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Disney Plus bets big on Korean content to boost global presence

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Actors who starred upcoming Korean and Japanese TV series pose at the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase

SINGAPORE — Disney Plus, a global over-the-top (OTT) platform, is expanding the lineup of its original Korean titles, buoyed by the global popularity of K-drama series, heralding fierce competition with Netflix Inc. that has been scaling up offerings from Korean artists.

At the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase on Nov. 21, the US entertainment giant unveiled 10 new, star-studded Korean TV series, created by well-known directors and writers.

Its aggressive spending on Korean content followed the smash hit of Moving, a live-action adaptation of the eponymous hit webtoon by Kangfull, a pioneer in the digitical comics boom. 

Released in 2023, the TV series ranked as the most viewed local original series globally on Disney Plus last year. The company confirmed that Moving Season Two is in development. 

Main actors of the Light Shop drama has a Q&A session after a preview at the 2024 Disney Asia Pacific Content Showcase (Courtesy of the Walt Disney)

In December, a new drama series Light Shop, based on Kangfull’s another eponymous webtoon, will premiere on Disney Plus.

“APAC is an important and vibrant growth region for The Walt Disney Company. It’s a region with rich stories to uncover, a deep poll of talent and an undeniable passion for great storytelling,” Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, said in a statement.

During the preview, Disney Plus showcased its first Korean historic drama series: They Murkey Stream.

Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, speaks at the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase (Courtesy of the Walt Disney) 

The company has launched more than 130 originals in Asia Pacific on Disney Plus since producing original content for its channel in the region 2021.

In 2023, among the top 15 best performing international original titles released on the streaming platform, nine of them were Korean titles.

This year, Korean action drama A Shop for Killers has become the most viewed series on Disney Plus in Asia Pacific. Travel reality show Are You Sure?! starring BTS’ Jimin and Jung Kook has also topped the list of the platform’s most viewed unscripted titles in the region and was a strong performer globally.

“Stories produced in Asia Pacific have become a staple in general entertainment consumption. They are world-class productions, with growing global resonance and deep passionate fandoms worldwide,” said Carol Choi, executive vice president of original content strategy at Disney Plus, in the statement.

Meanwhile, Netflix is scheduled to unveil Squid Game Season 2 next month, a sequel to the global sensation of Squid Game released in 2021. The Korean original became the platform’s most-watched series of all time, sharply increasing Netflix’s corporate value reportedly by close to $1 billion. 

By Da Eun Choi

max@hankyung.com

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.

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