Stars of “Squid Game” and “KPop Demon Hunters” took the stage in Seoul on Oct. 24 as Netflix celebrated 10 years in Korea with a fan festival, where co-CEO Ted Sarandos previewed upcoming titles including “Tantara” and “All of Us Are Dead” Season 2. Dubbed “Netflix Janchi,” the two-day event ran Oct. 24-25 at Sangam Oil Tank Culture Park. Thousands of fans turned out for themed booths, games, merchandise and live music.
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. Of the new titles, Lee Chang-dong’s Venice winner “Possible Love,” headlined by Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jo In-sung, bows Nov. 6. Still undated are “Grand Galaxy Hotel,” with Lee Do-hyun and Shin Si-a; “She, Wolf,” previously known by the working title “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; and “Solo Leveling,” with Byeon Woo-seok.
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 its first Korean series in January 2019. In July 2021, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” became the first Korean show to crack the Global Top 10, charting in 58 countries.
Netflix has counted upward of 200 Korean titles on its Global Top 10 since it began compiling the chart in June 2021. The show’s three seasons are the streamer’s three most-watched non-English series ever, and “Teach You a Lesson” now ranks No. 10 on that list, making it Netflix’s biggest Korean show after “Squid Game.” No other non-English content draws more viewing on Netflix than K-content, and over four in five of its subscribers worldwide have sampled at least one Korean title. 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. 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, made his directing debut this year with YA horror series “If Wishes Could Kill.” “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,” Park said.
He added that he had suggested casting only newcomers to keep the series fresh, and that Netflix signed off because fame wasn’t the priority. Baek Seung-min was a second lighting assistant on “Kingdom” and now heads lighting on “All of Us Are Dead” Season 2. From 2016 to 2025, Netflix partnered with more than 80 Korean production companies on shows employing upward of 20,000 actors and crew members, along with 70,000 extras and day workers.
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