Following the blockbuster hits of “Squid Game” and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” in 2021, Korean-made series have continued to dominate viewing on Netflix.
Korean series have topped Netflix’s worldwide non-English series chart for ten of the 13 weeks in the first quarter of this year.
For the third week in a row (March 28-April 3, 2022), romantic comedy “Business Proposal” is on the top non-English series on Netflix, and it is the third-highest-rated series of all origins, behind only “Bridgerton” (seasons 1 and 2) with over 32 million view hours.
In the recent week, “Business Proposal” has performed exceptionally well in Asia, ranking first in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and second in India and Sri Lanka. “Business Proposal’s” season one conclusion sparked social media comments, with fans complimenting the show’s fast-paced plot and endearing ensemble cast.
“Twenty Five Twenty One” (#2), “Forecasting Love & Weather” (#3), and Thirty-Nine (#9) round out the top 10 this week.
The Spanish-language “Café Con Aroma de Mujer” (#3), Colombia’s “Yo Soy Betty La Fea” (#6), Colombia’s “The Queen of Flow” season 2; and Colombia’s “Pasion de Gavilanes” (#10) round out the worldwide top ten.
Korean drama is popular in a variety of genres, including the zombie thriller “All Of Us Are Dead,” which came in seventh this week, and adolescent criminal drama (“Juvenile Justice,” which came in sixth).
“All Of Us Are Dead,” which debuted in January, has already surpassed “Game of Thrones” as Netflix’s third most-watched non-English series of all time.
Netflix has made significant investments in South Korea, shifting from licensing and co-production to more exclusive or original programming. It vowed to invest KRW5 billion on Korean programming in 2021 after signing long-term studio leases last year. The rivalry among other platforms for Korean content has heated up, and Netflix has yet to reveal any current-year investment goals.
