'Teach You a Lesson,' 'Agent Kim Reactivated' lead K-dramas on Netflix in 1st half

A scene from "Teach You a Lesson" / Courtesy of Netflix

Korean content accounted for the largest share of non-English programming watched by Netflix subscribers worldwide in the first half of the year, driven by the strong performance of both Netflix original series and licensed titles from domestic broadcasters.

According to Netflix's "What We Watched" report, released last week, non-English-language titles made up more than one-third of all viewing on the platform between January and June.

Among them, Korean content dominated. Netflix original series "Teach You a Lesson," which premiered on June 5, amassed 48.2 million views — calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the title's runtime — in just one month, ranking sixth globally among all TV titles, excluding films, during the first half of the year. It was the highest-ranked non-English-language series on the list.

The show has already begun drawing comparisons to "Squid Game." U.S. entertainment outlet Deadline wrote that "Netflix has another K-drama hit on its hands," predicting that, if its current momentum continues, it could become the second most-watched Korean title in Netflix history after "Squid Game."

Other Netflix original Korean series also posted solid results, including "Can This Love Be Translated?" with 28.6 million views and "The Art of Sarah" with 25.8 million views.

Particularly notable was the strong showing of licensed content whose intellectual property (IP) is owned by Korean broadcasters and studios.

Among them, SBS dramas "My Royal Nemesis" recorded 15.7 million views, while "Sold Out On You" drew 12.4 million views. The currently airing drama "Agent Kim Reactivated" also showed remarkable momentum, attracting 10.7 million views in just four days after its June 26 premiere, despite debuting near the end of the reporting period.

The results suggest that partnerships between Korean broadcasters and global streaming platforms are generating mutual benefits, easing earlier concerns that domestic content producers could be reduced to subcontractors for global OTT services.

A scene from "Agent Kim Reactivated" / Courtesy of SBS

Kim Heon-sik, a pop culture critic, said Korean broadcasters are expanding their reach into non-English-speaking markets with cultural similarities to Korea, while Netflix is benefiting from increasingly diverse viewer demand that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The success of 'Agent Kim Reactivated' and 'My Royal Nemesis' demonstrates that content considered fresh and appealing in Korea can resonate immediately with global audiences," he said.

In the film category, Netflix original "KPop Demon Hunters," released last year, ranked fourth overall with 130.4 million views.

Among Korean Netflix original films released this year, "The Great Flood" attracted 27.5 million views, while "Husbands in Action" recorded 12.6 million views.

Netflix also continued serving as a key international distribution platform for films originally released in theaters, helping titles such as "Humint" (22.8 million views) and "Even If This Love Disappears Tonight" (20.7 million views) reach large global audiences.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.