On October 24, stars from the popular series “Squid Game” and “KPop Demon Hunters” gathered in Seoul to commemorate Netflix’s decade-long journey in South Korea with a fan festival. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos took the stage to reveal upcoming projects, including “Tantara” and the second season of “All of Us Are Dead.”
The cast of “Squid Game,” featuring Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, and Park Hae-soo, was in attendance alongside Ahn Hyo-seop from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Other notable appearances included Koo Kyo-hwan and Jung Hae-in from “D.P.,” Kim Hyun-joo from “Hellbound,” Yum Hye-ran from “Mask Girl,” and Lee Se-dol from “The Devil’s Plan” among many others.
The celebration, dubbed “Netflix Janchi,” spanned two days from October 24 to 25 at Sangam Oil Tank Culture Park, attracting thousands of fans eager to enjoy themed booths, games, exclusive merchandise, and live performances.
“Ten years ago, we had big dreams. But we could never have anticipated that Korean stories would capture hearts across the globe and find a pivotal place in global culture,” Sarandos stated.
Among the new titles Sarandos discussed, Lee Chang-dong’s award-winning film “Possible Love,” featuring a stellar cast of Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong, and Jo In-sung, is set to release on November 6. “Tantara,” with actors Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo, and Kim Seol-hyun, follows on December 11. Additional forthcoming projects, such as “Grand Galaxy Hotel” and “Solo Leveling,” are in the pipeline but do not yet have specific release dates.
Since its launch in Korea on January 6, 2016, Netflix has seen significant growth, rolling out its first international film, Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja,” and unveiling its first original Korean show, the stand-up special “Yoo Byung Jae: Too Much Information,” in March 2018, followed by the series “Kingdom” in January 2019. The follow-up special, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” marked a milestone as the first Korean show to enter the Global Top 10, achieving recognition in 58 countries.
Netflix has included over 200 Korean titles in its Global Top 10 since mid-2021, with “Squid Game” Season 1 establishing a record for the longest tenure at 32 consecutive weeks, seven of which were at the No. 1 position. “Squid Game” and its subsequent seasons remain the platform’s top non-English series, followed closely by “Teach You a Lesson,” which now ranks as Netflix’s biggest Korean show after “Squid Game.” Notably, K-content consistently leads non-English viewership on Netflix, with over 80% of global subscribers sampling at least one Korean title.
“For Netflix, Korea is not just another market. It represents a place where we’ve discovered new potentials and learned the incredible reach of storytelling. Korea continues to be a valued partner as we forge a collaborative future,” emphasized Sarandos.
From 2024 to 2026, a significant portion of Netflix’s Korean titles was helmed by first-time directors or writers, with Park Yoon-seo marking his directorial debut with the YA horror series “If Wishes Could Kill.” “Being an assistant director on ‘Kingdom: Season 2’ offered me a remarkable opportunity, and I’m proud to extend that to new actors,” he noted, highlighting the commitment to fresh talent rather than established fame.
Baek Seung-min, who transitioned from a second lighting assistant on “Kingdom” to leading lighting duties on “All of Us Are Dead” Season 2, commented, “Collaborating with Netflix Korea during pivotal points in my career has significantly contributed to my professional growth.”
Between 2016 and 2025, Netflix partnered with over 80 Korean production companies, resulting in employment opportunities for more than 20,000 actors and crew members, alongside 70,000 extras and workers. Filming occurred in over 100 cities and towns, with more than half of the locations outside the Seoul Capital Area, including cities like Busan and Jeju, contributing more than KRW90 billion ($60.4 million) to the local economy through projects like “When Life Gives You Tangerines.” Netflix’s training and skills programs reached over 6,500 individuals in Korea between 2021 and 2025.
To distribute Korean shows globally, Netflix now collaborates with 122 localization partners worldwide, primarily composed of dubbing studios.
Colorist Park Jin-young, known for his work on “Possible Love” and “Good News,” expressed, “The arrival of Netflix in Korea coincided with the commercialization of HDR technology, providing me with a vast palette to work with.”
Unscripted formats have also thrived, with “Physical: 100” becoming the first non-English unscripted series to top the Global Top 10, inspiring local adaptations in Italy and Mexico, with U.S. and French editions on the horizon.
Netflix highlighted the broader impacts of its content. Data suggests that 72% of subscribers who engage with K-content express a desire to visit Korea. In 2025, Jeju welcomed approximately 2.24 million international visitors—the highest in nine years—aligned with the debut of “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” while the series’ filming location saw a 96% uptick in visitors. Chef Choi Hyun-seok experienced a 300% increase in restaurant sales after “Culinary Class Wars” Season 1, while bookings at restaurants of contestants from Season 2 surged by 303%.
In the United States, new learners of the Korean language on Duolingo saw a 37% rise in the week of the “Squid Game” Season 3 launch. In September 2025, applications for Korea’s TOPIK language exam exceeded 550,000, surpassing the total for all of 2024, driven by interest sparked by “KPop Demon Hunters.” From April 2025 to March 2026, K-content recorded over 12 billion viewing hours on Netflix, trailing only U.S.-produced content, and rights to the “Hellbound” webtoon sold to 11 countries shortly after the series premiered.
To mark its accomplishments in Korea, Netflix has launched a dedicated Korean-language microsite showcasing the impact and figures from its first decade in the country.
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‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Squid Game’ Stars Mark Netflix’s Korea Decade
