'Reeducation' and 'Squid Game'… Netflix enters top 10 in all-time viewership, a fourth all-time win for Korean content

A satisfying rebuke aimed at crumbling school authority shakes up the global charts

Netflix original series 'Reeducation', starring actor 'Kim Mu-yeol', is triggering a major shift in living rooms around the world. Following the mythology of 'Squid Game', a global mega hit, the series has built a milestone crown by entering the top 10 of all-time most popular non-English TV series on Netflix.

According to a Sept. 29 announcement from Netflix, 'Reeducation' broke through 60.2 million cumulative views within 8 weeks of release, securing a spot at No. 10 on Netflix’s all-time box-office rankings for non-English titles. With 'Squid Game'—the franchise series (Seasons 1, 2 and 3)—holding the top three positions on the current chart, 'Reeducation' achieved a feat by putting its name in Netflix’s Hall of Fame for the fourth time in the history of Korean content.

Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, 'Reeducation' unfolds around a fictional government body called the School Authority Protection Bureau. It digs into the raw reality of the education field, laid bare by students, teachers and parents whose actions have collapsed what once held it together, and portrays the process of putting it right in depth. In particular, a dark-hero narrative that punishes real-world wrongdoing with extra-legal means, along with the cast’s overwhelming performances and hard-hitting, impact-driven action, creates a finely tuned synergy—delivering a catharsis that transcends borders.

Global viewers’ response is also clearly visible in the weekly charts. According to Netflix’s official tracking site Tudum, from Sept. 20 to Sept. 26, 'Reeducation' ranked No. 7 worldwide in the non-English TV show category. Even as it entered its 8th week after release, it recorded 2.3 million weekly views, maintaining top-10 entries across 37 countries and demonstrating its staying power.

Moreover, spearheaded by 'Reeducation', a total of five Korean works simultaneously placed in the non-English top 10—'Donggung' (No. 2), 'Kim Bujang' (No. 3), 'The Spooky Love' (No. 5) and 'Apartment' (No. 8)—once again proving the overwhelming global stature of K-content.