[WEEKENDER] Beyond Korea: Foreign entrepreneurs turn Korean culture into business opportunities

Foreign entrepreneurs are turning Korean culture into businesses for overseas audiences, while navigating administrative and business-culture challenges in Korea. French founders Christophe Diez and Jeanne Dubresson launched Kyool, a streaming app offering Korean content in French and English, and Indian entrepreneur Nidhi Agrawal has expanded Kalphabets from Hangeul-shaped crackers into a range of cultural products. Kyool plans a 2027 relaunch and expansion into several European markets, while Kalphabets is exploring ways to reach consumers abroad.

Kyool works with more than 20 Korean content partners, including SBS, MBC and CJ ENM, as well as smaller production studios and distributors.

Diez and Dubresson were selected for the K-Startup Grand Challenge in 2024 and finished in the Top 8.

Kalphabets has a six-person team and sells crackers, stickers, key rings, T-shirts and hats featuring Hangeul and Korean cultural content.

Kalphabets products are available at more than 50 locations, including cafes, retail stores and duty-free outlets.

Agrawal said some online banking services remain unavailable to her as a foreign national, and some courier accounts are registered under a Korean employee’s name.

Published Oct 30, 2026 7:00 am KST

From streaming Korean content in Europe to selling Hangeul-themed goods, two startups carve out their own niches

French nationals Jeanne Dubresson, left, and Christophe Diez, founders of streaming platform Kyool, pose during the NextRise startup fair in Seoul in June. Courtesy of Kyool

This is the first in a four-part series on people and companies that connect Korea and the world, as special coverage marking The Korea Times' 76th anniversary.

The global popularity of Korean culture continues to grow, with K-pop, dramas, food and beauty products reaching audiences around the world.

For some foreign nationals, that appeal goes beyond consumption. An increasing number of foreign entrepreneurs are turning their interest in Korean culture into business opportunities, finding new ways to bring the country's cultural assets to global markets.

Yet starting a business in a foreign country comes with challenges, from unfamiliar administrative systems to differences in business culture.

The Korea Times spoke with foreign entrepreneurs behind two businesses seeking to bring Korean culture to global markets, exploring the opportunities and challenges they have encountered along the way.

Bringing K-dramas to European audiences

French nationals Christophe Diez and Jeanne Dubresson are working to connect Korean content producers with overseas viewers through the streaming app Kyool.

Diez's interest in Korea began in 2015, when he came across a Korean romantic comedy series while developing new stories. The project led him to explore Korean culture more deeply, eventually connecting him with local industry players and bringing him to the Asian country the following year.

"I became convinced Korea was about to boom, and that we really had to create things between France, Europe and Korea," Diez said. "At the time, some French broadcasters told me Korean content would never work in Europe. I saw the opposite: a small but very passionate audience that nobody was serving."

He launched KFTV, short for Korean French Television, in March 2020 as a platform dedicated to Korean content. Dubresson, a photographer who had worked in Korea intermittently for about a decade, joined the business around that time.

"In 2024, we were selected for the K-Startup Grand Challenge, a government-backed global startup program, and finished in the Top 8. That's when we started to see Korea as a place to build a business, not just a source of content," Diez said.

In February, they launched Kyool, an app offering Korean dramas, films, documentaries, variety shows and short-form series, with content available in French and English. The company works with more than 20 Korean content partners, including SBS, MBC and CJ ENM, as well as smaller production studios and distributors.

Their goal is not simply to distribute established hits.

While global streaming platforms have helped Korean entertainment reach wider audiences, smaller producers can struggle to get their work seen abroad.

"We're not only going for the content that we're sure is going to work really well and make a lot of money," Dubresson said. "We're also trying to help little producers in Korea."

Beyond streaming, the company produces promotional videos for Korean firms targeting European markets and foreign businesses entering Korea.

Christophe Diez works on an interview set in March. Courtesy of Kyool

Building the business also meant navigating Korea's administrative hurdles for foreign nationals.

"We need to submit a bunch of documents for each process, but they can be really hard to find. You have to visit different government websites and download a lot of documents, which takes a long time," Dubresson said.

Even simple online tasks can pose problems. Some online forms cannot accommodate their full names, even though the names they enter must match those on their residence cards and phone registrations for identity verification to work.

"We have to call service providers and ask them to enter our names manually. It happens really often, but we’re getting used to it," Dubresson said.

The two have also adapted to differences in business culture.

Business relationships are built differently in Korea, Dubresson said, where trust often develops over shared meals and face-to-face conversations.

"In Korea, you build relationships and gain people's trust over meals," she said. "And you sometimes even sign contracts over meals — something that would be unimaginable in France."

Looking ahead, the founders plan to relaunch Kyool in 2027 as a full-fledged web and app platform before expanding into Quebec and the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, Spain and Italy.

Their ambition is to build more projects connecting Korean producers with European audiences and make Kyool "the European home for Korean culture, not just a video catalogue."

Making Hangeul a brand people can play with

Indian entrepreneur Nidhi Agrawal, co-founder of Hangeul Kwaja, poses during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Oct. 21. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Indian entrepreneur Nidhi Agrawal is building a business around another side of Korean culture: its alphabet.

In 2024, she teamed up with American TV personality Tyler Rasch to launch crackers shaped like Hangeul letters. The idea has since grown into "Kalphabets," a brand combining snacks with Korean language and cultural references.

"We didn't want to become just a company that sells snacks. We wanted to build a brand," Agrawal said.

That ambition has shaped how the business has grown. With a six-person team, the company now sells not only crackers but also stickers, key rings, T-shirts and hats featuring Hangeul and Korean cultural content.

Some of its products have even been used as gifts at cultural events organized by Korean embassies overseas, including a Korean film festival in Belgium.

"We want people to think of Hangeul not just as something they have to learn or study, but as something fun they can play with," she said. "We want Kalphabets to be the kind of gift people can easily associate with Korea."

Now in its third year, Kalphabets has expanded its product range and retail presence. Its products are available at more than 50 locations, including cafes, retail stores and duty-free outlets, attracting both Korean and international consumers.

Agrawal said Korea offers an advantage for businesses looking to gauge consumer responses to new products because consumers here are quick to pick up on trends.

"When you try something new, you get a response quickly. People may not tell you directly, but they will leave honest reviews online," she said. "That can be really helpful.”

Nidhi Agrawal, an Indian entrepreneur and co-founder of Hangeul Kwaja, poses during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Oct. 21. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Running a business in Korea can be challenging even for Agrawal, who has lived here for 11 years and speaks Korean fluently.

"Sometimes, our names simply don’t fit the registration systems," she said, explaining that identity verification problems can complicate contracts with larger companies.

Banking and logistics have posed further challenges.

Agrawal said she still cannot use some online banking services because she is a foreign national. Some courier companies have also refused to register accounts under her name, leaving the company using a Korean employee's name for certain accounts.

"Sometimes, because we are foreigners, we cannot complete a process online and have to go somewhere in person or submit additional documents, which is very time-consuming," she said. "We wonder why we have to go through this when we are a Korean company."

Despite these hurdles, Kalphabets is now looking beyond Korea to reach overseas consumers.

"We still have a lot to do," Agrawal said. "Until now, we have mainly marketed to domestic consumers through local channels. Now we are exploring various ways to appeal to foreign consumers."

外国企业家正将韩国文化转化为面向海外市场的商业模式，同时也在努力应对韩国的行政和商业文化挑战。法国创始人克里斯托夫·迪兹和珍妮·杜布雷松推出了Kyool，这是一款提供法语和英语韩语内容的流媒体应用；印度企业家尼迪·阿格拉瓦尔则将Kalphabets从韩文形状的饼干扩展到一系列文化产品。Kyool计划于2027年重新推出并拓展至多个欧洲市场，而Kalphabets也在探索触达海外消费者的途径。

Kyool 与 20 多家韩国内容合作伙伴合作，包括 SBS、MBC 和 CJ ENM，以及一些规模较小的制作公司和发行商。

Diez 和 Dubresson 入选 2024 年 K-Startup 大挑战赛，并进入前 8 名。

Kalphabets 是一家六人公司，销售印有韩文和韩国文化内容的饼干、贴纸、钥匙扣、T恤和帽子。

Kalphabets 产品在超过 50 个地点有售，包括咖啡馆、零售店和免税店。

阿格拉瓦尔表示，作为外国公​​民，她仍然无法使用某些网上银行服务，而且一些快递账户是以韩国员工的名义注册的。

发布于2026年10月30日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

从在欧洲播放韩国内容到销售韩文主题商品，两家初创公司开辟了自己的市场领域。

法国公民Jeanne Dubresson（左）和Christophe Diez是流媒体平台Kyool的创始人，他们在六月于首尔举行的NextRise创业博览会上合影。图片由Kyool提供。

这是为纪念《韩国时报》创刊 76 周年而推出的四篇系列报道的第一篇，该系列报道聚焦连接韩国与世界的人物和公司。

韩国文化在全球范围内持续走红，K-pop、电视剧、美食和美容产品等都深受世界各地观众的喜爱。

对一些外国人来说，这种吸引力远不止于消费。越来越多的外国企业家正将他们对韩国文化的兴趣转化为商机，探索将韩国文化资源推向​​全球市场的新途径。

然而，在国外创业会面临诸多挑战，从不熟悉的行政制度到商业文化的差异。

《韩国时报》采访了两位致力于将韩国文化推向全球市场的外国企业家，探讨了他们在此过程中遇到的机遇和挑战。

将韩剧带给欧洲观众

法国公民 Christophe Diez 和 Jeanne Dubresson 正在通过流媒体应用 Kyool 将韩国内容制作者与海外观众联系起来。

迪兹对韩国的兴趣始于2015年，当时他在创作新故事时偶然发现了一部韩国浪漫喜剧系列剧。这个项目促使他更深入地探索韩国文化，最终让他结识了当地的业内人士，并于次年将他带到了这个亚洲国家。

“我当时确信韩国即将迎来爆发式增长，我们必须在法国、欧洲和韩国之间建立联系，”迪兹说。“那时，一些法国广播公司告诉我，韩国的内容在欧洲永远不会成功。但我看到的恰恰相反：韩国观众群体虽小，但热情高涨，却无人问津。”

他于2020年3月创办了KFTV（全称为Korean French Television），这是一个专注于韩国内容的平台。杜布雷松是一位摄影师，曾在韩国断断续续工作了大约十年，也于大约同一时间加入了公司。

“2024年，我们入选了韩国创业大赛（K-Startup Grand Challenge），这是一个由政府支持的全球创业计划，并最终进入了前8强。正是在那时，我们开始将韩国视为一个可以建立事业的地方，而不仅仅是一个内容来源地，”迪兹说道。

今年2月，他们推出了Kyool应用程序，提供韩剧、电影、纪录片、综艺节目和短剧，内容支持法语和英语。该公司与20多家韩国内容合作伙伴携手，包括SBS、MBC和CJ ENM等大型电视台，以及一些规模较小的制作公司和发行商。

他们的目标不仅仅是推广已有的热门歌曲。

虽然全球流媒体平台帮助韩国娱乐节目触及了更广泛的观众，但规模较小的制作人可能难以让自己的作品在海外被观众看到。

杜布雷松说：“我们不仅追求那些肯定能大获成功、赚大钱的内容，我们还努力帮助韩国的小型制作公司。”

除了流媒体服务外，该公司还为面向欧洲市场的韩国企业和进入韩国市场的外国企业制作宣传视频。

Christophe Diez 三月份在拍摄一组采访照片。图片由 Kyool 提供。

建立这项业务也意味着要克服韩国对外国人的行政障碍。

“每个流程都需要提交一大堆文件，但这些文件很难找到。你必须访问不同的政府网站并下载大量文件，这非常耗时，”杜布雷松说。

即使是简单的在线操作也可能出现问题。有些在线表格无法容纳用户的全名，尽管为了进行身份验证，用户输入的姓名必须与居民卡和电话号码登记上的姓名一致。

“我们不得不打电话给服务提供商，让他们手动输入我们的名字。这种情况经常发生，但我们已经习惯了，”杜布雷松说。

双方也适应了商业文化的差异。

杜布雷松表示，韩国的商业关系建立方式不同，信任往往是在共同用餐和面对面交谈中建立起来的。

“在韩国，人们通过吃饭来建立关系、赢得信任，”她说。“有时甚至在吃饭时就能签订合同——这在法国是不可想象的。”

展望未来，创始人计划在 2027 年将 Kyool 重新推出，使其成为一个成熟的网络和应用程序平台，然后再扩展到魁北克和英国，之后是德国、西班牙和意大利。

他们的目标是打造更多将韩国制作人与欧洲观众联系起来的项目，并将 Kyool 打造成“韩国文化的欧洲之家，而不仅仅是一个视频目录”。

让韩文成为一个人们可以玩的品牌

印度企业家、韩语Kwaja联合创始人Nidhi Agrawal于10月21日在首尔接受《韩国时报》采访时摆姿势拍照。《韩国时报》摄影师：沈贤哲

印度企业家尼迪·阿格拉瓦尔正在围绕韩国文化的另一个方面——韩国字母——打造一项事业。

2024年，她与美国电视名人泰勒·拉施（Tyler Rasch）合作，推出了一款韩文字母形状的饼干。此后，这一创意发展成为“Kalphabets”品牌，该品牌将零食与韩国语言和文化元素相结合。

“我们不想仅仅成为一家卖零食的公司，我们想打造一个品牌，”阿格拉瓦尔说。

这种雄心壮志塑造了公司的发展方向。如今，这家拥有六名员工的公司不仅销售饼干，还销售印有韩文和韩国文化内容的贴纸、钥匙扣、T恤和帽子。

该公司的一些产品甚至被用作韩国驻外使馆举办的文化活动的礼品，包括在比利时举办的韩国电影节。

“我们希望人们不仅把韩文视为需要学习或研究的知识，更把它看作可以玩耍的有趣事物，”她说。“我们希望Kalphabets能成为人们一眼就能联想到韩国的礼物。”

Kalphabets成立至今已进入第三年，产品线和零售渠道均已拓展。其产品在包括咖啡馆、零售店和免税店在内的50多个地点有售，吸引了韩国和国际消费者的青睐。

阿格拉瓦尔表示，韩国为希望衡量消费者对新产品反应的企业提供了优势，因为韩国消费者能够迅速把握潮流。

“当你尝试新事物时，你会很快得到反馈。人们可能不会直接告诉你，但他们会在网上留下真实的评价，”她说。“这真的很有帮助。”

10月21日，印度企业家、韩语Kwaja联合创始人Nidhi Agrawal在首尔接受《韩国时报》采访时摆姿势拍照。（《韩国时报》摄影师：沈贤哲）

即使对于在韩国生活了 11 年、韩语说得很流利的 Agrawal 来说，在韩国经营企业也可能充满挑战。

“有时候，我们的名字与注册系统不符，”她解释说，身份验证问题可能会使与大公司签订合同变得复杂。

银行业和物流业带来了更多挑战。

阿格拉瓦尔表示，由于她是外国公民，所以仍然无法使用某些网上银行服务。一些快递公司也拒绝以她的名义注册账户，导致部分账户只能使用韩国员工的名字。

“有时候，因为我们是外国人，我们无法在线完成某些流程，必须亲自前往某个地方或提交额外的文件，这非常耗时，”她说。“我们是一家韩国公司，为什么还要经历这些？”

尽管面临这些障碍，Kalphabets 现在正将目光投向韩国以外的地区，以吸引海外消费者。

阿格拉瓦尔说：“我们还有很多工作要做。到目前为止，我们主要通过本地渠道面向国内消费者进行营销。现在，我们正在探索各种吸引海外消费者的方法。”