In this article, we will take a look at the 15 countries that watch the most K-dramas.
Korean dramas, often known as K-dramas, are so trendy and well-liked that they frequently establish global trends. Many people may watch these dramas—which often include 16 episodes or more—in a single sitting. Korean drama popularity overseas can’t be uncovered as there are over 30 languages, including English, German, French, Swedish, Hindi, Portuguese, and Bahasa Indonesia, currently available for K-dramas on Netflix. In a study performed by the Statista Research Department in 2022 across 26 nations, around 36% of participants said that Korean dramas (K-dramas) were extremely popular in their country that year. Approximately 66% of respondents in total said that K-dramas were usually well-liked, even outside of devoted fan communities. Malik noted that the absence of violence and explicit sexual content in K-dramas helped them become popular in other Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This popularity has aided in not only promoting the nation’s identity and culture but also in boosting the economy, as seen by the fact that South Korea’s economy has soared thanks to global knowledge of Korean pop culture. For instance, the popularity of K-dramas sparked an increase in tourism, making the nation one of the most popular travel destinations worldwide.
According to Dr. Jung-Bong Choi, a former professor of film studies at New York University, whereas Japan began to retreat inward as its economy declined, South Korea pursued the opposite strategy. This all coincided with the start of China’s own economic boom, which produced a huge demand for pop culture content—and South Korea was there to supply it. China deemed American TV shows incompatible with its principles, and it refused to import programming from Japan, its former colonizer. However, Korean programming was in tune with China’s societal ideals, which proved to be a big windfall for South Korea’s entertainment business, as Choi says.
Even ASEAN, a global body, acknowledges the K-drama popularity. Vongthep Arthakaivalyatee, Deputy Secretary General for the ASEAN Social and Cultural Community, said that despite the diversity of opinions on the K-drama phenomenon, he really thinks that ASEAN may benefit from the K-wave paradigm by, for instance, developing an ASEAN wave. The ASEAN member states may benefit from Korea’s creative industry’s talent for reading audiences, which will go a long way toward fostering the ASEAN community’s shared identity.
In a study titled A Study on The Elements that Affect Filipino Viewers’ Preference Towards Korean Drama, the findings of the participant replies show how Filipino fans of Korean drama perceive things differently. 95% of the populace believes that characters play a significant role in the Filipino audience’s infatuation with Korean dramas. 90% of the populace also thinks that themes play a role in why Filipinos are drawn to K-dramas. Setting has the lowest proportion of being a factor in Filipinos’ attraction to Korean dramas out of the five factors listed in this study. Last but not least, the elements that have the most influence on Filipino viewers are the plot and cinematography. According to the respondents, the storyline and cinematography of Korean drama have contributed to the Filipinos’ infatuation with the genre since they blend movie-making techniques into their television series In addition, they contain unforeseen plot twists. The researchers concluded that more Filipinos would watch and support local dramas as a result of this data, which helps local productions improve and compete on a par with Korean dramas.
Photo by Daniel Bernard on Unsplash
Our Methodology
This article reveals information about which country watches K-drama the most. To identify the top 15 countries that watch the most K-dramas, we conducted in-depth research and consulted six different sources (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6). A country was given one point for each appearance on a source’s list. These factors were then used to rank them and identify the top 15 countries that watch K-dramas the most.
So without further ado, here are the top 15 countries that watch the most K-dramas.
15 Countries That Watch the Most K-dramas
15. United States of America
The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, first spread around the world in the 1990s, shedding light on South Korea’s distinctive pop culture. This is when America first became fascinated with all things K. Other than the absence of sex, K-dramas differ from American soaps in other ways. K-dramas are “deeply rooted in traditional Confucian values,” such as accountability and respect. According to Park, the majority of DramaFever’s tales examine the conflict that exists between loving someone and “the responsibility that character feels to his family, career, and other types of relationships.”
14. Spain
According to Madrid-Morales, since the 1990s, the movement of Asian cultural goods around the world has steadily increased, but the Spanish-speaking audiences’ introduction to them is a relatively recent development, one that is connected to the fusion of web-based resources for consuming, sharing, and discussing artifacts of culture. Spanish-speaking nations are becoming more popular in South Korean popular culture. Super Junior, a South Korean band, performed for over 13,000 people in Lima in April 2013. A comparable amount attended a concert by Big Bang in November of the same year in Chile and Peru, which attracted a combined 14,000 fans, Briceno noted.
13. France
According to a 2019 French study conducted by Statistica, just 16.2 percent of respondents thought K-dramas were highly popular in France. The majority of respondents, 35%, believed that K-dramas were only popular among a small number of people.
12. Turkey
A 2019 study in Turkey by Statistica found that 33.5% of participants thought that K-dramas were highly popular there. Another 34.3 percent said they thought K-dramas were quite popular in the nation.
11. India
Surprisingly popular South Korean television shows are currently being streamed in India. Many Indians have even started learning Korean as a result of this phenomenon. Crash Landing on You beat out a number of domestic hits during the coronavirus shutdown and entered the top 10 on Netflix in India.
10. Brazil
According to a Statistica poll performed in Brazil in 2019, 29.4% of participants said K-dramas were highly popular there. 32.2 percent of respondents, the highest percentage, said they were quite popular in Brazil.
9. China
China has a high number of viewers, with 37% of respondents stating they occasionally watch Korean TV episodes or films, according to yesichat.com‘s global inquiry into the question “Which Country Watches The Most Kdrama?”
8. Japan
Korean dramas are taking over Japan thanks to the international streaming service Netflix. Local Japanese media and industry authorities have studied the aspects that led to the K-drama frenzy in this nation as Korean dramas became even more popular than Japanese dramas. An analyst said that “Crash Landing on You” and “Itaewon Class” are fueling the mania and that “Crash Landing on You” would overtake “Winter Sonata” as the most popular song in Japan. “Crash Landing on You” has been available in Japan for more than two years, but it keeps making the Top 10. Following the publication of the Japanese remake, “Itaewon Class” also saw a rise in popularity, increasing interest in the original.
A poll performed in Japan in 2019 found that over 21.2 percent of participants thought K-dramas were extremely popular in their country. However, 30.2 percent felt that they were highly popular, while 43.8 percent said they were just popular with a select group of individuals.
7. Vietnam
People in Asia were staying in during the coronavirus pandemic, and Korean dramas were becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam. Seven out of the ten Netflix drama series that made the Top 10 list in Vietnam, according to sources in the Vietnamese press, were produced in Korea. The most-watched list was topped by “Itaewon Class” on JTBC, followed by “Crash Landing on You” and “Hi Bye, Mama! which came in second and third, respectively.
6. Thailand
Research titled K-dramas across Thailand: Constructions of Koreanness and Thainess by Contemporary Thai Consumers indicated that, at a time when their own reality is undergoing significant change, individual Thai viewers have responded to and assimilated this new “Koreanness” into their surroundings. According to interviews with Thai fans, Hallyu items strongly relate to the constructs of Koreanness for Thai customers, and more particularly, they give fans access to symbols of Korean culture that they may use in a variety of ways.
A 2019 poll carried out in Thailand found that 35.2% of participants thought K-dramas were highly popular there. Another 39.6% of respondents said they believed K-dramas were highly popular.
5. Nigeria
Nigerians are obsessed with Korean dramas, according to Netflix data. In 2022, “Alchemy of Souls,” a Korean drama that stayed more than six months in the top 10 ratings, was the most viewed series on Netflix Nigeria. Aside from these parameters, Korean series dominate the top five rankings.
K-Dramas, K-Pop, and other aspects of Korean culture have long been popular in Nigeria. Boys Over Flowers, a drama series that premiered in 2009, is highly known internationally. During its season, the show’s popularity in Nigeria increased from seventh to first. It continues to be the most-watched show in Nigeria as of 2017.
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. Indonesia
49.2 percent of participants in a 2019 study in Indonesia thought K-dramas were extremely popular there. K-dramas are quite popular in Indonesia, according to another 39.2 percent, proving their vast appeal. Based on a poll done in June and July 2022, almost 57 percent of participants said they watched Korean dramas on VIU more than any other streaming service. Among the top streaming services for Korean dramas in Indonesia were Netflix and Telegram.
As Indonesia’s affinity for K-dramas continues to flourish, the nation stands as a testament to the global reach and cross-cultural influence that these shows wield. The statistical evidence of viewership and preference is a reflection of how K-dramas have managed to transcend geographical boundaries, language barriers, and cultural nuances to create a unifying entertainment experience that resonates with people worldwide.
Pixabay/Public Domain
3. Malaysia
Released in 2012, “Love Rain” was only shown in a few nations before being made available to everyone on Netflix. Before it was subsequently shown in other nations like Iran and Indonesia, countries like Malaysia already had access to the drama. In Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia, the play that encouraged love at first sight, was a national favorite. It is now the most popular Netflix program in those nations.
The story of “Love Rain” is a testament to the global appeal of Korean dramas, often referred to as K-dramas, and how these narratives transcend cultural boundaries to forge connections with viewers across diverse backgrounds. Its journey from limited access to becoming a streaming sensation reflects the power of online platforms in democratizing content distribution and fostering cross-cultural exchanges. As K-dramas continue to captivate audiences around the world, the popularity of “Love Rain” within these specific nations stands as a vivid illustration of how a well-crafted narrative can touch hearts, spark conversations, and establish itself as a cornerstone of contemporary entertainment.
Photo by Aaron Lee on Unsplash
2. Egypt
The Egyptian Korean wave was sparked, according to Nourhan, by introducing Korean culture to Egyptian audiences in a way that resonated with their way of life. A few Korean dramas used to show on Egyptian television, but that was back in 2009, when it was still mostly unheard of. Nourhan added that he came to see that Korean drama was incredibly different and distinctive; it draws you in almost like a dream realm. It has its very own distinctive flair, unlike Hollywood movies or music.
Pixabay/Public Domain
1. Philippines
Erik Paolo Capistrano, a professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and the director of the university’s Korea Research Center (KRC), says there are several reasons why K-drama is popular, especially with Filipinos.
He thinks that strong marketing campaigns and devoted fan bases, in addition to the Korean entertainment industry’s inventiveness, are what contribute to K-drama’s popularity. Using the recent hit “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay,” which dealt with male mental health, Capistrano said that Korean entertainment corporations had been successful in producing “new and disruptive” material.
My Love From The Star, a timeless tale of unforeseen love, premiered in 2014. With well-known actors and actresses including Kim Soo Hyun, Jun Ji Hyun, Yoo In Na, and Park Hae Jin, it was a successful series in 2014 that garnered several honors. In Taiwan and the Philippines, interest in the series has never waned. It is now the most popular Netflix program in these nations.
Pixabay/Public Domain
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Disclosure: None. 15 Countries That Watch the Most K-dramas is originally published on Insider Monkey.
