Monster Union

Monster Union (Korean: 몬스터 유니온) is a South Korean production and distribution company founded on June 9, 2016. It is a subsidiary of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).

History

The company, which focuses on producing entertainment and dramas, was launched in August 2016. Its first president and chief executive officer was Park Seong-hye, whose appointment brought a fresh perspective to the team as she had experience as a top star manager and had produced popular dramas.

Ahead of the company's August launch, Park shared her vision for the company in an interview for the KBS newsletter. She explained that the name Monster Union symbolized a collaboration among talented producers and highlighted the company's role as a bridge between KBS and external partners. The office for Monster Union was being established in the KBS Media building in Sangam-dong, and discussions for investment and co-production with external production companies were in progress. The company was gearing up to release its first project under the name Monster Union in the upcoming year.

Monster Union brought on board renowned directors from KBS to lead its drama and entertainment departments. Former KBS drama director Moon Bo-hyun was appointed as the head of the drama department, while Seo Soo-min took charge of the entertainment department. The drama department included directors with experience in popular dramas like Bread, Love and Dreams, Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho, Seoyoung, My Daughter, Brain, and Descendants of the Sun. Yoo Ho-jin, who had previously directed KBS's 2 Days & 1 Night Season 3, joined as an entertainment director.

The establishment of Monster Union by KBS sparked controversy among outsourced production companies, leading to a statement of condemnation from three industry associations. In response, Park clarified that Monster Union aimed to coexist with outsourced production companies by leveraging KBS's expertise and experience. She emphasized a spirit of cooperation and outlined the company's goal of creating globally recognized content and expanding its cultural content intellectual property (IP) business. Park also mentioned plans to distribute content through various platforms, including the web and apps, in addition to KBS's main channel.

In 2017, Monster Union produced its first drama, Queen for Seven Days.