‘Doctor X’ Captivates 7.1 Million Worldwide… The Secret Behind Its Netflix No. 1 in 48 Countries, Two Weeks Straight at No. 1 Among Non-English Shows

K-content takes over screens worldwide, with two major hits

The medical drama ‘Doctor X’, starring actor Kim Ji-won, has won overwhelming support from viewers around the world, holding on to the top spot in Netflix’s non-English TV category for two consecutive weeks.

According to global Top 10 figures released by Netflix’s official site Tudum on the 21st, ‘Doctor X’ recorded 7.1 million views from the 12th through the 18th, taking the No. 1 spot among non-English shows. After reaching the top just three days after its premiere on the 9th, the series now appears to be settling into a sustained hit run.

A closer look at the rankings shows that the series swept the No. 1 spot in seven Asian countries, including South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, and made the Top 10 in 48 countries overall. Based on TV Asahi’s flagship Japanese drama ‘Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon’, the series has been praised for building a cross-border connection with its tightly drawn story of a brilliant female doctor taking on corruption and power in the medical world.

The excitement is just as strong on Korean television. ‘Doctor X’, airing Fridays and Saturdays on SBS, got off to a strong start with an 11.4% rating for its first episode (nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea), then surged to 18.5% by its fourth episode, putting the elusive 20% mark within reach.

Meanwhile, alongside ‘Doctor X’s’ solo run, three K-dramas have landed in the global Top 10, showcasing the strength of Korean content. The romance series ‘Charge Me Up’, starring Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin, recorded 6.4 million views to settle at No. 2, up one spot from the previous week. It has made the Top 10 in 64 countries worldwide, steadily building a global audience.

In addition, ‘100 Days of Lies’, starring Park Jin-young and Kim Yoo-jung, ranked No. 4 with 2.8 million views. Set in Gyeongseong during the Japanese colonial period in 1932, the series tells a high-stakes espionage romance between a pickpocket and an interpreter for the Japanese Government-General of Korea. The story of its protagonists dreaming of going to the United States drew attention soon after the series premiered, landing it in the Top 10 in 22 countries.