Curious to know which are the favorite K-Dramas of foreign fans? So are we! The 2023 annual research report on the Korean wave was released on March 10th and it gives us all the details about Hallyu in 2022.
The Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE, an institution designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) works on this report every year. This year they expanded their spectrum by including more countries in their data. They surveyed 25,000 people between the ages of 15 and 59 from 26 countries from November 11 to December 7 about Korea. Countries surveyed include the US, Brazil, Argentina, United Kingdom (UK), France, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Australia, South Africa, UAE United States (UAE), Mexico, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kazakhstan.
In one part of the survey, respondents were asked to answer, “What is your favorite Korean drama that you watched this year?” They chose their favorite Korean drama by writing it (not selecting it). Let’s find out their answers below!
Top 5 Favorite K-Dramas
Netflix
Netflix’s most successful and popular show of all time, “Squid Game” unsurprisingly takes the top spot. With the extraordinary plot and phenomenal cast (starring Lee JungJae, Park HaeSoo, Jung HoYeon, Wi HaJun and more) combined with excellent cinematography, stage design and soundtrack, “Squid Game” has become a cultural phenomenon that has shaped the Hallyu landscape. in the last years. years. 11.3% of the answers mentioned “Jogo da Lula”, creating a big difference with the second position.
This one
In second place with 2.8% is “Lawyer Extraordinary Woo” starring Park EunBin and Kang TaeOh. This K-Drama was praised worldwide for its depiction of the autism spectrum, and also opened up important discussions about it, particularly in terms of the work environment. Park EunBin’s amazing acting was appreciated, and the drama also launched actors Kang TaeOh and Kang KiYoung to global success.
Netflix
Next in line at 2.6% is “All Of Us Are Dead” – the zombie blockbuster that has been hailed as the next “Squid Game” because of its popularity. It achieved great commercial success around the world and was also appreciated by critics. Currently, the second season of “All Of Us Are Dead” is highly anticipated. The young actors who appeared in the drama, including Yoon ChanYoung, Lomon, Park JiHu, Cho YiHyun, Lee YouMi, Yoo InSoo and others, also got a big boost in their careers from this work.
SBS
The biggest rom-com of 2022, “Business Proposal”, continues to be a worldwide hit to this day. So it’s no surprise that the drama is ranked 4th on this list with 1.9%. Kim SeJeong and Ahn HyoSeop stole hearts across the world and the two actors also won Kpopmap’s “WINNER OF WINNERS” poll, with Shin HaRi and Kang TaeMu being voted the best female and male K-Drama characters, as well as the ” Best Couple” of 2022 by global fans. What can we say? K-Drama was just so good!
tvN
Finally, in 5th place, also at 1.9%, is the timeless K-Drama romance that brought us our favorite reel and real-life couple: Hyun Bin and Son YeJin. Despite being released in 2019, the drama has continued to dominate watch lists around the world and fans just can’t get enough of it. After all, it’s a representative K-Drama that has achieved legendary status, with some fans still yearning for a second season.
Top 5 Favorite K-Dramas by Country
Translated by Kpopmap.com
If you want to access the original data, you can do so from page 88 of this pdf.
Observation: In blue, you can find mentions of “Squid Game”.
Highlights
It is interesting to note that the top 5 K-Dramas are now available on Netflix for viewers all over the world. This accessibility has certainly spurred the growth of Korean dramas around the world. “Squid Game” is ranked #1 in 16 countries (out of 26), which speaks volumes for its massive popularity. In particular, in Italy, 46.1% of responses mentioned “Squid Game” as their favorite K-Drama; in France, the percentage was 26.1%; in Russia it was 24.8%, in Turkey – 23.7% and in Germany – 22%.
K-Dramas that weren’t in the top 5 but were still widely mentioned include classics such as “Descendants of the Sun” (6), “Boys Over Flowers” (5), “Jewel In The Palace” (4), “The Heirs ” (3) and “Goblin” (3), as well as more recent dramas such as “Big Mouth” (7), “Tomorrow” (7), “Alchemy of Souls” (5), “Little Women” (4), “Ghost Doctor” (3), “Under The Queen’s Umbrella” (2) and “Snowdrop” (2).
It seems to be a common trend for K-Drama fans overseas to watch older representative works like “Stairway to Heaven” (1) and “Winter Sonata” (1) alongside newer ones like “True Beauty” (3) and “My Name” (4). This means international viewers are interested in past and current productions, so there’s always something on their watch list.
If you want to read more about the data released in this survey, such as actors, idols and favorite movies. Check out the articles below:
* Publication coming soon, please wait.
