Marking 10 years since it launched service in Korea this year, Netflix unveiled a variety of titles. It also signaled a long-term plan to invest in Korean content to support growth in the industry ecosystem.
On the 21st at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, Netflix held the "Next on Netflix 2026 Korea" event and introduced this year's content direction and lineup.
Kang Dong-han, VP of Netflix's Korean content institutional sector, said, "If someone had said 10 years ago that content made in Korea would become the center of global culture and that Korean titles would dominate the global 'Top 10' list, people might have called it a pipe dream," noting the strength of Korean culture.
This year, Netflix presented titles under the concepts of ▲ discovery of flutter ▲ discovery of immersion ▲ discovery of thrill ▲ discovery of laughter ▲ discovery of surprise. Starting with the interpreting romance "Is This Love Interpreted?," it plans to deliver new flutter to audiences with "Boyfriend on Demand," which imagines subscribing to and experiencing romance through a virtual dating simulation.
Possible Love, the new film by master director Lee Chang-dong featuring Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu, is expected to maximize viewer immersion. Scandal, which depicts a cheeky seduction set in the Joseon era where desire was taboo, will also be released. Scandal adapts the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos and reimagines the 2003 film "Untold Scandal" as a series.
Son Ye-jin, who grants in Scandal, said at the event, "Through Scandal, viewers will be able to see beautiful Joseon-era landscapes, hanbok, and hanok," adding, "Recent period dramas often showcase flashy and visually intense scenes, but we worked to highlight an aesthetic with living negative space based on historical research of the Joseon era."
Laughter also comes via film and variety shows. Husbands in Action, a comedy-action film about rescuing a wife kidnapped by a crime syndicate, is coming soon. Jin Sun-kyu and Gong Myoung, who worked together in Extreme Job, play the ex-husband and the current husband, respectively. Producer Na Young-seok and Lee Seo-jin's U.S. wandering journey (Lee Seo-jin's Dalla Dalla) is slated for release in the first quarter this year. Yu Jae-seok will also be seen taking on the challenge of running a camp for the first time in 34 years since debut.
Netflix also packed in surprises with fresh concepts. Leading the way is the comedic action title Wonderfuls, about neighborhood goofballs who gain superpowers through an unexpected incident and face off against villains. It is actor Park Eunbin's first Netflix original after winning wide acclaim for portraying distinctive characters.
Park Eunbin said, "It deals with a story that took place in 1999, when apocalyptic theories were ascendant." Park added, "I played a character known in the town as the 'official total wreck,' and I became convinced there would be a predictable kind of fun that comes from the unpredictability of the characters and events."
Also returning with new seasons are Kian's Bizarre B&B, Culinary Class Wars, The Devil's Plan, Peaky Blinders, and One Piece, which have drawn strong public interest.
Netflix also pledged steady, long-term investment in Korean content. VP Kang Dong-han noted, "As Netflix's influence has grown, we will take on the role of partner that, with a sense of responsibility, thinks through and builds a long-term vision for the industry structure and creative environment together."
Kang added, "We will become a gateway for Korean talent so that gem-like works can shine, and we will seek out completely new stories that will astonish the world and delight more people."