Netflix's First Half K-Content Sensation!...〈Squid Game〉 Enters Top 25 for All Seasons

The Korean content on the global streaming platform Netflix has achieved unprecedented success in the first half of this year, once again proving the status of K-content.

According to the 'Viewing Status Report' released by Netflix on the 18th, 4 out of the 25 most-watched series in the first half of 2025 were Korean content. This means that a significant portion of the total viewing time of approximately 95 billion hours was occupied by Korean content, based on the first half survey until June 30.

The most notable achievement is the overwhelming popularity of the 〈Squid Game〉 series. Season 2, released in December last year, recorded 117 million views, ranking second among the most-watched series in the first half. Season 3, released on June 27, achieved 72 million views in just 3 days until the end of the survey, securing third place.

The number of views is a figure obtained by dividing the total viewing time by the runtime, serving as a key indicator of users' actual viewing engagement. 〈Squid Game〉 Season 1 also ranked 18th with 4 million views, setting a record of all seasons entering the top 25. The total number of views for all seasons of 〈Squid Game〉 in the first half of this year reached 231 million.

The diversity of Korean content was also remarkable. 〈Crash Course in Romance〉 recorded 35 million views, ranking 25th, and although it was not included in the top 25, 〈Emergency Center〉 (34 million views, 26th), 〈Weak Hero Class 1〉 (22 million, 42nd), and 〈Weak Hero Class 2〉 (20 million, 51st) also ranked high.

Korean content also stood out in the animation field. The animated film 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 recorded 37 million views, ranking 37th in the film category. The soundtrack of this work recently achieved the highest ranking among film music this year by reaching 2nd place on the Billboard main album chart, 'Billboard 200'.

Non-English content, including Korean, accounted for 10 out of the 25 most-watched series on Netflix, demonstrating its strength in the global content market.

The top spot in the first half was taken by the British series 〈Adolescence〉 with 145 million views, while European series such as Denmark's 〈The Secrets We Kept〉 (34 million) and Sweden's 〈The Oresund Murders〉 (33 million) also gained significant popularity.