111 Million Households Watched, 'Ojingeo Game' Tops Netflix All-Time Rankings (Comprehensive)

Only Twenty Weeks Since Release... Fastest Growth in Viewers Among Original Works
Netflix Invests 550 Billion KRW in Korean Content... Focuses on Promotion, Subtitles, and Dubbing

[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Squid Game' has recorded the highest number of viewers ever for a Netflix original. Netflix announced on the 13th that 111 million households worldwide have watched the drama. Currently, the total number of Netflix subscribers worldwide is 209 million. It can be said that more than half of all subscribers watched 'Squid Game.' The previous record for the highest number of viewers was 82 million households for 'Bridgerton,' produced in the United States. Released on September 17, 'Squid Game' gathered 30 million more households in just three weeks. In terms of viewers within one month of release, it also surpassed hit shows like 'House of Cards' and 'Money Heist.' CNN in the U.S. stated, "Among all Netflix original works, this is the fastest growth in viewers," and added, "It clearly shows tremendous popularity."

Kim Min-young, Netflix Asia Pacific Content VP, said, "When we invested in Korea in 2015, we wanted to introduce Korean content to the world," and added, "'Squid Game' made a dream we only imagined come true." She continued, "Director Hwang Dong-hyuk had long conceived the story, but it was never made anywhere else. We found its charm and believed it could move the hearts of global fans." 'Squid Game' continues to be a hot topic worldwide. The main cast, including Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, and Jung Ho-yeon, appeared on the U.S. NBC flagship talk show 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on the 6th, and the iconic imagery recently appeared in the heart of New York's Times Square. Interest has even extended to Korean culture, such as 'Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed' and the 'Dalgona Kit.'

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The driving force behind its phenomenal success is cited as Korea’s unique sensibility and universal emotions. In particular, traditional children's games played a key role. Director Hwang did not follow the form of Japanese survival shows, which are intricately designed and difficult to win. Instead, he borrowed simple children's games to make the gameplay intuitive. The story was also told simply. In the game with a huge cash prize, losing means immediate death, and this cycle repeats. When the script was completed in 2009, it was dismissed as a far-fetched fantasy. But now it is different. People have become accustomed to games chasing quick riches like Bitcoin, real estate, and stocks. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rich-poor divide, pushing the majority into extreme competition. Director Hwang said, "Korea still has fierce competition and is full of stress. Fifty million people compete like 'Squid Game' participants in a small land," and added, "I wanted to show a society that fosters this not through courageous heroes but through ordinary people, like a fable."

The worldview he envisioned was able to blossom through Netflix. Initially, Korea was not seen merely as a ‘media market’ for recruiting subscribers directly. Netflix entrusted original content production to use it as a foothold for expansion into China and Southeast Asia. To win the hearts of creators and producers, they boldly invested from the first project. They spent a whopping 57 billion KRW on director Bong Joon-ho’s 'Okja,' which was equivalent to 57 months of revenue generated in Korea at the time. This year, Netflix plans to invest about 550 billion KRW in Korean content, which is more than 70% of the total 770 billion KRW invested over the past four years. At the 'See What’s Next Korea 2021' Netflix content roadshow in February, VP Kim explained, "This is a measure to experience Korean content together, grow alongside creators, and create a ripple effect." In fact, Netflix puts considerable effort not only into providing fresh content but also into launching it. Beyond simple promotion and marketing, they pay attention to subtitles and dubbing to lower entry barriers.

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