Netflix Marks 10 Years in Korea With 12 Billion Viewing Hours

Korean content logged more than 12 billion viewing hours on Netflix between April 2025 and March 2026, second only to U.S. productions. Ted Sarandos, the streamer's co-CEO, delivered that number in Seoul on Oct. 24 at a fan festival marking Netflix's tenth year in Korea, where he also previewed upcoming titles including "Tantara" and "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2.

The two-day event, dubbed "Netflix Janchi," ran Oct. 24–25 at Sangam Oil Tank Culture Park and drew thousands of fans for themed booths, games, merchandise and live music. "Squid Game" stars Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun and Park Hae-soo appeared alongside Ahn Hyo-seop of "KPop Demon Hunters," Koo Kyo-hwan and Jung Hae-in of "D.P.," Kim Hyun-joo of "Hellbound," Yum Hye-ran of "Mask Girl" and Lee Se-dol of "The Devil's Plan," among others.

"Ten years ago, we dreamed big. But none of us could have imagined that Korean stories would move hearts around the world, and land right at the center of global culture," Sarandos said.

What's coming next?

Lee Chang-dong's Venice winner "Possible Love," with Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jo In-sung, bows Nov. 6. "Tantara," starring Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo and Kim Seol-hyun, follows on Dec. 11. Still undated are:

• "Grand Galaxy Hotel," with Lee Do-hyun and Shin Si-a
• "She, Wolf" (formerly "Beauty in the Beast"), with Kim Min-ju, Lomon and Moon Sang-min
• "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2, with Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun and Lomon
• "Solo Leveling," with Byeon Woo-seok

The backstory matters here. Netflix launched in Korea on Jan. 6, 2016; its first international film was Bong Joon Ho's "Okja." The first Korean original, the stand-up special "Yoo Byung Jae: Too Much Information," arrived in March 2018, and "Kingdom" became the first Korean series in January 2019. "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" became the first Korean show to crack the Global Top 10 in July 2021, charting in 58 countries.

The record since then is staggering. Netflix has counted more than 200 Korean titles on its Global Top 10 since the chart began in June 2021. "Squid Game" Season 1 holds the record at 32 straight weeks, nine of them at No. 1; its three seasons are Netflix's three most-watched non-English series ever. "Teach You a Lesson" now ranks No. 10 on that list — the biggest Korean show after "Squid Game." No other non-English content draws more viewing on Netflix than K-content, and over four in five subscribers worldwide have sampled at least one Korean title.

"For Netflix, Korea is more than a market. It is where we discovered new possibilities, and where we learned how far a story can travel. And it is one of our most treasured partners for the future we are building together," Sarandos said.

What does this change for Korean creators?

Between 2024 and 2026, first-time directors or writers made more than a third of Netflix's Korean titles. Park Yoon-seo, an assistant director on "Kingdom" Season 2, directed the YA horror series "If Wishes Could Kill" this year. "Netflix gave me an opportunity when I was an assistant director on 'Kingdom: Season 2.' I'm glad I was able to give new actors that same opportunity," he said, noting he cast only newcomers and Netflix approved because fame wasn't the priority. Baek Seung-min, once a second lighting assistant on "Kingdom," now heads lighting on "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2.

The production footprint is measurable. From 2016 to 2025, Netflix partnered with more than 80 Korean production companies, employing upward of 20,000 actors and crew plus 70,000 extras and day workers, across more than 100 cities and towns — over half outside the Seoul Capital Area, in places like Busan, Jeonju and Jeju. "When Life Gives You Tangerines" alone used nearly 4,000 suppliers, a cast and crew of 600, and added more than KRW90 billion ($60.4 million) to the Korean economy. Training programs reached over 6,500 people between 2021 and 2025, and 122 localization partners globally — 119 of them dubbing studios — carry the shows abroad.

The off-screen ripple effects

Netflix says 72% of subscribers who watch K-content want to travel to Korea. Jeju drew about 2.24 million overseas visitors in 2025, its most in nine years, coinciding with "When Life Gives You Tangerines"; visits to its Gimnyeong Beach location jumped about 96%. Chef Choi Hyun-seok's restaurant Choi saw sales rise 300% after "Culinary Class Wars" Season 1, and bookings at Season 2 contestants' restaurants climbed 303%. "Physical: 100" became the first non-English unscripted show to lead the Global Top 10, with local versions in Italy and Mexico and U.S., French and Swedish editions coming.

The language-learning signal may be the sharpest: new Korean learners on Duolingo in the U.S. rose 37% in the week "Squid Game" Season 3 launched, and TOPIK exam applications passed 550,000 in September 2025 — three months after "KPop Demon Hunters" — beating all of 2024. With "Tantara" and "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2 still ahead, and a new Korean-language microsite charting the decade, Netflix is positioning its second decade in Korea as the continuation of its most exportable cultural supply line.