Why is the world obsessed with K-dramas?
From Squid Game to Kingdom to Love Crashing. There's a surprising secret behind the K-dramas that have taken the world by storm on Netflix.
Today, we're digging into the 7 key secrets of K-drama production that Netflix hasn't revealed.
The process of making a K-drama is a complex art that involves more than just acting in front of a camera.
When Netflix and Korean producers create a global hit, it takes a team of experts to produce a K-drama. from thorough planning to post-production, it takes the know-how of many experts.
The Korean drama production market has seen rapid growth since 2020, especially K-dramas produced as Netflix originals. K-dramas produced as Netflix Originals are adopting a different approach to K-drama production than traditional broadcasters.
7 Secrets Netflix Keeps Hidden | 7 Secrets Netflix Keeps Hidden
- Secret 1. How to cast Korean actors with global data
- Secret 2: K-drama filming techniques have been revolutionized by COVID-19
- Secret 3: How Korean writers collaborate with the Netflix Stories team
- Secret 4. Localization system to create subtitles without cultural misunderstandings
- Secret 5. Strategies to adapt your marketing with in-air viewing data
- Secret 6. Netflix's Revenue Sharing Structure with Korean Production Companies
- Secret 7. How to choose the genre and material for your next hit
- Conclusion: The real-life process of going global with a K-drama
- Real questions answered by industry insiders
Secret 1. How to cast Korean actors with global data
The most innovative change in Netflix's K-drama production is data-driven casting.
Analyze the viewing patterns of 230 million subscribers around the world to measure the global appeal of a Korean actor.
Data analytics for K-drama production
The Netflix Asia content team makes casting decisions for K-drama productions in the following ways
Global Casting Data Analytics Elements
- Regional preferences: Actor awareness by continent in Asia, Europe, and the Americas
- Reactions by age group: Favorite actors by age group 10-50
- Genre appropriateness: Best casting for romance, thriller, and action genres
- Social media influence: Analyzing Instagram and TikTok followers
In Lee's case, he had a strong presence in Southeast Asia even before the Squid Game.
This data was crucial in the casting decision for the K-drama production.
Secret 2: K-drama filming techniques have been revolutionized by COVID-19
The 2020 pandemic completely changed the way K-dramas are made.
Netflix worked with a Korean production company to build a world-class quarantine filming system.
Introducing hybrid set technology
Overseas location restrictions have pushed LED wall technology into K-drama production.
Combining real-world sets and virtual backdrops, we've recreated New York, Paris, and Tokyo to perfection.
Innovating K-Drama Production in the Age of Corona
- Remote monitoring: Directors direct live shoots from a separate room
- AI behavior management: Automatically calculate safe distances for actors
- Modular sets: Quick disassembly and disinfectable design
- Cloud editing: Work-from-home post-production system
The shooting schedule has been reduced from 16 weeks to 12 weeks.
Shooting multiple episodes in parallel has greatly improved the efficiency of K-drama production.
Variety Report on Changes in Korean Filmmaking in the Age of Coronavirus
Secret 3: How Korean writers collaborate with the Netflix Stories team
The key to the success of K-dramas is balancing Korean sentiment with global universality.
Netflix's "cultural bridge system" has led to this innovation in K-drama production.
Global Story Consulting in Action
We have an advisory team of cultural experts in each region.
Review Korean author drafts to proactively identify cultural misunderstandings.
K-Drama Production Culture Bridge System
- Step 1: Measuring global understanding of Korean cultural elements
- Step two: Stay local and resonate
- Step three: Compensating for lost emotion during translation
- Step four: Validate multinational focus group responses
Kingdom's Joseon-era zombie setting is a prime example of this success.
It became a global hit by blending the universality of the zombie genre with the specificity of Korean history.
Secret 4. Localization system to create subtitles without cultural misunderstandings
The most important step after creating a K-drama is localization.
Netflix's "Cultural Translation" methodology is the key technology.
Three-step translation validation process
All K-drama productions undergo a rigorous three-step verification process.
Linguistic translation → cultural appropriateness → native finalization.
K-drama production language-specific strategies
- English-speaking: Appropriately explain and preserve Korean cultural terms
- Spanish-speaking: Emphasize Latin culture pseudo-family relationships
- Arabic-speaking: Adjusting language for religious sensitivities
- Japanese-speaking: Clarifying cultural differences between Korea and Japan
The "cultural footnote system" is an innovative feature of K-drama production.
When Korean culture is mentioned, such as kimchi, hanbok, and honorifics, a brief description appears on the screen.
It also serves as a natural cultural diplomacy through the production of K-dramas.
K-Content Global Diffusion and Localization System (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
Secret 5. Strategies to adapt your marketing with in-air viewing data
Netflix's real secret doesn't start after the K-drama production ends.
The idea is to analyze real-time viewing data while it's airing and adjust your marketing strategy on the fly.
Real-time data-driven marketing system
When the Squid Game blew up more than expected, Netflix increased its marketing budget tenfold within 48 hours.
After the production of these K-dramas, marketing adjustments are automatically made by AI algorithms.
Real-time marketing adjustment factors
- Regional reactivity: Run additional ads in more responsive areas than expected
- Social media buzz: Twitter Expands Social Media Marketing with TikTok Mentions
- Analyze completion rates: Marketing hints for Season 2 in high completion areas
- Preference by age group: Focus targeted ads on specific age preferences
In the case of Kingdom, a higher-than-expected response in Europe prompted a rush to expand marketing to Western audiences familiar with the zombie genre.
Flexible marketing after the production of these K-dramas is the key to their global success.
Analysis of K-Content Industry Characteristics and Growth Factors (KDI)
Secret 6. Netflix's Revenue Sharing Structure with Korean Production Companies
The most sensitive K-drama production secret is the revenue sharing structure.
The terms of the agreement between Netflix and the Korean production company are strictly confidential.
3-tier revenue share model
Typically, Netflix invests 60-70% of the production cost of a K-drama, and the production company pays the rest.
However, the additional bonus system for global success is the key point.
K-drama production revenue sharing steps
- Step 1: Base production cost recovery (Netflix 70%, production company 30%)
- Step two: Bonus for reaching the global top 10 (50:50 split)
- Step three: Increased production company equity when extending seasons (40:60)
- Additional revenue: Negotiate OSMU revenue separately for MD, OST, Gamification, etc.
In the case of Squid, the game's success exceeded expectations, earning its creators, Wha&Dam Pictures, significant additional revenue.
Success stories like this are driving the investment boom in K-drama production.
OTT market maturity and production cost burden (Korea Communications Commission)
Secret 7. How to choose the genre and material for your next hit
Here's how Netflix predicts the next K-drama hit.
A sophisticated algorithm that finds the intersection of global trends and Korean culture.
Data-driven genre selection process
Netflix analyzes global viewing patterns to predict the next K-drama production trend.
Right now, the top candidates are science fiction, fantasy, and genres with a social message.
K-drama production genre selection criteria
- Global universality: Material that can be understood across cultural barriers
- Korean ingenuity: Stories that can't be created in other countries
- Visual impact: Scenes favorable for social virality
- Social messages: Connections to current global issues
Upcoming K-drama productions in 2025 are expected to address climate change, artificial intelligence, generational conflict, and more.
Several production companies are already preparing to produce K-dramas based on this theme.
Conclusion: The real-life process of going global with a K-drama
These seven secrets show that K-drama production is the result of a sophisticated system, not just luck.
From data-driven casting to real-time marketing adjustments, it's all down to a science.
Keys to K-drama production success
Most importantly, it's a delicate balance of Korean uniqueness and global universality.
Netflix's collaboration with Korean producers has created a system that strikes this balance.
Looking to the future of K-drama production
K-drama production will become more sophisticated in 2025 and beyond. Advancements in AI technology and the accumulation of global audience data will enable more accurate hit prediction.
Korea's cultural DNA and cutting-edge technology will combine will usher in a new golden age of K-drama production.
The next time you're watching a K-drama, think about these sophisticated systems behind the screen.
The real magic of making a K-drama comes from this behind-the-scenes effort.
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Real questions answered by industry insiders
Q. Do K-dramas really cost up to 100 billion won to produce?
Yes, that's right. The second season of Squid Game cost over 100 billion won, not including casting fees. But that's for a high-end K-drama production, which is usually in the range of 200-300 billion won.
Q. Can foreigners participate in K-drama production?
You can join us as a global story consultant or cultural advisor. However, the core crew is still Korean-centric, to maintain the unique color of K-dramas.
Q. What criteria does Netflix use to select K-dramas?
We look for a balance of global universality and Korean uniqueness. Visual impact and social media virality are also key criteria. Above all, we evaluate whether it is an emotional story that a global audience can relate to.
Q. How do you measure the overseas popularity of K-drama actors?
Number of social media followers, size of international fan clubs, regional viewership of past works, Google search volume, and more. In particular, reactions on Instagram and TikTok play a big role in casting decisions.
Q. What genre of K-dramas will be popular in the future?
Science fiction, fantasy, and genres with social messages are popular. Works that solve global issues such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and generational conflict from a Korean perspective are expected to be in the spotlight after 2025.
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