Netflix is celebrating 10 years in South Korea with a two day festival in Seoul, marking a decade in which the country evolved from another overseas market for the U.S. streaming company into a reliable source of shows and films watched around the world.
The scale of that change helps explain why Netflix is treating the anniversary as more than a routine corporate milestone. Since the company began publishing its Global Top 10 rankings in 2021, more than 210 Korean titles have appeared on the lists. Squid Game remained in the rankings for 32 consecutive weeks, while When Life Gives You Tangerines and KPop Demon Hunters, which is set in Korea, also attracted global attention.
That record has made South Korea increasingly important to the way Netflix fills a global catalog. Korean productions that once would have been aimed primarily at domestic audiences can now reach viewers across multiple countries through the same platform that distributes Hollywood productions. Netflix’s decade in Korea therefore reflects a broader change in entertainment, with globally competitive hits increasingly emerging outside traditional U.S. production centers.
Netflix said it will hold its anniversary festival, called NetflJanchi, on Oct. 24 and 25 at the Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul. The event will focus on programs and personalities associated with Netflix productions released in South Korea over the past decade.
The company has already begun marking the anniversary through a series of campaigns. Netflix unveiled a version of its signature Stream branding inspired by hanbok, Korea’s traditional clothing, along with a special 10th anniversary logo.
Netflix also brought the campaign to the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Sept. 5. Characters from popular Netflix titles appeared around Yeouido Hangang Park, while part of the fireworks performance was staged to music from the soundtrack of the Netflix series Can This Love Be Translated?
The anniversary follows continued success for Korean productions on the platform. True Education, released this year, rose to No. 10 on Netflix’s all time ranking of its most popular non English language series, extending a run of Korean titles that have moved beyond their home market.
The October festival will allow visitors to participate directly in programs inspired by Netflix dramas and entertainment shows from the past 10 years. Announced events include a retrospective on Netflix Korea, a quiz competition, a dance program and a dating themed event. Actors and entertainers who have appeared in Netflix productions will also meet audiences.
The concert lineup includes South Korean singers Bada, Choi Baek ho, Kyuhyun, Kwon Jin ah, Car the Garden and Rain. Netflix will also stage a special live spinoff of one of its promotional channel programs and introduce several upcoming releases ahead of their debuts.
Admission will be free, with reservations opening Sept. 10 through Naver, South Korea’s major homegrown internet and search company. Netflix said additional performers and programs will be announced later.
A decade after Netflix entered South Korea, the celebration is ultimately about more than how long the service has operated there. The country has become one of the places where locally produced entertainment can repeatedly break into Netflix’s global rankings, giving the American streaming company content that can travel far beyond Korea.
