K-drama popularity worldwide 2023

According to a 2023 survey conducted across 26 countries around the world, about 41 percent of respondents stated that Korean dramas (K-dramas) were very popular in their countries that year. In total, around 68 percent of respondents felt that K-dramas were generally popular even outside of dedicated fan circles.

The international rise of K-dramas

Even before the 2021 survival series "Squid Game" exploded on the international scene, K-dramas enjoyed an increase in international interest. Older K-dramas still enjoy high popularity amongst international audiences. This rise in interest has had a noticeable effect on entertainment exports, with K-drama exports having increased by over 72 percent in recent years.

K-dramas and hallyu

"Hallyu", which translates to the Korean Wave, describes the phenomenon of the rising popularity of South Korean pop culture and other cultural elements. This includes entertainment, such as K-pop and K-dramas, but also extends to other areas such as food and K-beauty. Hallyu tourism has become its own category of tourism in South Korea. While during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic only about four percent of tourists were hallyu tourists, partaking in experiences related to K-pop or other hallyu-relaed activities, by 2022 that figure had risen to almost 13 percent. Prior to the pandemic, hallyu tourism was particularly popular amongst tourists from other Asian countries, with as many as 23.3 percent of Indonesian visitors traveling to South Korea because of hallyu.