COL Group and Partners Unveil 2027 Vertical Slate Featuring Korean Adaptations

COL Group, V47 Entertainment, and Virtue Asia revealed their 2027 vertical video slate in Singapore on Wednesday. The announcement took place at Inside Microdramas, an event organizers described as a unique upfront. The presentation featured a mix of new original series and adaptations of Korean webtoons and web novels developed in partnership with CJ Group.

The platform FlareFlow, which is owned by COL Group, has accumulated 52 million registered users. The service currently hosts nearly 7,000 short-drama titles. These titles reach viewers in more than 200 countries and regions. FlareFlow topped TikTok’s short-drama revenue-share rankings for rights holders in the first quarter of 2026.

The Korean slate includes three specific titles. Idol Once Again is a fantasy series about a former idol who travels back in time for a second chance at fame. Genius Doctor Lee Mu-jin is based on a popular webtoon and follows a street fighter who receives coaching from the ghost of a brilliant physician. The Exclusive Secretary is adapted from a web novel and centers on a corporate heir and his secretary as they navigate a dangerous family succession battle.

Original programming includes The Vanishing Act, a mystery about a magician who disappears during the finale of an international talent contest. Fortune Chasers combines a scripted reality competition with thriller elements. 1% Better is a reality format set in the sports and fitness world that pits unlikely rivals against one another.

The companies also plan to extend three of their existing best-performing microdramas. These include Oops, I Married My Bestie’s Brother!, My Sweetheart’s a Gangster, and From Janitor to Mrs. Billionaire. The slate treats these shows as intellectual property intended for wider distribution, adaptation, and commercial tie-ups. The companies did not specify the exact form these follow-ups will take.

During the event, the three organizations launched Story Engine. This operating model connects development, production, financing, and global distribution. It pools V47’s production capabilities, Virtue Asia’s cultural strategy expertise, and COL Group’s genre knowledge and international reach. Brands can participate as development partners, executive producers, or financiers, potentially taking a stake in the resulting intellectual property.

Timothy Oh, chief marketing officer of FlareFlow and general manager of COL Group International, stated that brands can now move beyond traditional advertising to become part of the entertainment audiences choose. He said the partnership helps create original intellectual property that builds lasting audience connections. David Webster, chair of V47 Entertainment, added that bringing brands into the financing process allows ambitious ideas to reach audiences while building franchises over time.

V47 was formed by Virtue Asia and Goldfinch International, the international expansion vehicle for the U.K.-based Goldfinch Group. Goldfinch International targets the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Africa. Lesley John, CEO of Virtue Asia, noted that brands must earn a place within culture rather than interrupting it. She said the agency’s role is to translate cultural insight into creative integration that adds value to the audience experience.

Virtue Asia counts Disney, Google, Spotify, Toyota, Diageo, and Shiseido among its clients. The new slate marks the first major release from the newly formed V47 entity. The combination of established Korean intellectual property and new original content aims to expand the vertical video format in international markets.