Korean dramas are once again proving their global pull, landing 11 titles in Netflix’s Top 100 Most-Watched TV Shows of 2025, according to new data from Flix Patrol.
The numbers reveal just how far K-content has come, with Korean series showing major dominance among non-English-language programming. Out of 7,508 series released globally in the first half of 2025, 11 K-dramas made it into the top 100 by total viewing hours.
At the top of the Korean pack—and nearly at the top of the list overall—was Squid Game Season 2, pulling in 117.3 million views, landing at #2 globally. Close behind was Squid Game Season 3 with 71.5 million views at #3, while the original Season 1 (2021) still held strong at #12 with 42 million views. Combined, the Squid Game franchise logged a staggering 230.8 million viewing hours in just the first half of the year—particularly impressive as Season 3 only premiered on June 27th.
Other Korean standouts included When Life Gives You Tangerines with 34.8 million views at #19, and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, clocking in at 34.1 million views, ranked #20. Together, five K-dramas secured spots within the Top 20 globally—solidifying Korea’s unmatched export power in the drama space.
The Weak Hero Class series also posted strong numbers: Season 1 (2022) came in at #36 with 22.3 million views, while the newly released Season 2 followed closely at #45 with 19.6 million views.
Other K-drama entries in the Top 100 included: Mercy for None with 16.9M views (#58); When the Phone Rings with 14.3M views (#77); Tastefully Yours with 13.7M views (#82); and Karma with 12.7M views (#92).
The most-watched show globally in the first half of 2025 was the UK’s Adolescence, which topped the list with 144.8 million views. Rounding out the top five were the U.S. political thriller Zero Day at #4 (61.3M views), and the British romance drama Missing You at #5 (58M views).
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