New Digital i research into Netflix viewing data from South Korea in 2025 suggests that local storytelling dominates not just in popularity, but in audience engagement.
Among the top 10 most-completed Netflix seasons in the country, taken from a sample of the top 100 seasons ranked by reach, every title was produced locally.
Leading the list was season one of medical comedy The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call with an impressive 84.0% completion rate, narrowly ahead of the third season of global phenomenon Squid Game on 81.3%.
Other high-performing series included Weak Hero season two, Mercy For None season one and the first season of Trigger, all achieving completion rates above 70%.
The data was first shared by Digital i in our trend report, Riding Netflix’s Korean Wave, which you can read in full HERE.
Sustained audience engagement
At first glance, the chart highlights the strength of local content viewing on Netflix in South Korea – which our data placed at 63.9% of viewing time in 2025 (read more about that HERE). But the more interesting insight may be what completion rates represent.
Unlike reach, which measures how many people started watching a title, completion rates are often a stronger indicator of audience satisfaction and narrative investment.
In other words, these are viewers that not only started these shows – but stuck with them until the end.
The dominance of local productions in this ranking may suggest that South Korean audiences value cultural familiarity and storytelling that reflect domestic tastes.
While international hits are available in abundance on Netflix, the data implies that locally produced dramas are better at sustaining long-term engagement in South Korea.
Deep local relevance
It is also notable that the list spans multiple genres. Medical comedy (The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call), thriller (Squid Game), action (Weak Hero), fantasy (Genie, Make a Wish) and romantic drama (When Life Gives You Tangerines) all appear in the top 10.
This suggests the trend is not tied to one breakout format or genre, but rather to a broader interest that audiences have in locally produced scripted entertainment.
The data may also reflect Netflix’s wider global strategy around regional content investment. Korean productions have repeatedly demonstrated that strong local appeal can translate into international success.
Squid Game remains the clearest example of this crossover effect - our data shows that it generated 1.5 billion hours of international viewing in 19 measured countries last year, accounting for 15% of all South Korean content viewing on Netflix outside the home market (you can read more about that HERE).
But the broader chart suggests that even titles without worldwide cultural impact can still generate exceptionally deep engagement at home.
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