Back to All News
The Ripple Effect of K-Content: How Netflix Viewers Are Embracing Korean Culture
A giant Young-hee presides over the Red Light, Green Light game at the Champs- lys es. (Credit: Cyril Masson / NETFLIX)
Entertainment
25 June 2025
GlobalSouth KoreaFrance
Link copied to clipboard
From sensations like Squid Game to the heartfelt When Life Gives You Tangerines, K-Content has become a defining force in global entertainment - moving hearts and sparking conversations between cultures. But its influence doesn't stop at the screen.
To better understand how K-Content resonates with viewers and what impact it's having globally, Netflix commissioned independent research firm 2CV to conduct a wide-reaching study. Over 11,500 people across eight countries - including the US, Japan, Brazil, and South Korea - were surveyed to explore the cultural and economic effects of K-Content.
The results paint a clear picture: Netflix members aren't just watching K-Content - it's helping them embrace Korean culture in deeper, more meaningful ways.
A Global Fandom That's Here to Stay
Across the board, Netflix members demonstrate long-term loyalty to watching Korean stories. In Thailand, Japan, and the US, the vast majority of viewers said they've been watching K-Content for more than two years, with rates as high as 82% of people surveyed. And this enthusiasm is far from fleeting: 63% of Netflix members who watch K-Content plan to keep watching more.
Netflix continues to be the go-to platform for K-Content. In nearly every country surveyed, it was ranked as the preferred or main service for watching Korean series and films. Those who discover K-Content on Netflix tend to come back for more and explore beyond the shows themselves.
More Than Entertainment: A Gateway to Culture
The data shows that watching K-Content often sparks curiosity and leads viewers to engage with Korean culture more broadly. That could mean cooking Korean food, exploring Korean fashion and beauty trends, learning the language, or even planning a trip.
In fact, Netflix viewers were twice as likely to say they're interested in Korean culture than non-members (58% vs. 32%) and were significantly more likely to want to visit South Korea - with 67% of Netflix members expressing interest vs. 41%. Among K-Content viewers specifically, the desire to travel to Korea was even stronger, with 72% saying they want to go.
This fascination extends into how viewers perceive Korea itself. Among Netflix members, 61% said watching K-Content improved their perception of South Korea - a figure that climbs even higher in countries like Brazil (73%) and India (71%). And 64% of members acknowledged that K-Content directly influenced their interest in Korean culture. Many are also taking steps to better understand the culture behind the content: 78% said they watch shows in Korean as a way to improve their language skills.
Impact in South Korea
The positive ripple effects of this global interest are felt locally, too - 91% of South Korean people surveyed agreed that the popularity of Korean content abroad is enhancing the country's global image. Meanwhile, 87% said this success is opening new opportunities for Korean creators and businesses.
South Koreans also credit K-Content with helping to raise awareness of the country's culture worldwide, with 77% saying it strengthened global appreciation and 72% saying it's encouraged tourism.
At this year's APOS Conference, Don Kang, VP of Content (Korea) at Netflix, presented the report for the first time. Reflecting on the cultural impact of Korean entertainment, he remarked, The great thing is that all these shows have Korean elements - like you get to watch Korean food, you get to hear the songs we sing, the places that we go to. And it really impacts the way the world sees and understands Korean culture.
Kang went on to describe how Netflix's global reach has transformed what once felt like a regional niche into a worldwide phenomenon: In recent years we've really seen this surge of global fandom around K-Content, especially around the time of Squid Game. I think for most people outside Korea, Squid Game was the real first Korean series that they really watched. And ever since then, more than 80% of Netflix members have all watched Korean content, and many of them continue to do so. Its a testament that a great show on Netflix can really expand that audience. And it is just not in series, were seeing this in non-fiction and films.
Whether it's the emotional pull of a drama or the imaginative worlds of genre-bending shows, Netflix is helping audiences around the world feel more connected to Korea.
For a deeper look at the findings, read the full report here.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
Back to All News
