From Seoul to Screens Everywhere: How Korean Dramas Took Over Global Streaming
A decade ago, Korean dramas were a niche export with fervent regional fandoms and the occasional crossover hit. Today, their DNA is woven into global streaming habits: cliffhanger‑laced serials that reward bingeing, lush production values that travel well, and themes—from class satire to second‑chance romance—that resonate across cultures. An unmistakable inflection point shows up in a run of recent milestones. Netflix says KPop Demon Hunters, an animated K‑culture musical released in June and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, has become the service’s most‑viewed movie ever with more than 236 million views, surpassing Red Notice. Its momentum—boosted by viral songs that topped Spotify’s global charts and Golden reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100—illustrates how Korean stories and aesthetics now cut through algorithmic noise to become appointment viewing worldwide. Meanwhile, streamers are tightening pricing and retooling slates to curb churn, a business reality that makes sticky international hits like K‑content more strategically valuable than ever.