The last season of the Netflix original series "Squid Game" Season 3 has been released. The global popularity of the recently acclaimed Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (hereafter, KDeHun) is expected to be continued by "Squid Game" Season 3 (hereafter, Ogem3). As Korean film and drama gain popularity globally, interest in Korea's food and culture is also increasing.
Ogem3 will be released on the 27th at 4 p.m. "Squid Game" is the first K-Content to win an Emmy Award, the highest honor in the American broadcasting industry, in 2022 for non-English series. It is also a global blockbuster that holds the record for the most viewers of any content since the launch of Netflix (Ogem1). The distribution industry expects that global interest in Korean food and traditional games and culture featured in Ogem3 will remain high.
Indeed, whenever series like Ogem1 and Ogem2 were released, videos of foreigners reenacting the games from the series flooded social media platforms (SNS). The method of making Dalgona, which appeared in Ogem1, was shared on platforms like YouTube and Instagram Reels, and following the popularity of the game "Gonggi" in Ogem2, sets for this game were sold for an average of $13 (about 19,000 won) on the global commerce platform eBay, costing under 5,000 won.
Korean soju, which gained attention in Ogem1, is also witnessing market growth in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, where K-Pop and dramas are popular. According to the market research firm Statista, the projected market size for soju in Malaysia by 2025 is about $12.48 million (approximately 17 billion won), with a consistent annual growth rate of 4.05%.
A local research institute official noted, "As the awareness of Korean cuisine and beverages rises among the younger generations based on Hallyu content such as K-Pop and drama, the consumption of soju is also on the rise," adding, "Given that Malaysia's national religion is Islam and 60% of its population are Muslims, this is an unusual trend," since Muslims generally prohibit the consumption of alcohol.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (Kati), Singapore's alcoholic beverage market size this year is $3.2 billion (about 4.416 trillion won), expected to grow at an annual rate of about 1.96% until 2029. Of this, the import size of Korean alcoholic beverages was approximately $6.1 million (about 820 million won) as of last year. Singapore is importing various Korean alcoholic drinks, including soju, Takju, and distilled liquors. An industry official said, "Thanks to the K-Content craze, awareness of Korean beverages like soju and Makgeolli is quite high," noting, "The lineup is gradually expanding beyond just soju to include a variety of items."
This is also true for global content set in Korea. The Netflix animated film KDeHun features K-Pop superstars Lumi, Mira, and Joiyi protecting the human world from evil spirits. Directed jointly by Korean-American Maggie Kang and director Appelhans, it incorporates elements of shamanistic beliefs such as grim reapers and tigers along with Korean architectural landmarks like Namsan Tower and Hanok throughout the work. It is currently extremely popular, ranking first globally in the Netflix film institutional sector.
Particularly, the characters Duffy and Seussi have gained popularity, leading to heightened interest in the traditional folk painting called "Jakhodo" that depicts a tiger and a magpie together. Duffy and Seussi are characters inspired by Jakhodo. The National Museum of Korea's "Magpie and Tiger Badge Goods" are currently sold out due to their resemblance to these characters. Netflix has begun producing and selling Duffy character dolls at its official store starting from the day before in response to subscribers’ requests for merchandise.
Industry experts predict that as long as the K-Content boom of K-Pop, films, and dramas continues, the consumption and interest in Korean food and culture will continue. An industry official stated, "How well we can ride the wave of the K-Content boom is key," adding, "This is the time to consider not only creating collaborative products with content but also incorporating the essence of Korean food and culture in the products."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Studies at Inha University, stated, "We should plan products based on Korea's originality and uniqueness, keeping sustainability in mind," noting, "The synergy effect of product competitiveness and the K-Content boom has become crucial."