▲ (From left) Director Jung Byeong-gil, Director Park Hyun-jin, Yoon Shin-ae, Lee Jung-jae, Hwang Hyuk Hyuk, Park Hae-soo, Lee Jun, Jung Woo-sung, Bae Do-na, Park Eun-kyo, Yeon Sang-ho, Park Jung-min, Yang Ik-jun, Kim Hyun-joo, Yoo In, Won Jin-ah, Kim Eun-hee, Kim Sung-hoon director. Ⓒ Netflix
“The dinosaur of the Internet video industry is coming.”
In October 2015, when Netflix’s advancement to Korea was predicted, he contributed a special article with this title to the news of’Cobiz’ by the Film Promotion Committee. At the time, Netflix’s entry into the Asian market had just started its Japanese service, and it was before it began to become full-fledged.
At the time, he answered “yes” to the question, “Will Netflix, which utilizes big data, constantly produces its own killer content, and boasts a high transmission speed, can shake the Korean broadcasting platform and content environment?” It was for this reason.
“After the entry of Netflix, a number of observations have been raised due to changes in the topography of the broadcasting platform and content industry, and interest is being focused on whether Netflix will replace the robust domestic terrestrial and cable channel market with OTT. The US market is already on Netflix. It has been a long time since OTT services, including the Internet and mobile, threatened existing broadcasters with an increase in market share.”
YouTube was the main trend back then, but it was not as overwhelming as it is now. Although the domestic VOD and OTT market has stepped down, it has remained at the level of’reviewing’ terrestrial and cable contents, and business operators have not felt a great attraction either.
Back then and now, Netflix focused on content. Looking at the domestic situation of both platforms and contents based on huge capital, even at that time, not only young consumers but also middle-aged people started to consume video content on mobile. TVN and JTBC’s entertainment and drama proved that killer contents can control the movement of the platform. Although consumers were moving, OTT operators, mainly large corporations, responded slowly.
On the other hand, Netflix CEO Reid Hastings said, “Korea, with its high-speed Internet infrastructure and high-level content consumption method, is an unrivaled market.” By 2016, the company made its entry into the Korean market and pledged to enter up to 200 countries worldwide. Shortly thereafter, in January 2016, Netflix announced a’surprise’ entry into Korea.
And five years have passed. Early on, the atmosphere in the industry was cold. The media, closely related to Korean conglomerates, poured out negative articles. Netflix has repeatedly experimented with domestic content one by one, and in January 2019, three years after entering Korea. <킹덤> Launched Season 1.
In addition, after the era of Corona 19’Zipcock’, Netflix’s global subscribers exceeded 200 million in 2021, and domestic subscribers also exceeded 3.8 million. The result of a survey that the number of monthly active users exceeded 9 million (IG Works’ mobile index survey) also came out. Dinosaurs that have occupied the world have taken over the domestic industry at a rapid pace.
Not giving opinions, giving only money
“All of us <킹덤>Chased by zombies <블랙핑크: 세상을 밝혀라>Dancing with, <인간수업>Facing the reality of teenagers in <사랑의 불시착>Watching the birth of a lovely couple. <스위트홈>Fought against enemies threatening our safety in <승리호>And saved the universe. At the heart of all this was Korea.”
This is a message from Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO and Content Chief Executive Officer, at the’See What’s Next Korea 2021′ event on the 25th. After that, I realize that there have been quite a few original Netflix content that has been quite large.
At the event commemorating the 5th anniversary of Korean service, Dead Sarandos said, “For many years, I have witnessed people all over the world fall in love with the wonderful stories of Korea through Netflix.” We invested and introduced about 80 Korean content to the world as Netflix originals. Korean content has become a global entertainment trend,” he explained.
Netflix’s influence is the movie that recently topped the daily content rankings in about 80 countries. <승리호>It has been confirmed by the public. On this day, Netflix introduced the lineup by announcing that it will introduce 13 original contents by investing 550 billion won (about $500 million) for one year. The lineup itself is a surprise. Let’s summarize that aspect into three characteristics.
First of all, the participation of stars. <킹덤> From the series writer Kim Eun-hee <남한산성> Leading actors, directors, and writers, including director Hyeong-hyuk Hyuk and actor Jung Woo-sung, are working in collaboration with Netflix.
“I don’t give an opinion, I only give money.” (Writer Kim Eun-hee)
This is the reason why the creators have no choice but to prefer Netflix. Kim Eun-hee’s laugh-filled feelings, saying, “I thought it was okay to not interfere like this,” would be a symbolic word that represents what kind of mind Netflix is today.
drama <인간수업>or <스위트홈> It can be said that they all competed with material and completeness regardless of star marketing. In fact, in the case of overseas, there were not a lot of content in the’Netflix Original Series’ that did not make a star but only competed with the material.
Of course, director Bong Joon-ho <옥자>I’m Alfonso Cuaron’s <로마>It is not necessary to overlook the fact that it is famous filmmakers who have lowered the barrier to entry for Netflix, as in the example of. Netflix now doesn’t have to worry about barriers to entry.
“Being able to communicate with Netflix viewers all over the world with one work is to experience a new sense of being different from before as an actor” (<지옥>“As a Korean actor, I have a strong sense of responsibility in that Korean contents made in Korea are introduced to the world, so I pledge to have a higher level of completion” (<고요의 바다>Bae Doo-na) of the actors’ impressions are no longer special.
Multiple diversity of content
And genre diversity. Korean-style space science fiction has taken the eyes of people around the world <승리호>Wasn’t a Netflix original movie. <옥자> after <사냥의 시간>Including <콜>, <차인표>, <승리호>All of these are just works that were first released on the Netflix platform. Director Park Jung-hoon’s <사냥의 밤>Also recently confirmed to Netflix.
Now it is different. <악녀> An action film directed by Jeong Byeong-gil <카터>Wow <좋아해요> A romance drama directed by Park Hyun-jin <모럴센스>(Tentative title) is a work that Netflix participates in from the production stage. <킹덤> Starring Jeon Ji-hyun, who continues the popularity of the series <킹덤: 아신전>First, the original series (drama) is also gorgeous.
SF made by Jung Woo-sung and starred by Bae Doona and Gong Gong <고요의 바다>, Jung Hae-in, Koo Exchange, Kim Seong-gyun starring
Here, Baek Jong-won also entered Netflix with a reality entertainment that seems to have a kind of talk show (<백스피릿>), the production crew who led the heyday of Korean sitcoms introduced the sitcom (<지구가 망해버렸으면 좋겠어>), Lee Soo-geun challenged the stand-up comedy following Park Na-rae (<이수근의 눈치코치>). Netflix has now expanded its scope to Baek Jong-won, Lee Soo-geun, and youth sitcoms.
Finally, the variety of materials. Last year <인간수업>and <스위트홈> All of them were rated as dramas that would not have been arranged if they were terrestrial or cable, and viewers were also in an atmosphere of sympathy. In terms of expression level and material, Netflix is currently leading the trend of contemporary Korean viewers.
The aspect of this year’s lineup is also the same. existing <킹덤: 아신전> Besides <고요의 바다>Is a sci-fi drama, <마이 네임>Advocated criminal noir, <오징어 게임>Was based on a survival survival game, <지옥>The original work is a webtoon of the same name by author Choi Gyu-seok and director Yeon Sang-ho. Whatever the material, it is expected that the level of expression exceeds that of terrestrial or cable.
<지옥>Director Yeon Sang-ho of <지옥>I had a thought about how to implement this, but through Netflix, I was able to realize my imagination.” <오징어게임>Director Hyeong-hyuk Kim also said, “Through Netflix, I was able to create works faithfully to the creator’s intentions without imagination or time constraints.”
Leftover homework
There is no leftover homework. Director Bong Joon-ho’s <기생충>Along with this, the evaluation that Netflix dramas have contributed to the globalization of so-called’K-Contents’ is rising. May last year <타임지>end <사랑의 불시착> <이태원 클라스> He introduced 10 episodes of’Netflix’s Best Korean Drama’.
With such a wind of K-contents, global OTT companies’ entry into Korea is becoming visible, and news of investments related to K-contents is being followed. Disney Plus, which puts on’Marvel’ content on its back, has already announced its entry into Korea in 2021, and Iichi of China is also a drama written by Kim Eun-hee and starring Jeon Jeon <지리산>Secured the overseas copyright of
Also with Studio Dragon <간 떨어지는 동거>Ran co-produces a drama of the same name based on Naver webtoon. Starring Lee Min-ho and Yoon Yeo-jung <파친코>It is news that Apple TV Plus, which has garnered a lot of attention with the news of the production of, is also producing a drama directed by Kim Ji-woon.
lately <미나리>In an interview, Yeo-Jung Yoon of the United States presented the prospect of “Koreans will enter the world market like the Jews who led the American pop culture world in the past.” In this way, K-contents based on Netflix are expected to reach the world through a wider platform and various contents in 2021.
Of course, competition with latecomers such as Disney Plus is essential only from the perspective of Netflix, a leader. In response, Netflix Director Kim Min-young of Korea and Asia-Pacific region replied, “It is a good phenomenon for us to grow together by creating various contents,” and “OTT is the time to grow pie.”
While the film industry and the theater industry endure the worst of all time due to the Corona 19 pandemic, Netflix continued to expand. <사랑의 불시착>or <이태원 클라스>, <승리호>It is true that it has driven the world’s popularity. Also, on the 26th, the Corona 19 vaccination began in Korea. It is unclear how much Netflix will increase Korean subscribers here.
What is certain is that Netflix is clearly opening another field in terms of the qualitative and quantitative expandability of the contents of Korean movies and dramas. By having an impact on the entertainment industry as a whole, including the film industry in 2021 to overcome bad news and pledge to take a leap forward, and the drama market that has entered into infinite competition. I wonder how far the dinosaur landing on the Korean Peninsula will last.