Deterritorialisation of Korean TV dramas in “Netflix Originals”: “We are living in the Squid Game world”

Abstract

Squid Game’s phenomenal success calls attention to the local specificity of Netflix’s global expansion as it commissions original K-dramas. This practice has rich implications, both positive and negative, for Netflix’s production and distribution of Korean content. K-dramas classified as Netflix Originals have been riding its international market power to a wide range of transnational audiences, enabling national television creators to reimagine cultural spheres for both production and distribution that transgress the uneven circuit of transnational media. At the same time, the deterritorialisation of Netflix’s K-dramas raises concerns about its deep interpenetration of the Korean TV industry.