Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Will Disney+ have another 'Moving' this year?
Kim So-yeon, the CEO of Disney+ Korea, speaks during the company's media event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
By Lee Gyu-lee
Streaming platform finds footing in Korea with hit originals
When Disney+ landed in Korea in November 2021, many expected it to instantly become a key player in the heated streaming market already dominated by Netflix. But much to their disappointment, the streaming service had a rocky start, failing to win the local streaming consumers’ hearts with issues such as poor quality of subtitles, lack of customer service communication and user-unfriendly interface.
However, the global streaming service managed to come around last year with veteran actor Choi Min-sik’s crime original series “Big Bet,” followed by a massive, unexpected hit with “Moving,” which offered the company a positive outlook on continuing its business in the country.
“Moving,” a supernatural action series highlighting families with superpowered parents and children in divided Korea, became the most-watched Korean original on Disney+ globally following its release last August.
Riding the tide of its success, the streaming platform shared its goals to keep the momentum going through Korean content.
“It was only in 2021 that Disney ventured into local content production in APAC and so we're still at a very early stage of our creative journey. That said, we're extremely encouraged by the tremendous critical and commercial success of our Korean originals last year … Among the top 15 best-performing international original titles, nine of the top 15 came from Korea,” Carol Choi, executive vice president for Original Content Strategy at The Walt Disney Company APAC, said during Disney+ Korea's media event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in central Seoul, Tuesday.
“So this is a significant and impressive outcome and important data points. It reinforces the global resonance of Korean storytelling and how stories produced in Korea are world-class and captivating audiences worldwide.”
A scene from the series "Moving" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Kim So-yeon, the CEO of Disney+ Korea, emphasized that the company’s main goal this year is to strengthen profitability of its streaming business, adding it will focus on the quality of its content in order to do so.
“(In Korea,) we aim to take a leap forward as a sustainably growing industry. And for Disney+ to establish itself as a content service that more people engage with in their daily lives, we believe the most crucial factor is excellent content,” Kim said.
“We prioritize quality over overall volume, focusing on providing high-quality content … Through careful selection and decision-making, we are looking to continue our growth momentum this year with the foundation on high-quality content.”
The streaming service is set for a string of local titles, which includes “Uncle Samsik,” the small-screen debut of "Parasite" actor Song Kang-ho.
The "Star Wars" spin-off "The Acolyte," garnering buzz in Korea for starring actor Lee Jung-jae, is also scheduled to premiere this year. At the event, an exclusive trailer of the series was unveiled, featuring Lee in the role of a Jedi master, delivering lines in English and wielding an iconic lightsaber.
Carol Choi, executive vice president for Original Content Strategy at The Walt Disney Company APAC, speaks during the company's media event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Kim noted that the company will pay closer attention to tentpole genre content with heavily scripted and relatable storylines.
“Moving forward, we aim to showcase genre-defining blockbusters with large scale and content that evoke empathy and emotion, as well as works that can expand stories and universes into seasons or franchises,” she said.
“Rather than just dynamic plots, we are looking for stories that can capture people's hearts on a broader level, which have more narratives. Even if the action is dazzling, if the story is empty, consumers will not respond to it. So, we are placing emphasis on stories when making choices.”
As Disney+ plans to further explore genre content and potential franchises, the importance of aligning with local consumer preferences remains a priority. Choi affirmed Disney's long-term commitment to the Korean market, recognizing Korea's role as a global content powerhouse.
“The Walt Disney Company has been in Korea for more than 30 years and our company here is for the long term. Over the years, Korea has become a global content powerhouse and will remain a top consumer and content production market for us here at Disney,” she said.
“We're also looking closely at the evolving consumer preferences in Korea. We want to make sure that these stories that we bring from Korea first resonate and become hits in the local market because we are very assured of the great storytelling, and the great production value. So we believe that as long as there are hits here, global audiences will find a way to appreciate this work.”