BBC Studios Asia has set its first co-production with Studio JanChi, the Korean food content specialist behind “Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody” and “A Nation of Kimchi.” The partnership will produce “12 Seas” (working title), a four-part series exploring South Korea’s seafood culture.
The collaboration stems from an initiative agreed between KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency) and BBC Studios last year to co-produce, co-develop and distribute Korean factual content globally. Studio JanChi won the pitch with their compelling series proposal designed to bring Korean stories to international audiences.
The series follows Chef Edward Lee and actor Ryu Soo-young as they traverse South Korea’s coastline across four seasons, unveiling the secrets behind the country’s most iconic seafood dishes. The adventurous duo will brave rocky shores to harvest wild seaweed using the traditional “Ttulidae” method and join local fishermen catching anchovies with centuries-old bamboo fish traps, immersing themselves in Korea’s rich maritime heritage.
“Studio JanChi are leading producers of K-food titles and we were immediately drawn to their concept for 12 Seas, which will offer BBC Earth audiences a new perspective on Korea and its seafood through the eyes of acclaimed chef Edward Lee and his foodie accomplice Ryu Soo-young,” said Ryan Shiotani, senior VP Content at BBC Studios Asia. “We are grateful to KOCCA for their support and look forward to bringing BBC Studios’ global expertise and creative approach to the partnership.”
Heonseok Baek, CEO of Studio JanChi, added: “We’re thrilled to be working on this title with BBC Studios after our winning pitch last year. With three distinct seas, home to one of the world’s five largest tidal flats, and over 3,000 islands, the story of seafood and the ocean is inseparable from Korea and we’re looking forward to telling this story to audiences in Asia and beyond with BBC Studios.”
The co-production follows the recent success of “Deep Dive Korea: Song Ji Hyo’s Haenyeo Adventure,” BBC Studios Asia’s first original with JTBC, marking the company’s growing investment in Korean content featuring Asian talent, locations and stories.
BBC Studios Asia will broadcast “12 Seas” on BBC Earth and BBC Player across Asia in 2026. Studio JanChi holds Korean broadcast rights for the series, while BBC Studios will handle global distribution outside Korea.
Studio JanChi, a subsidiary of ELTV (producers of “The Korean Food Rhapsody” series and “K-Food Show: A Nation of Taste”), specializes in food content development. The company name “JanChi” means “feast” in Korean, reflecting their mission to create content that brings people together through food stories. The studio focuses on developing food factual shows, documentaries and culinary-themed events grounded in rich storytelling and cultural context.
