Netflix celebrated its tenth anniversary in South Korea with Netflix Janchi, a two-day fan festival held in Seoul on October 24–25, 2026. The event brought together actors, creators, industry professionals and fans to celebrate a decade that has transformed Korean entertainment into one of the most influential forces in the global audiovisual market.
Joining the celebrations, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership with Korean creators and production companies.
“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.
The numbers illustrate the scale of that transformation. Since Netflix introduced its Global Top 10 rankings in June 2021, more than 200 Korean titles have appeared on the charts. The first season of Squid Game remains a record holder, spending 32 consecutive weeks in the Global Top 10, including nine weeks at number one.
Meanwhile, Teach You a Lesson has become Netflix’s second most-watched Korean series, behind only Squid Game.
Today, Korean productions are Netflix’s most-watched non-English content worldwide, with more than 80% of the platform’s global membership having watched at least one Korean title.
Between April 2025 and March 2026 alone, Korean content generated more than 12 billion viewing hours, making South Korea the second-largest country of production on Netflix by viewing hours, behind only the United States.
Investment in Production and a New Generation of Korean Talent
Beyond the success of individual titles, Netflix’s expansion has contributed to the development of South Korea’s audiovisual production ecosystem. Between 2016 and 2025, the company collaborated with more than 80 Korean production companies, supporting productions involving over 25,000 cast and crew members, alongside approximately 70,000 extras and day hires.
One of the most significant developments concerns emerging talent. Between 2024 and 2026, more than one-third of Netflix’s Korean productions involved first-time directors or writers. Among them is Park Yoon-seo, who previously worked as an assistant director on Kingdom Season 2 before making his directorial debut with the young-adult 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 explained, recalling how Netflix supported his decision to cast newcomers rather than established stars.
The professional growth extends to technical departments. Baek Seung-min, who began his career as a second assistant on the lighting team of Kingdom, has become lighting director on All of Us Are Dead Season 2.
Netflix’s investment has also coincided with technological advances in Korean production and post-production, including the adoption of HDR workflows that have expanded the creative possibilities available to cinematographers and colorists.
The economic impact can be substantial. According to Netflix, the production of When Life Gives You Tangerines involved nearly 4,000 vendors and 600 cast and crew members, generating more than 90 billion South Korean won in economic activity.
Localization: The Key to Korean Content’s International Expansion
The worldwide success of Korean storytelling has also depended on a sophisticated localization strategy.
Netflix currently works with 122 localization partners worldwide, including 119 dubbing studios, making Korean productions accessible to audiences across different languages and cultural markets.
The company has invested in dubbing, subtitles, audio descriptions and accessibility services, paying particular attention to preserving the cultural nuances of original productions. This infrastructure has helped Korean films and series overcome linguistic barriers and reach audiences that might previously have had limited exposure to Korean entertainment.
The international appeal is not limited to scripted productions. Physical: 100 became the first non-English unscripted series to reach number one on Netflix’s Global Top 10. Its success has also generated opportunities in the international formats business, with adaptations developed in Italy and Mexico, and further versions planned for the United States, France and Sweden.
From Streaming Success to Tourism, Food and Cultural Exports
The influence of Korean content increasingly extends beyond the audiovisual sector, generating measurable effects across tourism, hospitality, publishing and language education. According to figures presented by Netflix, 72% of members who have watched Korean content are substantially more likely to express an interest in visiting South Korea.
In 2025, international visitors to Jeju reached approximately 2.24 million, the highest level in nine years. During the same year, following the release of When Life Gives You Tangerines, visits to the series’ Gimnyeong Beach filming location increased by approximately 96%.
The impact on the restaurant business has been equally striking. Sales at chef Choi Hyun-seok’s restaurant, CHOI, increased by 300% following the first season of Culinary Class Wars, while reservations at restaurants operated by other contestants rose by 303% after Season 2. Korean entertainment has also stimulated interest in the language. During the release week of Squid Game Season 3, the number of new Korean learners on Duolingo in the United States increased by 37%.
Meanwhile, applications for South Korea’s TOPIK language proficiency examination exceeded 550,000 in September 2025, three months after the release of KPop Demon Hunters, surpassing the total recorded throughout 2024. The publishing industry has benefited as well. Following the release of Hellbound, international rights to the original webtoon were sold in 11 countries.
These figures illustrate how successful audiovisual intellectual properties can generate commercial opportunities across multiple industries, strengthening the international visibility of Korean culture.
What’s Next: Possible Love, Tantara and Solo Leveling
The anniversary celebration also provided an opportunity for Netflix to present a preview of its upcoming Korean slate.
Among the productions highlighted by Ted Sarandos were Possible Love, Tantara, the second season of All of Us Are Dead, and Solo Leveling.
The upcoming titles reflect Netflix’s continuing commitment to Korean storytelling and its ambition to develop projects capable of reaching both domestic audiences and international subscribers. To accompany the anniversary, Netflix has launched a dedicated website, netflix10.kr, bringing together the people, productions and milestones that have shaped its first decade in South Korea.
Ten years after beginning its Korean journey, Netflix’s experience offers a compelling example of how sustained investment in local creative talent, production infrastructure and global distribution can transform a national audiovisual industry into an international entertainment powerhouse.
And with Korean content now firmly established at the center of global streaming culture, the next decade could prove just as significant as the first.
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