Welcome!

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I spent a bit of it checking out "KPop Demon Hunters" on Netflix. The film mixes K-Pop music and dance with monster-hunting genre goodness in a jaw-dropping animated format. It, frankly, wouldn't have ended up in my recommendation algorithm if not for "Squid Game" (and maybe a few K-dramas I admit I may have watched a bit in the past).

But that's the point of today's lead story, which tackles the explosion of Korean content at Netflix beyond "Squid Game" and even the typical K-drama, turning a pretty bonkers concept like "KPop Demon Hunters" into a chart-topping film on the streaming service. . 

Oh, and if "KPop Demon Hunters" does pique your interest, we'll have more coverage on this film -- and the state of animated content -- later this week. 

Roger Cheng
Managing Editor of Business and PRO
roger.cheng@thewrap.com

Netflix's Love Affair With Korea Is Just Getting Started

Netflix's "Squid Game" may be the poster boy for breakthrough Korean content, but it's just scratching the surface for the volume of Korean-language shows and films on the streaming service. 

TheWrap's Kayla Cobb spoke with Don Kang, vice president of Korean content at Netflix, who said the company was just going to even harder in the wake of "Squid Game."

You should read the whole story, but here are a few key takeaways I found insightful:

1. Netflix prioritized local first, tapping local teams and creators making stories for a Korean audience, rather than trying to intentionally build a global hit. 
2. It also bet on younger, hungry talent, bypassing a typical Korean entertainment hierarchy that tended to go with big-name directors and writers. 
3. Offering the ability to tell stories at a grander scale, as evidenced by Netflix's first Korean show, the zombie-period piece "Kingdom."

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DATA POINT

This chart from our Netflix story illustrates why the streamer is so willing to invest, since it's the most popular non-English language

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