As Korean entertainment continues to influence global audiences, its impact is reaching far beyond music, film, and television. Growing interest in Korean culture is also creating opportunities for Korean companies in sectors such as food, beauty, gaming, and consumer products as they look to expand in the United States.
Yun Kim, who leads Nixon Peabody’s Intellectual Property practice group’s Korea Team, works closely with Korean companies navigating US market entry, brand protection, IP infringement enforcement contracts, and business growth. In this Q&A, she discusses the trends she is seeing and the legal issues businesses should address early.
How is the rise of K-content creating business opportunities beyond entertainment?
K-content, which includes K-pop, K-dramas, Korean films, and online gaming, is generating a much broader commercial impact than many people realize. As US audiences become more engaged with Korean culture, that interest carries over into the products and brands they see onscreen and online.
The connection between content and consumer behavior is very direct. Viewers watch Korean series and films and become curious about what the characters are eating or what beauty products Korean actresses are using. That curiosity drives real purchasing behavior. Korean food brands have seen enormous growth tied to that cultural exposure. On the beauty side, major Korean retailers are now opening physical locations in the US. Digital creators are producing content dedicated to Korean beauty routines, which only accelerates demand.
Korean companies have also been strong in online gaming for years, particularly in the MMORPG space, even if many US players did not always realize the games they were playing were Korean-made. Now that broader K-content awareness is so high, there is an opportunity for companies across all of these categories to build on that momentum.
Why is now the right time for Korean companies to enter the US market?
The level of mainstream awareness right now is unlike anything we have seen before.
When I watched “Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters) performed at the Oscars, even I was struck by what a significant cultural moment that was. That kind of visibility at the highest levels of American entertainment signals just how far Korean cultural influence has reached. We are now seeing that influence extend well beyond media, as Korean consumer products, beauty brands, and food also gain traction.
At the same time, many Korean companies still have not fully pursued overseas markets. That is what makes this moment so compelling: demand in the US is growing, yet there remains substantial room for Korean companies to establish and expand their presence here. For companies prepared to move thoughtfully, there are market-entry resources and Korean government support programs—offered by organizations such as Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT Center), Korea Overseas Intellectual Property Protection Association (KOIPA), and Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA), among others—that can help make US expansion more attainable.
What are the biggest legal and business mistakes Korean companies make when expanding to the US?
The most common issue I see is that companies focus on launching, selling, and building visibility before addressing the legal and structural groundwork that needs to happen early. Corporate formation, contract review, and intellectual property protection tend to get treated as things to deal with later, even though doing so can create serious problems down the line.
On contracts specifically, I have seen companies sign agreements without thorough legal review, only to discover significant issues later. Even if a company is small or just starting out, following proper procedures early is essential. The US legal environment is complex, and the terms a company agrees to at the outset can shape its business for years. Having the right legal partners in place to review agreements, flag risks, and help negotiate terms that align with the company’s goals is one of the most important steps a company can take when entering this market.
Many companies also do not realize how many resources are already available to support their entry. Korean government-backed programs like KOTRA and KOCCA can help offset the costs of corporate setup, legal guidance, and market-entry logistics. Nixon Peabody serves as an approved attorney pool for several of these programs. Yet many Korean companies are either unaware these resources exist or unsure how to access them, which means real financial support is being left on the table.
How important is intellectual property protection for Korean companies in the US and why do so many delay it?
This is something I find myself having direct conversations with clients about regularly. When companies are focused on getting their products to market, managing operations, and building a customer base, IP protection can feel like something that can wait. It does not have the same day-to-day urgency as other business tasks, so it tends to get deprioritized, especially by companies that have not yet encountered an infringement issue or a trademark conflict in the US.
The challenge is that by the time a company does face a dispute, the problem is more expensive and harder to resolve than it would have been with protections already in place. I tell my clients that there is a minimum level of protection they need to have in place from the start, even while they are still growing. In a market where interest in Korean products is surging, brand visibility can increase quickly, and companies need to be ready to protect and enforce their rights when that happens.
How should Korean companies position themselves for sustainable growth in the US?
Companies need both visibility and business preparedness, and the companies I have seen succeed tend to be intentional about building both at the same time.
On the visibility side, companies should be thinking about how they are reaching US consumers and building brand recognition. That can take many forms, from digital content and social media to strategic partnerships and licensing. Korean companies tend to be strong on the creative side, and that is a real advantage. One of my clients, a mid-sized Korean company, recently secured a licensing agreement with a major global consumer brand, in part because they had been diligent about building their presence over time. They were not a large company, but they had demonstrated enough market engagement to attract a significant partner. Licensing in general tends to work best once a company has established that kind of credible foundation, and companies are often in a stronger position to pursue those opportunities than they might think.
But visibility alone is not enough. Companies also need the right legal and business infrastructure to support their growth. That means ensuring the corporate structure is sound, agreements are properly reviewed, IP is protected, and the company has a clear strategy for how it is entering the market. The companies that invest in that foundation early are in a much stronger position to scale without running into preventable problems. When the creative momentum and the business preparedness are working together, that is when companies really start to gain traction here.
How does the Nixon Peabody IP practice Korea Team support Korean companies expanding into the US?
What Korean companies often need is not just a legal answer to one isolated question. They need practical guidance on how to enter the US market, protect their business as they grow, and navigate a legal system that may feel unfamiliar.
That perspective is central to how I approach this work. Before joining Nixon Peabody, I spent over a decade helping Korean companies navigate US market entry, and that experience informs everything I do today. I think about what is most beneficial for the client, not just what legal question is immediately in front of me. Sometimes that means connecting them with the right Nixon Peabody team for a real estate matter or a corporate issue, and sometimes it means helping them identify market-entry programs and cost-saving resources they may not know are available to them.
Our Nixon Peabody Intellectual Property practice group’s Korea Team brings together Korean-speaking attorneys across multiple disciplines, so we can guide clients through intellectual property strategy, contract negotiation, corporate structuring, and cross-practice coordination as their needs evolve. We also understand the cultural and language dynamics that can affect how efficiently a company operates in the US. For many clients, having advisors who understand both the Korean business perspective and the US legal landscape is what makes the difference between a difficult transition and a successful one.
