'Squid Game' Tops Netflix US... First Korean Work to Do So

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] The drama "Squid Game," starring actor Lee Jung-jae, has become the first Korean work to rank number one on Netflix in the United States.

According to Netflix ranking aggregation site FlixPatrol on the 22nd, the Korean Netflix original series "Squid Game" has overtaken "Sex Education," which was number one in the U.S. until the previous day, and is currently leading the charts. It is also ranked second in the World Ranking TV Show category.

The highest ranking achieved by a Korean Netflix original series in the U.S. until now was "Sweet Home" (3rd place), released last year.

"Squid Game" has ranked number one not only in Korea and the U.S. but also in a total of 14 countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Singapore. It has also attracted global attention by ranking second in 39 countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

"Squid Game" depicts a mysterious survival game where people with nowhere left to turn are trapped in a massive space and risk their lives to win a prize of 45.6 billion won. The show features dazzling and grand-scale sets and Lee Jung-jae's transformative acting, while the performances of the main and supporting cast members such as Park Hae-soo, Oh Young-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung have also received high marks. The film director Hwang Dong-hyuk, known for "Silenced," "Miss Granny," "The Fortress," and "Collectors," has been praised for his concise direction.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.