Netflix Greenlights 6 New Korean Romance Series Amid Ongoing Writers’ Strike In USA

By Radhamely De Leon
Published June 9, 2023, 1:43 p.m. ET

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Writers Strike

Netflix will be adding six new Korean romances to its library after multiple series were put on hold due to the ongoing writers strike.

The new additions were unveiled at the K-Romance Obsession event in Seoul, Korea, according to Variety. The K-romances that will be added to Netflix in 2023 are: See You in my 19th Life, A Time Called You, Behind Your Touch, Destined With You, King The Land, and Doona!

The platform previously reported that viewership for the genre nearly tripled between 2018 to 2022. In 2022, over 90 percent of the viewership came from outside South Korea.

“Our stories touch on the universal aspects of life — love, heartbreak, and tenderness, while also providing a peek into the unique facets of Korean culture,” Don Kang, Netflix’s vice president of content in Korea, said.

The streamer also credited dubbing and subtitles with playing a major role in the genre’s growing popularity with viewers.

'Destined With You' still
Photo: Netflix

“Listening to dialogues in their own languages helps K-Romance resonate more deeply with viewers worldwide,” Yang Wooyeon, Netflix’s director of content in Korea, said.

Previous reports theorized that Netflix was planning to double its investment in Korean content to avoid being impacted by the WGA strike, which has been ongoing since May 2. Deadline reported at the end of April that Netflix plans to spend $2.5 billion on South Korean films, series, and unscripted shows over the next four years.

Setting their sights abroad allows the streamer to offset the effects of the WGA strike, which the company is already beginning to feel with some of its biggest hits, namely Stranger Things and Emily in Paris.

Stranger Things co-showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed production on Season 5 will be on pause until “a fair deal is reached.” Filming for Emily In Paris Season 4 was also delayed by two months, sources recently told Variety.

The first K-romances to land on Netflix will be See You in my 19th Life and King of the Land, which will both premiere on June 17.

All six of the Korean romance series will be added to Netflix in 2023.