Netflix brings in new season of Korean drama adding to India’s love for genre

NEW DELHI: American streaming service Netflix released the second season of its popular Korean romantic comedy Love Alarm this weekend, catering to India’s love for the genre. The series starring Kim So-hyun, Jung Ga-ra, and Song Kang follows the life of a high-school girl in a society greatly influenced by a mobile app that is capable of notifying whether someone within their vicinity has romantic feelings for them.

First premiered in 2019, the production of season two was delayed because of the covid-19 pandemic.

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Viewership for Korean dramas on Netflix in India jumped a massive 370% year-on-year in 2020, according to the service. Some of the most popular K-titles in India included The King: Eternal Monarch, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, and Start-up, and zombie tale Kingdom.

Indians have been increasingly taking to content from South Korea. That these crisp and entertaining shows and movies have struck a chord with audiences is evident from the investment companies are making in them.

Last year, direct-to-home service provider Dish TV India Ltd announced the launch of a new offering, Korean Drama Active, giving users access to premium Korean drama content dubbed in Hindi.

Media experts say Korean content has garnered great interest, especially among millennials, because Indian youth are able to relate to situations and narratives it explores. The cultural similarities between the two nations are quite fascinating and the belief in family values while pursuing a modern approach towards life resonates well with the viewers in India.

Korean drama has seen an increase in popularity in recent years in India given the ease of access through various OTT platforms; K Pop (a genre of south Korean music) has also been trending in India as are popular KPop artists who are part of leading Korean dramas.