Netflix releases first-half performance report.. Korea's top hit is 'True Education' [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Netflix's top Korean hit in the first half of 2026 was "True Education."

On the 17th, Netflix released its "What We Watched" report for the first half of 2026.

"What We Watched" is a report that aggregates viewership across all titles available on Netflix, calculated by dividing total viewing time by each title's runtime.

Among the top 10 series in terms of viewership for the first half of this year, five were first-season releases. The U.S. series "His Story & Her Story" recorded 14 million views despite being a new release, ranking as the most-watched title of the first half. The Korean series "True Education" also entered the global top 10 less than a month after its release, accumulating 48.2 million views during the first half.

Other titles with high viewership included "Squid Game" (14.4 million), "Is This Love Translated?" (28.6 million), and "Lady Dua" (25.8 million). Popular series such as "Bloodhounds," which returned for its second season, also received widespread attention with 24 million views, alongside "Brave New World" (16 million).

In the first half of 2026, cumulative viewing time by Netflix members worldwide exceeded 97 billion hours, setting a new record for any half-year period.

However, even the single title with the highest viewership following the release of the half-year report accounted for less than 1% of total viewing time. Netflix explained that this indicates a structure where diverse content collectively drives overall viewership rather than reliance on any single hit title.

As of the first half of 2026, non-English language titles accounted for more than one-third of all viewing, with Korean content representing the largest share among them.

In terms of Korean content, viewership was evenly distributed across genres and formats, including the series "True Education," the film "Great Flood," the variety show "Black & White Lisa: Cooking Class War Season 2," and "Single's Inferno Season 5."

Children's content also demonstrated genre diversity, with steady viewership from titles such as the "Baby Shark" series, the "Bebe & Pipo" series, and "Pinkfong Dinosaur Kindergarten."

Among domestic broadcast content, SBS programs including "Brave New World," "Manager Kim," and "Sold Out Again Today," along with tvN's "Undercover Miss Hong" and JTBC's "Everyone Fights Their Own Sense of Worthlessness," were made available to international viewers.

In the film category, Netflix Originals such as "Great Flood," "Husbands," and "Pavane," as well as theatrical releases like "Humanist" and "Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight," were served to both domestic and international audiences via Netflix.

Netflix stated, "In Korea, fans are reached through both broadcasters and Netflix, while overseas, new fan bases are being cultivated through Netflix's distribution and promotion, creating a virtuous cycle." It added, "This highlights how collaboration between Netflix and the Korean film industry is expanding beyond film production to include the export and distribution of previously theatrical releases."

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*This content was translated by AI.