Ampere: South Korean Content Most-Popular Non-U.S. Fare on Netflix

“Squid Game” Season 2

Erik Gruenwedel

April 14, 2025

While South Korea’s dystopian drama “Squid Game” remains Netflix most-viewed content ever, Korean programming has become the platform’s most-popular, second only to U.S. fare, according to new data from Ampere Analysis.

Korean content accounts for 17% of the 500 most-popular non-U.S. shows and films on the platform. Since 2023, Korean content has been second only to U.S. content for total viewing hours recorded, according to Netflix.

In the second half of 2024, Korean content was streamed for 7.7 billion hours, around 8% of all viewing on Netflix — surpassing content from the U.K., Japan, and Spain, among other major markets.

Korean content represents 8%-9% of viewing hours, ahead of U.K. content at 7%-8%, and Japanese content (4%-5%). The tallies are significant considering the U.K.’s recent content hits, including “Adolescence,” “Black Doves: Season 1,” and “The Gentlemen: Season 1,” among others.

“Squid Game: Season 2” topped the streamer’s global charts in the last six months of 2024, with 619.9 million hours streamed globally following the show’s Dec. 26 debut! The show’s success continues to drive viewership Korean content, including romance drama, “Love Next Door: Season 1,” and cooking reality show, “Culinary Class Wars: Season 1,” :Squid Game: Season 1,” “Queen of Tears: Season 1,” “Crash Landing on You,” and “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” among others.

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During the second half of 2024, over half of the Top 100 Korean titles were originals, and 31% were Netflix exclusives. The majority of these were supplied by local content producer CJ ENM.

Netflix’s $2.5 billion investment in Korean content from 2024 to 2028, has established extensive content licensing and distribution deals with local broadcasters and media groups, including JTBC, KBS, SBS, and MBC, according to Ampere. In-house studios creating Korean programming include Studio 139 and Samsung Studio.

“South Korean content owners are well-positioned to capitalize on the global Hallyu phenomenon (growth of Korean culture and popular culture), maximizing audience reach and boosting international popularity through strategic distribution and collaborations,” Orina Zhao, research manager at Ampere, said in a statement.