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K-content is dominating Netflix viewership outside the U.S., according to recent analysis. The photo shows a scene from Squid Game Season 2, one of the flagship Korean series that led the global popularity of K-content last year. / Courtesy of Netflix

Korean content has emerged as the most popular non-U.S. programming on Netflix, according to a new report, highlighting the global dominance of K-dramas, variety shows, and films on the platform.

A study released on April 15 by Ampere Analysis, a global media research firm, found that Korean content accounted for 8–9% of total viewing hours on Netflix since 2023—second only to U.S. content (56–59%). Korea outpaced the U.K. (7–8%), known for its high-quality dramas, and Japan (4–5%), a major source of animation content.

Ampere cited Squid Game Season 2—which racked up 619.9 million viewing hours in the latter half of 2023—as a flagship example of K-content’s global appeal, along with the romantic drama Mom’s Friend’s Son and the cooking reality show Black & White Chef. The firm reported that Korean shows and films made up 85 out of the top 500 most-watched non-U.S. titles on Netflix—17% of the total.

More than half of the Korean titles ranked in Netflix’s global top 100 were Netflix Originals, and 31% were exclusive to the platform. A majority of these hits were supplied by CJ ENM, a major force in the Korean entertainment industry. Ampere added that Netflix’s commitment to invest $2.5 billion in Korean content through 2028 will likely help sustain the current momentum.

Supporting these findings, Netflix’s official “Top 10” website showed that for the week of April 7–13, six of the ten most-watched non-English TV shows globally were Korean.

Among them, The Bequeathed ranked second with 4.8 million views (calculated by dividing total watch time by runtime), while My Name Is Loh Kiwan, in its sixth week, held steady at No. 3 with 3.7 million views. Variety show The Crazy Squad, featuring Kian84 and BTS’s Jin, came in sixth with 2 million views, and Weak Hero Class 1 followed at No. 7 with 1.8 million views.