Dropped by its domestic platform, a South Korean drama has surged back to life on Netflix—showcasing the global power of K-content while laying bare the struggles of local streaming services.
The 2022 hit drama “Weak Hero Class”, originally aired on S. Korea’s streaming platform Wavve, has made a remarkable resurgence after transitioning to Netflix. Upon its release on Mar. 26, the series soared to third place on Netflix’s global TV chart, entering the top 10 in countries such as the United States (5th) and France (3rd), in addition to dominating in Asia and Latin America where Korean content is traditionally strong.
This comeback wasn’t by chance. Wavve, which has scaled back content investment amid financial struggles, ultimately decided in consultation with the show’s production company to hand off Season 2 to Netflix. To build momentum ahead of the upcoming release, Netflix dropped Season 1 earlier this month—successfully drawing in a wave of new viewers worldwide.
Based on a popular Naver webtoon, Weak Hero Class follows Yeon Si-eun, a model student with a slight build who confronts school violence to protect his friends. Despite his frail appearance, Yeon uses his sharp intellect and the environment around him to outwit his adversaries, delivering a cathartic viewing experience.
The show also helped spotlight rising actors such as Park Ji-hoon, Choi Hyun-wook, and Hong Kyung. On global content site IMDb, it holds an impressive 8.5 rating, with viewers praising the lead actors for delivering performances that were both astonishing in their depth and heartbreaking in their emotional impact.
The drama’s move to Netflix lays bare the stark reality that S. Korea’s homegrown streaming platforms are struggling to hold on to their signature content. As the broadcasting ad market continues to shrink and production costs climb, the industry’s reliance on Netflix is accelerating.
Several recent cases illustrate this trend. JTBC’s mystery show Crime Scene, which returned via Tving last year after a seven-year hiatus, is now set to launch a new season—Crime Scene Zero—on Netflix.
Similarly, KBS’s variety show Beat Coin, canceled due to low ratings, has re-emerged as Screwballs, also exclusive to Netflix. Meanwhile, after Wavve’s exclusive deal with S. Korea’s three major broadcasters expired, SBS signed a six-year content supply contract with Netflix.
These shifts are fueling concern among industry watchers about the growing dependence of S. Korean production companies on global platforms.
According to a March 26 report by the Korea Communications Commission, the number of original dramas produced and aired by domestic broadcasters and OTT services dropped to 90 in 2023—a 21.7% decline from 115 in 2022. Over the same period, the number of Korean titles released on foreign OTTs grew from 21 to 30.
“Global platforms have steadily expanded their influence, but last year’s downturn in advertising hit the industry hard,” said Lee Sang-won, a professor at Kyung Hee University. “Without revenue, it’s difficult to reinvest in content. What we’re seeing now is the beginning of a vicious cycle—local players can’t compete and end up leaning more heavily on Netflix. I’d say we’re entering a phase of full-fledged platform dependence.”
Still, some say Weak Hero Class offers a more optimistic model—one where domestic platforms can serve as a launchpad before content moves to global stages. Given the challenge of competing with international media giants, some believe that developing strong intellectual property locally and then selling it globally may be the only viable way forward.
Media critic Cho Young-shin said this approach is similar to how broadcasters used to earn money by selling shows overseas after airing them at home.
“From a producer’s perspective, making money first through a local platform and then striking a licensing deal with a global OTT is a rational path,” he said. “If we can establish a system where high-quality content flows from domestic to global platforms, that could be much healthier for the industry than funneling everything straight to Netflix.”
