- Non-English content made up over a third of global Netflix viewing in January–June 2026, with Korean titles among the biggest contributors.
- Korea was the second-largest country of origin for Netflix viewing in late 2024, behind only the US, according to Ampere Analysis.
- Pakistani studies have found that viewers perceive cultural closeness between Korean and Pakistani society.
- Family bonds, community life and emotional storytelling are cited as the main points of connection.
Korean television is no longer a niche taste on global streaming. Netflix figures for January–June 2026 show that non-English content accounted for more than a third of worldwide viewing, with Korean, Japanese and Spanish programming among the largest contributors.
For Pakistani audiences, the appeal goes beyond novelty. Shared social values appear to be a big part of why these stories land so well at home.
A global viewing powerhouse
Several Korean releases posted huge numbers in the first half of 2026. Teach You a Lesson reached 48.2 million views, Can This Love Be Translated? 28.6 million and The Art of Sarah 25.8 million.
The trend is not new. Ampere Analysis, a market research firm, estimates that South Korean content made up around 8-9 per cent of Netflix viewing hours worldwide in the second half of 2024. That made Korea the second-largest country of origin for the platform's viewing, behind the United States. Of Netflix's 500 most popular non-English titles in that period, 85 were Korean, about 17 per cent.
Squid Game shows the scale most clearly. Its three seasons generated 231 million views in 2025, and the final season alone drew 72 million views in four days. Netflix's 2025 research also found that more than 80 per cent of its viewers had watched Korean content, and 63 per cent of existing K-content viewers planned to watch more.
What makes the shows travel
One assessment argues that Korean series combine emotional storytelling with strong production values. Even a romance is usually woven together with family, friendship, class, work and social pressure, and supporting characters get proper personalities and story arcs.
The shows are also described as tender and sentimental rather than ironic or hard-edged, and visually polished, from locations and interiors to music and food. Genre mixing is common, as in Vincenzo, which blends crime, revenge and comedy. Most dramas run for a set number of episodes towards a planned ending, so viewers are not committing to endless seasons.
Subtitles, dubbing and Netflix's worldwide distribution then removed much of the language barrier, turning regional hits into global ones.
The Pakistani connection
Themes such as parent-child relationships, respect for elders, marriage expectations, neighbours who know everyone's business, loyalty, sacrifice and shared family meals are said to resonate deeply with Pakistani and other Asian viewers.
Research points the same way. A Pakistani study of Korean-content consumption found that viewers perceived cultural proximity between the two societies. Another Pakistani study of Crash Landing on You identified similarities in conservative approaches to relationships and social life.
The shows also offer a society that feels recognisably Asian and family-oriented, yet is technologically advanced and stylish. Female audiences in particular are said to value the way women characters are written, with their careers, friendships and desires treated seriously rather than built around sexualisation.
Titles recommended for newcomers
When Life Gives You Tangerines, which drew 35 million views, follows Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik from the 1950s onward. It covers poverty, social pressure and generational sacrifice, and celebrates the haenyeo, Jeju's sea women.
Crash Landing on You, a 16-episode drama, drops a South Korean heiress into North Korea, where an army captain hides her. It balances political tension with romance and comedy, though its long episodes may feel bloated at times.
Vincenzo is a 20-episode dark comedy about a Korean-born Italian mafia consigliere who flees Italy for Seoul to recover hidden gold and ends up protecting a building's tenants from a corrupt pharmaceutical company.
Questions and answers
How big is Korean content on Netflix?
Ampere Analysis estimates that Korean content made up around 8-9 per cent of global Netflix viewing hours in the second half of 2024. That made Korea the second-largest country of origin after the US.
Why do Pakistani viewers connect with Korean dramas?
A Pakistani study found that viewers perceived cultural proximity to Korea, and another study noted similar conservative approaches to relationships and social life. Strong family ties and close communities are commonly cited points of connection.
Which Korean show is recommended for first-time viewers?
When Life Gives You Tangerines is recommended as a starting point. It follows a couple's life over decades, covering love, family, resilience and ageing.
Image: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
