When ¡°Kingdom¡± was released to the world on Netflix, a global streaming service offering video content, international media focused on its distinctive and novel features. The zombie genre has a long history. A parade of zombie films has played in theaters ever since George A. Romero¡¯s film ¡°Night of the Living Dead¡± premiered in 1968. So when ¡°Kingdom¡± was released, viewers were already familiar with the conventions of the zombie genre.

But ¡°Kingdom¡± found a creative way to shake things up by setting a zombie story in the Joseon Dynasty. In addition to the shift in setting, the television series featured a narrative and scenes that were strikingly different from typical zombie fare. In shows like ¡°The Walking Dead,¡± for example, characters use vehicles and buildings to evade the zombies. But given the period setting of ¡°Kingdom,¡± there are no tall buildings, walls or cars in sight, so characters must rely on horses and wagons. There¡¯s even a battle with zombies in the palace itself. ¡°Kingdom¡± also includes the kind of political intrigues that are sine qua non for Korean period pieces. Then there¡¯s a zombie-against-zombie conflict between starving peasants and well-fed aristocrats. So while the zombie genre is familiar to Westerners, the choice of the Joseon Dynasty setting and the inclusion of elements appropriate to that period made for a memorable narrative.

¡°Kingdom¡± is just one example of the bibimbap-like quality of many Korean dramas. Bibimbap is a classic Korean rice bowl with meat, colorful vegetables and gochujang (red chili paste), all stirred together. Korean dramas incorporate many genre conventions that are fully legible and relatable to all viewers, but mix those up with elements distinctive to Korea. That¡¯s one of the standout characteristics of ¡°Moving,¡± which spices up the superhero genre with elements of Korea¡¯s division into North and South, as well as ¡°All of Us Are Dead,¡± a zombie series that explores Korean teenagers¡¯ cut-throat competition to get into a good univers©ity. The same can be said of ¡°Squid Game,¡± which links traditional Korean games to the battle royale survival genre while critiquing the extreme competition rife in Korean society, and of ¡°The Glory,¡± which addresses the Korean social issue of school violence in the context of a revenge tale.

How did bibimbap-style blending become so common in K-drama? It partly has to do with Korean cultural tendencies deriving from the country¡¯s geopolitical position. As a peninsula nation, Korea has occupied the junction of maritime culture and continental culture. Long ago, that created a tendency for Koreans to incorporate foreign cultures into their own, fusing borrowed elements with original ones. In other words, Koreans are accustomed to ¡°mixing¡± outside influences until they become uniquely their own. This K-drama trend is also an inevitable result of Korean content producers being pushed to seek global audiences because of the constraints of a small domestic market. For such reasons, producers of K-dramas have aimed to retain uniquely Korean elements that distinguish their work while ensuring that their shows are relatable on a global scale, thereby creating universal appeal.

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If efforts to make programs that are both distinctive and universal are one strength of K-drama, another is the active role played by the Korean viewing public. Koreans have long made a daily habit of watching television dramas. As a result, they are not hesitant to express their opinions about a given show―a tendency that has helped shape public opinion after the digital revolution. Korean viewers are sometimes finicky critics of K-dramas online and are known for making a range of demands on producers. Thus, audiences put pressure on producers in ways that sometimes impact dramas¡¯ plots and conclusions.

In the era of global networks, Korean viewers have come into contact with television shows from other countries, driving demand for programs that are more sophisticated, with more overt social messages. Partly for that reason, the Korean dramas that have gained global attention are not panegyrics about Korea, but highlight a critical perspective. Shows of this sort call out the Korean rat race, such as ¡°Squid Game,¡± scrutinize the division of the Korean Peninsula (Moving), satirize social polarization (Kingdom) and lament such social issues as school violence (The Glory) and the educational obsession with getting into college (All of Us Are Dead). To be sure, these series¡¯ critical perspective on Korea is also applicable to other countries. As such, Korean dramas reinforce a global consensus on various issues faced by countries around the world.

Korean dramas used to be predominantly produced by terrestrial broadcasters such as KBS, MBC and SBS along with cable channels like TvN and OCN. However, in 2016 global streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ began making significant investments in K-dramas. These platforms provided opportunities for Korean dramas to expand into previously unexplored genres like fantasy and science fiction.

Terrestrial television producers had been constrained in their choice of themes and maturity levels to appeal to the broadest possible audience. For instance, gore-filled zombie series were unsuitable for mainstream broadcast and teenage dramas were largely limited to topics like school life and romance. The advent of global streaming services, however, enabled producers to delve into previously restricted themes appealing to a more mature and diverse viewership.

Moreover, the emergence of the global OTT market broadened the thematic scope of Korean dramas, encouraging producers to create series based on webtoons. Webtoons, with their limitless variety of narratives and proven popularity, provided a rich source of inspiration. This trend not only ensured commercial and critical success but also helped expand the creative boundaries of the Korean drama industry. Notable adaptations such as ¡°Itaewon Class¡± and ¡°Sweet Home¡± exemplify how webtoon-based dramas have contributed to the global success of K-dramas.

That said, K-dramas have not lost sight of their roots. Titles like ¡°Queen of Tears¡± (on Netflix) and ¡°Lovely Runner¡± (on Rakuten Viki) have gained significant attention not only in Asia but also in the United States and Europe. Before the emergence of streaming platforms, Korean dramas that gained popularity during the Hallyu (Korean Wave) tended to focus on family dramas, romantic comedies and historical sagas. For instance, ¡°What Is Love¡± sparked the Korean Wave in China, ¡°Winter Sonata¡± became a cultural phenomenon in Japan and ¡°Jewel in the Palace¡± introduced Korean historical dramas to the Middle East. These traditional genres continue to hold strong appeal for audiences worldwide.

What¡¯s noteworthy is that even within traditional romantic comedies, a broader range of narrative possibilities is being explored, allowing them to captivate a more global audience. While romantic comedies often retain conventional structures such as modern Cinderella stories and family epics, they have evolved to reflect contemporary male-female relationships and family dynamics. At the same time, unconventional narratives like those in ¡°The Glory¡± coexist with more traditional stories such as ¡°Business Proposal¡± and ¡°What¡¯s Wrong with Secretary Kim.¡± This balance between progressive and conservative storytelling enables the Korean drama industry to resonate with a diverse global audience catering to varying tastes and sensibilities.

Webtoons are both the driving force behind K-drama and an essential element of the industry¡¯s future. Korean producers have long adapted dramas from comic books and novels. But in recent years, an increasing number of webtoon-based series is being produced and consumed.

This trend is being driven by webtoons¡¯ undeniable advantages. Webtoons are an art form that allows full creative expression. And webtoons themselves can double as a story board for television producers. But webtoons¡¯ greatest single advantage is that they are the product of a creative system in which anybody can participate. Anybody can let their imagination run free online without completing an apprenticeship or clearing some other hurdle. That fosters an almost bottomless pool of authors, reducing up-front investment in content.

For these reasons, I believe K-dramas will create synergy with webtoons and web novels. The webtoon production system has already gone global, with creators from many countries contributing diverse stories. As webtoon-based dramas become mainstream, K-dramas will enter an era of unprecedented global influence and admiration.