Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
KB Kookmin Bank scores big with branded drama starring Kim Nam-gil
A poster for KB Kookmin Bank's branded drama series "Star to START: K-Business Begins," starring Kim Nam-gil / Courtesy of KB Kookmin Bank
By Park Han-sol
KB Kookmin Bank’s four-part branded drama series starring veteran actor Kim Nam-gil has topped 4 million cumulative views on YouTube, the lender said Tuesday, as banks turn to original entertainment content to engage consumers.
Titled “Star to START: K-Business Begins,” the series is set in the world of corporate banking. Kim, best known for hits like SBS' 2019 drama “The Fiery Priest,” plays a relationship manager who travels to meet small and medium-sized business owners, helping them tackle a range of financial challenges.
Each 15-minute episode follows him as he works alongside clients, with the bank’s corporate lending, trade finance and advisory services woven organically into the story. The result is a drama that provides a glimpse into the work of corporate bankers while demystifying a side of the industry that many consumers rarely encounter.
The unusual approach appears to have struck a chord with audiences.
“With Kim Nam-gil promoting its brand image, KB feels like the most trustworthy bank out there,” one viewer commented on YouTube.
“Never thought I’d actually get hooked on a banking drama,” another wrote. "Kim’s star power is real."
The lender has also embraced short-form storytelling aimed at younger audiences.
Last year, it released “Half and Half House,” a web series following young first-time renters who fall victim to the country’s notorious scams involving “jeonse” — the once-dominant rental arrangement where tenants pay a large lump-sum deposit instead of monthly rent — before learning how to protect themselves.
By folding practical tips on spotting rental fraud into the storyline and blending consumer education with entertainment, it went on to garner more than 1.4 million cumulative views.