What Netflix's 1st decade in Korea means for K-content

Netflix’s 10 years in Korea have broadened the range of Korean stories that get made and how they reach global audiences. The platform helped open space for unconventional genres, female-centered works, and science fiction, while also changing how actors are discovered. It also helped turn Korean titles like Squid Game into global hits and is now backing Korean films such as Possible Love for international festivals and streaming.

Okja, a 2017 Netflix original film directed by Bong Joon-ho, is cited as a representative example of the creative shift enabled by Netflix in Korea.

Netflix has helped introduce Korean productions such as Ballerina, Kill Boksoon, The Call, The Price of Confession, Mask Girl, Space Sweepers, Jung_E and Unlocked.

Squid Game stayed on Netflix’s global Top 10 list for 32 consecutive weeks after its release.

Netflix has also changed actor discovery by helping performers such as Lee Han-byeol, Lee Yeon, Shin Seung-ho, Moon Sang-hoon and Yoo Soo-bin gain recognition through specific roles.

Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong, is presented as the center of this year’s push to bring Korean films to audiences around the world through Netflix and international festivals.

Published Oct 3, 2026 1:32 pm KST

A scene from "Squid Game" Season 2 / Courtesy of Netflix

It has been 10 years since Netflix entered the Korean market. After moving beyond the days when streaming platforms were unfamiliar, Netflix has become deeply embedded in everyday life. Over that decade, the way Korean content is produced and the way overseas markets view it have both changed. The globalization of Korean content and the term “K-content” are no longer unfamiliar. In that sense, the mark Netflix has left over the past decade is significant.

Ten years ago, it was not common to find such a wide variety of works on a single platform as it is today. After Netflix entered the Korean market, creators gradually gained more options. In particular, works that would have been difficult to make through existing investment models or conventional formulas for success began to emerge. “Okja,” a 2017 Netflix original film directed by Bong Joon-ho, is a representative example of that change. Its unusual premise involving a giant corporation and a genetically modified animal was not the kind of story easily seen in conventional commercial films.

As the boundaries of genres and subject matter were pushed back, an environment emerged in which Korean creators could more freely take on unconventional stories. Genre productions centered on female characters were one example. “Ballerina,” “Kill Boksoon,” “The Call,” “The Price of Confession” and “Mask Girl” provided new opportunities. There were also continued attempts at science fiction, a genre that has traditionally been relatively difficult to produce in Korea, with works such as “Space Sweepers” and “Jung_E.” Other productions took familiar premises and developed them in different directions, as in “Unlocked.” Not every work was a hit, but the fact that they introduced genres and subject matter that had previously been difficult to attempt in the production process marked a notable change.

Expanding genres, diverse entertainment — and finally the 'K' label

No discussion of Netflix Korea’s 10-year history would be complete without “Squid Game.” The Netflix original series showed that a Korean story could become global content despite differences in language and culture.

A scene from “Teach You a Lesson” / Courtesy of Netflix

Combining traditional Korean games with a struggle for survival, the series captivated viewers around the world and remained on Netflix’s global Top 10 list for 32 consecutive weeks after its release. The question of whether “something uniquely Korean could really work globally” turned into an exclamation point, and a wide range of works infused with Korean sensibilities went on to meet audiences around the world. Along with “Squid Game,” titles such as “Kingdom,” “Sweet Home,” “Bloodhounds,” “Hellbound,” “D.P.,” “The Glory,” “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Lady Doir” and "Teach You a Lesson” are evidence of that trend.

There has also been a change in the way actors are discovered. In the past, productions often put already well-known actors front and center in an effort to ensure box-office success. But Netflix productions have introduced many actors who first made their names through particular works and characters. Lee Han-byeol, who played Kim Mo-mi in “Mask Girl”; Lee Yeon, who made a strong impression in “Juvenile Justice”; and Shin Seung-ho, Moon Sang-hoon and Yoo Soo-bin, who appeared in the “D.P.” series, are among them. In particular, “Giri” was completed with newcomers including Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok and Lee Hyo-je. The path to attracting attention through the strength of a work and its characters, even without star actors, has consequently widened.

A scene from "Mask Girl" / Courtesy of Netflix

Another change can be seen in the way Netflix approaches Korean content. It has been actively investing in Korean films and seeking opportunities to showcase them at international film festivals. Netflix has previously presented original films such as “Roma,” “The Irishman,” “Glass Onion” and “Frankenstein” at major film festivals and award ceremonies. Korean films are now finding new opportunities within that same trend.

At the center of this year’s movement is “Possible Love,” directed by Lee Chang-dong. If Netflix spent the past 10 years expanding the reach of Korean content, it is now taking on the role of introducing works by directors such as Lee Chang-dong, who represents an important part of Korean film history, to audiences around the world.

A scene from "Possible Love" / Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix, which entered Korea 10 years ago, has now gone beyond being simply a platform for consuming Korean content. It has changed the way Korean content is produced and distributed and how it reaches overseas markets. Korean content has expanded its range of genres and actors, and it is now moving toward its next chapter. We have entered an era of asking just how far stories made in Korea can reach.

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.

Netflix在韩国的十年发展，拓宽了韩国电影的题材范围，也拓展了其触达全球观众的方式。该平台为非传统类型片、女性题材作品和科幻片开辟了空间，同时也改变了演员的发掘方式。它助力《鱿鱼游戏》等韩国电影走向全球，如今更支持《可能的爱》等韩国影片参加国际电影节和流媒体平台。

2017 年 Netflix 原创电影《玉子》（Okja）由奉俊昊执导，被认为是 Netflix 在韩国推动的创意转变的代表作。

Netflix 帮助引进了《芭蕾舞女》、《杀死福顺》、《来电》、《告白的代价》、《假面少女》、《太空清扫者》、《郑伊》和《解锁》等韩国作品。

《鱿鱼游戏》上线后连续 32 周位列 Netflix 全球十大热门影片榜单。

Netflix 也改变了演员的发掘方式，帮助李韩星、李延、申承浩、文尚勋和柳秀彬等演员通过特定角色获得认可。

由李沧东执导的《可能的爱》被视为今年通过 Netflix 和国际电影节将韩国电影推向世界各地观众的核心作品。

发布于2026年10月3日下午1:32（韩国标准时间）

《鱿鱼游戏》第二季剧照 / 图片由 Netflix 提供

Netflix进入韩国市场至今已有十年。从流媒体平台还鲜为人知的年代，Netflix已深深融入韩国人的日常生活。这十年间，韩国内容的制作方式以及海外市场对其的认知都发生了翻天覆地的变化。韩国内容的全球化以及“K-content”一词也已不再陌生。从这个意义上讲，Netflix在过去十年中留下的印记意义非凡。

十年前，像今天这样在一个平台上汇集如此丰富多样的作品并不常见。Netflix进入韩国市场后，创作者们逐渐拥有了更多选择。尤其是一些在现有投资模式或传统成功模式下难以制作的作品开始涌现。2017年Netflix原创电影《玉子》（Okja）便是这一转变的典型代表，该片由奉俊昊执导。其独特的设定——一家巨型企业与一只转基因动物之间的故事——在传统商业电影中并不常见。

随着类型和题材的界限被不断打破，韩国创作者得以更自由地尝试非传统题材。以女性角色为中心的类型片便是其中一例。《芭蕾舞女》、《杀死福顺》、《来电》、《告白的代价》和《假面少女》等作品提供了新的创作契机。此外，科幻题材也持续受到关注，这一题材在韩国历来制作难度较高，例如《太空清扫者》和《郑伊》。还有一些作品则以熟悉的设定为基础，并在此基础上进行创新发展，例如《解锁》。虽然并非每部作品都大获成功，但它们勇于尝试以往制作难度较高的类型和题材，标志着韩国影视行业的显著变革。

不断拓展的类型，多元化的娱乐——以及最终的“K”标签

如果不提及《鱿鱼游戏》，对Netflix韩国十年发展历程的讨论就不完整。这部Netflix原创剧集证明，即使语言和文化存在差异，韩国故事也能成为全球热门内容。

《给你一个教训》剧照 / 图片由 Netflix 提供

这部剧集将韩国传统游戏与生存挑战相结合，风靡全球，并在上线后连续32周位列Netflix全球十大热门剧集榜单。它彻底颠覆了人们对“韩国特色能否真正走向世界”的固有认知，并引发了一系列融合韩国元素的优秀作品走向国际舞台。除了《鱿鱼游戏》之外，《王国》、《甜蜜的家》、《猎犬》、《地狱使者》、《DP》、《荣耀》、《人生如蜜》、《Lady Doir》和《教你一课》等作品也印证了这一趋势。

演员的发掘方式也发生了变化。过去，为了确保票房成功，制作方往往会启用已成名的演员担任主角。但Netflix出品的作品让许多凭借特定作品和角色崭露头角的演员崭露头角。例如，在《假面少女》中饰演金模美的李翰星；在《少年正义联盟》中给人留下深刻印象的李砚；以及出演《DP》系列的申承浩、文尚勋和柳秀彬。尤其值得一提的是，《义理》这部剧集还启用了全素英、姜美娜、白善浩、玄宇硕和李孝济等新人演员。因此，即使没有明星演员，凭借作品本身和角色塑造的实力吸引观众的途径也变得更加广泛了。

《面具女孩》剧照 / 图片由 Netflix 提供

Netflix对待韩国内容的态度也发生了变化。它一直在积极投资韩国电影，并寻求机会在国际电影节上展映。Netflix此前曾在各大电影节和颁奖典礼上推出过《罗马》、《爱尔兰人》、《玻璃洋葱》和《弗兰肯斯坦》等原创影片。如今，韩国电影也正乘着这股潮流，寻找新的发展机遇。

今年这股热潮的核心是李沧东执导的《可能的爱》。如果说Netflix在过去十年里致力于拓展韩国内容的受众范围，那么现在它则承担起了向世界观众介绍李沧东等韩国电影史上重要导演作品的重任。

《可能之爱》剧照 / 图片由 Netflix 提供

Netflix十年前进入韩国市场，如今已不再仅仅是一个韩国内容消费平台。它改变了韩国内容的制作和发行方式，以及其触达海外市场的方式。韩国内容的类型和演员阵容不断拓展，如今正迈向新的篇章。我们已经进入了一个新时代，人们不禁要问：韩国制作的故事究竟能传播到多远？

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。