The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange have released their 2025 Overseas Hallyu Survey, revealing significant trends in global consumption of Korean entertainment. The expanded study, which included Hong Kong and the Philippines for the first time while increasing sample sizes across 18 countries, shows Korean content maintaining strong international appeal while facing new challenges.
Korean content consumption reached an average of 14 hours per month, up 2.4 hours from 2023. Dramas and variety shows remained most popular at 17.5 and 17 hours monthly respectively, while gaming and webtoons showed the fastest growth. The Philippines led in consumption at 24 hours monthly, followed by Thailand and UAE, indicating Asia and the Middle East as particularly strong markets.
“Squid Game” maintained its position as the most preferred Korean drama at 9.7%, though its lead over second-place “Queen of Tears” narrowed. In film, “Parasite” and “Train to Busan” continued their six-year dominance, while new occult hit “Exhuma” ranked third globally. The survey noted increasing simultaneous viewing of new releases worldwide, with recent productions accounting for 14.3% of preferred dramas compared to 11.5% last year.
Actor Lee Min-ho marked his 12th consecutive year as most preferred Korean star, while BTS and BLACKPINK maintained their seven- and six-year streaks as top music acts despite group hiatuses. Their members’ solo activities contributed to sustained popularity, with BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Rosé making regional ranking debuts.
Story quality emerged as the primary appeal factor for both dramas and films, overtaking previous leaders like actors’ visuals. However, language barriers and subtitle issues remained top obstacles for the seventh straight year, joined this year by rising cost concerns reflecting global OTT price hikes.
Negative perceptions of Hallyu reached a five-year high at 37.5%, particularly among younger demographics in markets like India and UAE. While criticisms of commercialization declined, geopolitical factors and celebrity scandals gained prominence as concerns.
The survey also highlighted growing interest in Korean language learning, with 26.8% of respondents having studied Korean – primarily for cultural rather than practical reasons. However, limited access to learning resources, especially in Europe and Africa, presents challenges for further cultural engagement.
“These findings help us understand evolving global demand for Korean culture,” said KOFICE President Park Chang-sik. “We’ll continue in-depth research to support the sustainable growth and diversification of K-content worldwide.” The complete survey covers 18 countries with samples ranging from 700-2,100 respondents per market.
