Why are so many actors eating Kopiko in K-dramas? Inside Netflix’s ‘Genie, Make a Wish’ and the global PPL boom

Actors Kim Seon-ho, Kim Go-eun, and Song Joong-ki eat the same Indonesian coffee candy in different dramas — a foreign product placement featured across series by KBS, SBS and tvN. Captured from each company

Actors eat the same candy in different dramas — a product placement for an Indonesian coffee candy brand. Captured from KBS, SBS and tvN scenes

A recent Hankook Ilbo feature examined how “Genie, Make a Wish,” the latest Netflix series by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, broke what had long been considered an “OTT taboo” — blatant product placement (PPL). The report argued that the era of “PPL safety zones” on global streaming platforms has ended after nine years, revealing deep structural shifts in Korea’s entertainment industry.

“Genie, Make a Wish” disrupted immersion with scenes that seemed to blur the line between narrative and advertising. The piece noted that production cost inflation and intellectual property monopolies are forcing creators to lean on brand exposure — a cost ultimately passed down to viewers.

KT’s ‘genie’ — coincidence or clever wink?

In one of the show’s meta moments, actor Kim Woo-bin reportedly had to lower his AI speaker’s volume while reading the script at home. Each time he said his line “I’m Genie,” his KT smart speaker — also called “Genie” — would respond, “Yes?”

In the series, Kim plays a character inspired by the mythological genie from “Aladdin.” The coincidence between his character’s name and the real-life AI product created a humorous crossover between fantasy and reality. Adding to the coincidence, his co-star Suzy’s character is named “Gi Ga-young” — which, when combined with Kim’s character’s name, sounds identical to “Gi-ga-Genie,” KT’s TV set-top box brand.

While the overlap led many to assume a paid promotion, Netflix officials said that the production received “not a single penny” from KT. Kim Eun-sook reportedly named her characters independently, suggesting she deliberately played with the blurred boundary between reality and fiction — a “reversal of creativity,” as the column described it.

A scene from "Genie, Make a Wish" / Courtesy of Netflix

The candy everyone’s eating — but no one’s selling

The article also highlighted how Korean dramas are now attracting foreign advertisers at an unprecedented rate. Among the 10 companies that placed PPL in “Genie, Make a Wish,” half were foreign brands such as China’s Narwal and the U.K.’s Jimmy Choo.

Industry insiders said that the share of foreign brands in Korean drama PPLs has grown about fivefold over the past five years, driven by the international reach of K-content.

One striking example is Kopiko, the Indonesian coffee candy that has appeared in several hit dramas — "Yumi’s Cells," "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," "Little Women," "Mine," "Vincenzo," and more. Top actors including Kim Go-eun, Kim Seon-ho, and Song Joong-ki have all been filmed eating the same candy, often in close-up.

An Indonesian coffee candy featured in a Korean drama / Captured from tvN

When “Vincenzo” aired in 2021, Kopiko candies were not even sold in Korea. The company was targeting overseas audiences through what industry sources called a “reverse-export advertising strategy” — using Korean dramas as global marketing vehicles.

Actors eat Chinese hotpot instant noodles outside a convenience store in the drama "True Beauty." Captured from tvN

When 'reverse export' backfires

Not all foreign PPLs have been received warmly. The Hankook Ilbo recalled a scene from the 2021 drama "True Beauty," where high-school characters were shown eating Chinese hotpot instant noodles branded by Zhai Guo, despite the fact that the product was not available in Korean stores at the time.

Retailers such as CU and GS25 confirmed that the noodles had never been distributed domestically. Viewers criticized the unrealistic depiction and accused producers of catering to Chinese advertisers.

Industry observers say that while foreign PPLs signal the growing global power of K-content, they also risk clashing with cultural realities at home.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.