Seoul: South Korean content has emerged as the second-most popular on Netflix globally, according to a new report by Ampere Analysis. The London-based research firm revealed that Korean content accounts for 8-9 percent of total viewing hours on the platform, with U.S. productions leading at 56-59 percent.

According to Yonhap News Agency, of the 500 most popular non-English titles on Netflix, 85, or 17 percent, were Korean. Notable Korean shows like "Squid Game" Season 2, "Love Next Door" and "Culinary Class Wars" are among the most-watched, while older hits such as "Queen of Tears," "Squid Game" Season 1 and "Crash Landing on You" continue to draw global audiences.

Ampere Analysis attributes this success to Netflix's strategic investment in original Korean productions alongside licensing agreements. More than half of the Korean titles in Netflix's top 100 are Netflix originals, with the rest primarily being content licensed from CJ ENM.

The report also projected that Netflix's planned investment of US$2.5 billion in Korean content production by 2028 will sustain this trend. Recent data supports this projection, with Korean series occupying 60 percent of Netflix's top 10 non-English shows for the week ending Sunday. Popular series include "Karma" at No. 2, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" at No. 3, "Kian's Bizarre B and B" at No. 6, "Weak Hero: Class 1" at No. 7, "Friendly Rivalry" at No. 9, and "Resident Playbook" at No. 10.