What platform do you use to watch your favorite Korean shows or dramas? Kpopmap has a diverse range of followers from different countries and based on your region, you will also have different availabilities on which platforms or websites are offered to you. Have you just finished what you were watching and need recommendations for a new movie or show? Or are you fed up with the selection offered on your current subscription platform?
Here are eight sites you might be interested in checking out, or even signing up for, if you want to broaden your consumption of Korean content! Some of them you may be familiar with, some less so – but here’s a list for you to consider, in alphabetical order.
1. Amazon Prime
AMAZONS
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, Amazon Prime Video is worth checking out. For free, Amazon Prime Video offers some K-Dramas, especially the older ones. However, you can find a decent number of K-Movies.
2. Apple TV
LITTER
Apple TV supports Viki, a Korean drama channel that we also have on this list, but they also have their own original productions – one from 2021,”Dr. Brain,” and 2022’s “Pachinko.” You can also see some old but golden K-Drama series like “boys about flowers”, “playful kiss“, It is “oh my ghost”.
3. Hulu / Disney+
Hulu / Disney+
Hulu is a streamer for watching interesting and beloved K-Dramas like “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, as well as providing new original programs produced by Disney+ Korea. While there are only a few at the moment, they have an entirely separate category of Asian Dramas.
Whether you like romantic comedies, sci-fi, thrillers or historical dramas, you’ll find something on Disney+. Since going into K-Drama production, Disney+’s original shows have been a huge success. For example, “Soundtrack #1” from March 2022 and “big bet”, released in December 2022 managed to gain media attention despite being a subscription-based K-Drama. “Soundtrack #1” also has a high viewer rating, where 94% of people who watched it liked it, according to Google Analytics.
4. BLANKET
KOCOWA
Waave, a Korean streaming platform, has bought KOCOWA. It’s basically a version of Waave available in the North and South America regions. Users state that KOCOWA has a lot of variety shows compared to other platforms and it also doesn’t take long to load or stream. I heard that you can find the new weekly episodes of “Running Man” (WITH SUBS) at lightning speed on KOCOWA. It’s also just the big three KBS/SBS/MBC. So if you like tvN or JTBC, etc., you’ll have to supplement.
5. Netflix
Netflix
Definitely one that everyone has heard of or seen something about. They carry their original series such as “the glory”, “Kingdom” and “Love Alarm”.
However, they have many options from other streaming services like “Hotel Del Luna” which is a 2019 tvN production and “Tomorrow” an MBC production released in 2022. In quantity, they have more in comparison with any other. platform and also carries K-Dramas and movies from years ago as well.
However, Netflix subtitles are something that people constantly discuss! Some love it, while others absolutely hate it. How do you feel about your subtitles?
6. Viki Rakuten
Viki Rakuten
Rakuten Viki, better known as Viki, might be the most suitable competitor for Netflix when it comes to the variety of its offerings. In addition to having more than 1,000 Korean TV series and more than 200 movie titles that you can watch on demand, they carry KBS/SBS/MBC-Korean public broadcast music programs (“MuCore”, “Music Bank”, “ Inkigayo”) from 2022 onwards. They also carry battle/survival music shows like “immortal songs”, “Realm: Legendary War“, It is “singer mask king”. You can also watchIdol Star Athletics Championship”, which is a seasonal specialty. They also have a large library of K-Dramas – but some are region-locked. What a bummer.
7. saw
It saw
Founded in 2015, Viu rose to prominence in the streaming world just a year later. Viu is only available in selected regions, mainly Asian countries. Most shows are updated one hour after the original time, and also their subtitles are not fan-made but more professionally done. It also offers subtitles in different languages besides English which is a plus. Similar to Netflix, videos on Viu will continue into the next episode as soon as the current one ends, if there is one after. Even if you close the window mid-show, it gives viewers the option to watch where you left off.
8. YouTube Premium
YouTube
YouTube Premium has seven different documentaries and drama series related to Korean pop culture. They have nothing new since October 2020, the latest being an online replacement for KCON due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “KCON:TACT”.
You may be interested in checking the “TWICE: Catch the Lightseries, a 9-episode documentary that gives a glimpse into the lives of nine TWICE members. YouTube Premium also has similar content for BIG BANG“Run, BIGBANG Scout!”, jay park“Jay Park Chosen1” It is BTS, ”BTS: Burn the Stage”.
