After ‘Baby Shark’ come penguins?

“BABY SHARK (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo)” is the YouTube sensation that’s been viewed more than 2 billion times and made the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a second-straight week. The jingle has also become such an earworm that late-night-show host Jimmy Kimmel proposed throwing those responsible in jail for life.

Love or hate it, the South Korean company behind the one-and-ahalf minute song about a family of sharks is now seeking to capitalize on the success by expanding its kidoriented entertainment business. Seoul-based SmartStudy Co.’s Pinkfong is planning to release short videos via Netflix Inc., a cartoon series and a musical in North America this year, one of the company’s founders said in an interview this week. The start-up, which has recently signed various merchandising deals, may also develop games that work with Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home voice assistants, he said.

The popularity of the singalong builds on Korea’s emergence as an entertainment powerhouse. Korean pop, or K-pop, has grown into a $5 billion industry thanks to the success of the likes of boy-band BTS, which has signed commercial deals with big companies from Hyundai Motor Co. to Barbie-maker Mattel Inc., and Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” is at more than 3 billion views and counting.

“We’ve added the ‘K-pop factor’ into our songs, such as very trendy beats and upbeat rhythms,” said Seungkyu Lee, who’s also chief financial officer at SmartStudy. “If you’ve ever heard of ‘Baby Shark,’ you might feel the importance of community. In a group, we should walk or swim together.”

Unlike BTS, SmartStudy has found its niche with kiddie pop, targeting children aged between one and four with addictive, dance-along videos. It was established in 2010 by three former on-