Has Korean Content Officially Gone Mainstream in the US?

 While it’s no secret that several breakthrough Korean properties have had enormous traction in the domestic market, have we reached a point where Korean content can be declared a ‘mainstream’ genre in the U.S? As more and more notice turns to the inventive storytelling and globally accessible themes we’re seeing from South Korea, Brandon Blake at Blake & Wang P.A looks deeper into the phenomenon.


                                                                   Brandon Blake

Not a New Boom

While South Korean content rocketed to U.S prominence during the pandemic, as people started to explore a wider entertainment world, it’s important to realize it has long been popular throughout Asia and beyond. As early as 2000 we saw K-drama fever take hold throughout nearby neighbors. Nor is this expansion isolated to the U.S, either. Jewel in the Palace, a 2003 drama, became a truly global hit, even receiving remarkable traction in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, where the typical lack of romance and sexual content makes Korean IPs an easier sell than traditional Hollywood content, while maintaining high storytelling quality. K-drama also has remarkable spread through Latin America, where it’s perceived to have a strong correlation with the local telenovelas in structure, drama, and content. 

42% Growth

In the US, however, we saw a 42% growth in Korean originals between 2019 and 2020 on one content provider (VIKI) alone. And this was before the massive success of Parasite and Minari, followed hotly by Squid Games. In 2014, the Korea Creative Content Agency estimated 18 million Americans regularly enjoyed Korean content. It’s safe to say that number is now exponentially higher. Currently, Netflix dubs and subs Korean originals in over 30 languages, and plowed over $500 million into Korean content last year.


While there’s no question that Korean original content has come into its own through powerful storytelling that’s relevant both locally and resonates internationally, the key question to now ask is how this massive globalization will affect the industry going forward. 


Yet Korean pop culture, in general, has proven very resilient in the face of globalization, adapting and shaping itself naturally to its growing user base, primarily through a willingness to actively embrace influence from other cultures. Where will this lead it in 2022? This entertainment attorney will be watching with interest.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Kung Fu Panda 4 the Key to a Reinvigorated 2024 Box Office?

Image
 With Dune: Part Two having finally powered up the 2024 box office, it's time to build on that impetus if the wider box office recovery is to continue. There could be another strong contender lurking in the wings for this weekend’s releases- but it will doubtless surprise you to learn that this hope lies with the fourth installment of the animated Kung Fu Panda saga! Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Los Angeles , Brandon Blake, has more on this ironic twist for us.                                                                          Brandon Blake Two $40M Grosses on the Cards For the first time since July 2023 and the Barbenheimer dual release, we have a chance at not one, but two, films grossing over $40M this weekend. In fact, those figures may top $50M! While Dune: Part Two...
Read more

Netflix Ad Tier Turns in Fantastic Growth

Image
 What a difference half a year can make! With Netflix’s ad-supported subscription tier first launched only 18 months ago, the streamer has managed to nearly double its subscriber base since the start of 2024. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer , Brandon Blake, fills in the details. Brandon Blake Impressive Subscriber Gains Netflix’s total subscribers for the ad-supported tier now number 40 million monthly active users. In January 2024, it was 23 million. The streamer was understandably gleeful to reveal this news at its first in-person Upfronts presentation in New York earlier this month. At its first-ever Upfronts presentation, which was held digitally in 2023, the ad tier had 5 million monthly active users.   Additionally, we were told that 40% of active signups now opt for the ad-supported plan, in countries where it is currently available. Of course, much of this can be attributed to a rather kind price ($7 domestically) for this tier, well below most of ...
Read more

Hulu on Disney+ is Officially Here

Image
While the Hulu on Disney+ Beta bundle has been live since last year, we have officially reached the point of full integration. Intriguingly, much of the executive focus on the new bundle has been around the technical advancements needed to unite the two platforms. You could take a look at entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, from Blake & Wang P.A., looks in more depth at the united offering.                                              Brandon Blake Technical Advancements While few viewers are likely to know (or care, frankly) about the backstage technology that powers their viewing experience, Disney executives have been keen to hammer home the potential for happier, healthier subscriber engagement and retention with the new tech shift. They have gone as far as to call it the “most extensive technical advancement” since launch. At this point, it is clear that they ...
Read more