According to Netflix Newsroom, Over 60% of all Netflix subscribers watched Korean movies and television shows last year, demonstrating the growing popularity of K-content around the world. Netflix is launching a wide variety of Korean TV series, movies, and unscripted shows in 2023. Our largest-ever selection of Korean movies and TV shows includes 34 upcoming titles, including jaw-dropping original productions and returning fan favorites.
Fresh shows and time-tested favorites
A common motif in several of the best programmes is survival, whether it is fighting off monsters in Gyeongseong Creature’s gloomy 1945, finding air to breathe in Black Knight’s dystopian future, or defending Joseon from the Japanese during colonial control in Song of the Bandits’ action drama.
With the return of the eagerly awaited shows Sweet Home, D.P., and The Glory this year, fans will delight. The second installment of the revenge thriller The Glory, which premiered in January and had 82.48 million viewing hours, will be released in March. While D.P. brings back the actors from the first season, Sweet Home, which established new standards for the creature genre in Korea, will return with an expanded setting and tale to continue pursuing deserters.
“The global popularity of K-content has continued apace over 2022, with Netflix bringing a wider variety of stories and genres to fans around the world. Over the last year, Korean series and films have regularly featured in our Global Top 10 list in more than 90 countries, and three of Netflix’s most-watched shows ever are from Korea. This year, we’re pushing the envelope even further with the stories we tell and how we tell them. With this lineup of Korean titles, Netflix will continue to be the ultimate destination for compelling, diverse and must-watch Korean storytelling,” said Don Kang, VP of Content (Korea).
Other new series this year cover a wide range of genres, including drama (Daily Dose of Sunshine, Queenmaker, The Good Bad Mother), apocalyptic (Behind Your Touch (WT), Crash Course in Romance, Destined With You, Doona!, King the Land, Love to Hate You, See You In My 19th Life), social commentary and intrigue (Bloodhounds, Celebrity, Mask Girl), and romance (A Time Cal (Goodbye Earth).
More movies, unscripted television series, and options
Korean films and unscripted television shows have gained more and more popularity with international viewers over the past year. One of the top 10 non-English movies last year was the action thriller Carter, while the dating reality series Singles Inferno is presently among the top 10 non-English movies worldwide.
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The sci-fi thriller JUNG-E and the murder mystery Kill Boksoon are the first two of six Korean films that Netflix is adding to its library this year. Believer 2, a follow-up to the drug gang-centered crime action thriller Believer, will be released on January 20. Other movies tackle subjects including hacking, teacher-student rivalry, and retaliation (Ballerina) (Unlocked).
A stunning lineup of reality series, including coming-of-age (Nineteen to Twenty), mind games (The Devil’s Plan), zombie survival (Zombieverse), and endurance (Physical:100), will leave those who enjoy living vicariously in awe.
Two additional documentaries are also forthcoming. The true-crime documentary Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong’s Unreleased Short Film follows the search for Bong Joon-first Ho’s film, for which he won an Oscar. The self-styled “messiahs” in contemporary Korean history are explored in the book In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal.
“We are very excited over the variety of the titles that we’re sharing with our members. There’s truly a series, a film or an unscripted show for everyone, and we look forward to our Korean shows connecting to fans both overseas and at home.”, shared Kang.
