(Credit: Netflix)

Shows filmed in South Korea now have the second-highest viewing figures on Netflix, rising above the UK and being beaten out only by America.

New figures by Ampere Analysis, using Netflix’s self-reported viewing data, reveal that currently, 17% – translating to 85 out of an existing 500 – non-American TV shows and films on the streaming service come from South Korea, accounting for roughly nine per cent of its total global viewing figures.

Conversely, British productions took up approximately an eight per cent share, while Japan represented roughly five per cent.

Last year, the second series of the smash-hit dystopian drama Squid Game significantly contributed to South Korea’s booming figures. It became Netflix’s most popular title for the second half of 2024.

The success of shows like Squid Game made a global status out of its creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. However, the director highlighted issues within the series that even in spite of its mammoth figures, lack of investment in the first series meant creatives could not be paid appropriately.

Despite this, other South Korean efforts, such as the romance Love Next Door and the cooking reality show Culinary Class Wars, have also proven popular with viewers around the world.

In light of this, Netflix has invested $2.5 billion of its budget to South Korean content over the course of 2024 to 2028, reflecting the changing viewing habits of audiences branching out beyond the Western sphere.

As such, there are also huge investments being made in native production houses in order for the country to create a self-sufficient film industry, with CJ ENM announcing partnerships with US studios including Fifth Season and Warner Bros Discovery.

This is set to give South Korea an increasingly prominent seat in the entertainment industry, as its global music export of K-pop is potentially beginning to falter.