He may be under fire in America, but Ted Sarandos was all smiles in Korea this weekend.
The Netflix co-CEO took to the stage at an event in Seoul to mark the streamer’s tenth anniversary in Korea, from squid game, kpop demon hunter And Empire Have arrived. Korea was one of Netflix’s largest markets economically, and has proven to be one of its most important markets.
“Ten years ago, we dreamed big, but none of us imagined that Korean stories would touch hearts around the world and reach the center of global culture,” Sarandos said.
“For Netflix, Korea is more than a market. It’s where we discovered new possibilities, and where we learned how far a story can travel, and it’s one of our most valued partners for the future we’re building together. To every creator, every actor, every crew member, and every fan in Korea: thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Sarandos was speaking after a difficult period for Netflix, during which its shares declined despite good third-quarter results. Wall Street is scared amid massive layoffs at the streamer and a sharp decline in the share price through 2026.
Netflix responded to criticism of its performance in the US by pointing to international titles such as plastic beauty, secret woman And perfect lieWhich are on track to become the most watched titles of all time in Japan, Denmark and the Netherlands respectively.
With players like Lee Jung-lae, Lee Byung-hun and Park Hae-soo, the Korea event would have been another tonic for Sarandos. squid gamefrom ahn hyo-seop kpop demon hunter and stars DP, physical 100, hell Bound, masked girl, Cooking Class War, devil’s plan And agent kim reactivated Taking the stage at the Korea Fan Festival at Sangnam Oil Tank Culture Park. The event ran on 24 and 25 October.
stars of upcoming shows possible love, tartar, Grand Galaxy Hotel, she Wolf (fka beauty in beast), we are all dead Season 2 and solo leveling Also appeared at the event, where Netflix outlined a series of stints to highlight its local impact.
Top non-English content
Netflix said Korean content is the most watched non-English language content on the app and more than 80% of subscribers watch it. The streamer launched in the country on January 6, 2016.
The streamer reported that more than 200 Korean titles have entered its global top 10 chart in the past five years. squid game Season 1 surprisingly stayed there the longest (32 consecutive weeks). teach you a lesson With all three seasons, it was ranked as the tenth most watched non-English title in the streamer’s history. squid game In the top ten.
Other stats revealed include working with over 80 Korean production companies, filming in over 100 towns and cities, and a third of its originals being led by first-time writers and/or directors.