A decade after Netflix launched in South Korea, the streaming giant is looking back on a partnership that has helped take Korean stories from a domestic audience to viewers around the world.
Netflix entered the Korean market in January 2016, and its Korean content operation has since expanded from early originals into a broad lineup of dramas, films, reality programs and other entertainment. Netflix says more than 210 Korean titles have entered its global Top 10 since the ranking began in 2021.
The transformation was not immediate. One early milestone came in 2018, when Netflix released Yoo Byung-jae: Black Comedy as its first Korean original. The following year, Kingdom introduced audiences worldwide to a distinctly Korean take on the zombie genre.
Then came Squid Game.
The survival drama became a global phenomenon and helped demonstrate how a Korean-language production could become a mainstream international hit without abandoning its local setting and cultural identity. Netflix says the series spent 32 weeks in its global Top 10, including nine weeks at No. 1.
But the Korean streaming story now extends well beyond a single breakout title.
Netflix’s 2026 slate includes major dramas, films and unscripted programs, while the company has pledged continued long-term investment in Korean content. At a January event marking its 10th anniversary, Netflix said one in three of its Korean series over the previous three years had come from debuting writers or directors, highlighting its emphasis on emerging creative talent.
The global audience for Korean entertainment has also continued to expand. Data reported by Korea.net showed Korean titles among the leading non-English content on Netflix during the first half of 2026, with several Korean series and films drawing tens of millions of views worldwide.
The decade has therefore changed more than what audiences watch. Netflix’s investment has contributed to a production model built around global distribution from the outset, while Korean creators have gained another major route to international audiences. The Korean Film Council’s KoBiz also noted Netflix’s use of full pre-production and its focus on developing new writers and directors.
Netflix’s next challenge is sustaining that momentum while continuing to find stories that can travel internationally without losing the qualities that make them distinctly Korean.
After 10 years, the bigger question is no longer whether Korean content can reach a global audience.
It is how far the next decade of K-content can go — and what the next worldwide breakout will look like.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
