With 87 Million Views, Netflix Reveals the Most-Watched Korean Drama of 2024

‘Squid Game’ Season 2 has officially taken the crown as the most-watched K-drama of the latter half of 2024.

According to Netflix’s Engagement Report for the Second Half of 2024, the highly anticipated sequel recorded an astonishing 87 million views, making it the most-watched series during this period.

A Record-Breaking Run: The Impact of Squid Game Season 2

Despite being released in the busy holiday season, Squid Game Season 2 surged to the top with overwhelming popularity. The series not only debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Global TV rankings, but it also dominated FlixPatrol’s world rankings for an impressive 21 consecutive days.

In its first week alone, Squid Game Season 2 shattered records, surpassing previous Netflix hits. It amassed 68 million views, easily overtaking Wednesday Season 1, which held the previous record with 50.1 million views in its debut week.

By December 28, just two days after its release, Squid Game Season 2 achieved a historic feat—becoming the first Netflix drama to simultaneously rank No. 1 in all 93 Netflix service countries, achieving what fans call a “Perfect All-Kill.”

The Squid Game Phenomenon: From Season 1 to Global Success

The overwhelming success of Season 2 was largely fueled by the global phenomenon of Squid Game Season 1.

The original series left a massive cultural impact by blending childhood nostalgia with high-stakes survival, a combination that resonated worldwide. The show’s sharp social commentary, gripping character arcs, and intense storytelling made it an instant classic, with Season 1 amassing 111 million household views within 17 days—a record at the time.

Following its success, Squid Game became a pop culture sensation, inspiring viral memes, Halloween costumes, and global merchandise. The iconic green tracksuits and red guard uniforms became instantly recognizable, and signature phrases from the show turned into internet trends.

What made Squid Game stand out even more was its deep connection to Korean culture. While many Korean dramas have gained global popularity, few have showcased traditional Korean childhood games as prominently as Squid Game. This helped the series not only entertain but also introduce elements of Korean culture to a worldwide audience.

K-Dramas Continue to Reign on Netflix

Netflix reported that its total watch time in the second half of 2024 reached 94 billion hours, a 5% increase year-over-year.

Korean content remained dominant in the non-English category, marking its second consecutive year as the most-watched non-English content on Netflix. Several other K-dramas also attracted millions of viewers, demonstrating the continued global appeal of Korean storytelling.

Top-Watched Korean Series on Netflix (H2 2024):

Squid Game Season 2 (starring Lee Jung-jae) – 87 million views

Officer Black Belt (starring Kim Woo-bin) – 40 million views

Uprising (starring Gang Dong-won) – 24 million views

Mission: Cross (starring Hwang Jung-min) – 23 million views

Mom’s Friend’s Son (starring Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min) – 20 million views

Culinary Class Wars – 17 million views

With the upcoming release of Squid Game Season 3, K-content continues to set new global standards, proving that the Hallyu wave is stronger than ever.