Posted : 2021-06-03 09:46
By Kwak Yeon-soo
K-dramas have a wider audience than ever thanks to the success of global streaming platforms and a rising demand for diversified content.
According to data from the Korea Communications Commission, Korea's over-the-top (OTT) market grew by 23 percent in 2020 from the previous year.
A boom in OTT services has led to a surge in binge-watching of TV productions, such as tvN's inter-Korean romance "Crash Landing On You," JTBC's coming-of-age drama "Itaewon Class" and OCN's fantasy action series "Uncanny Counter." They were ranked in Netflix's top 10 list, variably across Asia, North America and Europe.
According to a report from the Korean Information Society Development Institute, K-drama exports were worth $273.27 million in 2019, up 11 percent from $241.89 million a year earlier. In a nod to the international success of K-dramas, the foreign adaptation business is booming.