han Hye-jin, Jung Yong-hwa, and Mimi will appear as the headquarters director, team leader, and employee, respectively.

At the production conference held at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam-dong, Seoul that afternoon to coincide with the first broadcast, Kian84 said, “I’ve done a lot of entertainment shows, starting with Living Alone, but I think this one is the most beneficial,” and “I’m approaching it more ‘seriously’ than ever because I believe that companies need to survive in order for jobs to be created and for the country to thrive.”

He added, “I had a lot of presumptuous thoughts with the employees, such as, ‘There are many good companies in Japan or Europe, so why don’t Korean companies grow?’”

Kian84 said that he’s not “as much of an idiot as he thinks, and said, “You need to be smart to serialize a webtoon. I’m proud of myself as a webtoon artist. He explained, “I focused on demonstrating my ability to imagine or see things from a different perspective.”

Han Hye-jin, who boasts a special friendship with Kian84 and has worked with him on several programs, will also appear.

Han Hye-jin, who talked about Kian84’s unusual side, said, “I’ve worked with Kian84 many times. Even if he’s just breathing, he’s good next to me, so I can just pick him up.” She also expressed confidence by saying, “We have the ‘crazy chemistry’ that many people imagine. You can look forward to it.”

PD Hwang Ji-young, who worked with Kian84 on ‘I Live Alone’ for five years and helped him win the grand prize at last year’s Entertainment Awards, also joined the cast.

PD Hwang, who is in charge of directing, explained the production direction, saying, “I thought it would be good to show another unexpected side of Kian84 beyond his natural charm that we’ve seen on TV so far.”


Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon annjoy@donga.com