K-dramas, or South Korean scripted TV shows, have long been captivating international audiences. Their popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, most notably with the 2021 success of “ Squid Game ,” which remains Netflix ’s most-watched series. Today K-dramas make up some of the best-performing content on various streaming platforms, regularly occupying several of the spots on Netflix’s weekly Global Top 10 list of the most-watched non-English language TV shows.
Last year, nine out of the top 15 international originals on Disney+ were Korean. The thought-provoking sci-fi K-drama “ Yonder ” was Paramount+’s most-watched international series in the U.S.
upon its release. The list goes on. Global streaming services continue to deliver Korean shows in response to overwhelming demand — with Netflix announcing last year that it will invest $2.
5 billion in Korean content over the next four years and Disney+ , Paramount+ and Prime Video each expanding its Korean slate. However, many longtime K-drama fans worry that these platforms might be eroding some of the defining characteristics that drew them to Korean TV in the first place — especially the general lack of violence, sex and nudity that made K-dramas a welcome, family-friendly alternative to Hollywood fare. Many of the most recent globally successful Korean series — such as Netflix’s “ Squid Game ,” “ All of Us Are Dead ,” “ The Glory ” and “ Parasyte: The Grey ;” Disney+/Hulu’s “ Movi.
