Netflix’s VP of Asian Content, Kim Minyoung, has revealed in an interview via Variety that Squid Game‘s massive global success is due, rather counterintuitively, to their local-first strategy. In today’s entertainment industry, Squid Game serves as an example of worldwide success garnered through different means than the typical Hollywood fare.
She states in her interview with Variety, “When I commissioned Squid Game, we were never trying to find a global show…We always look for stories that are going to have an impact in the local market, that is going to really touch our local audience.”
According to Variety, Netflix’s philosophy on the Asian market has been one of cultural authenticity rather than mass market appeal. Netflix Asian has found success in creating shows that truly resonate with their local audiences first. Squid Game is deeply Korean, and it is that cultural resonance that has made the show one of Netflix’s biggest hits.
Kim states to Variety that “For Korean content, it’s a Korean audience; for Japanese content, it’s Japanese audience; for Thai content, Thai audience…For every show that we make, every decision we make, our North Star is making sure we please the local audience and become a cultural zeitgeist in that local market.”
This approach has proved surprisingly successful as Western audiences continue to flock to shows originally for the Asian market. Kim states that “It’s always cultural resonance. Human emotion is the most powerful thing, and when you are able to tell a story that resonates with the audience, culturally and personally, it creates that human emotion.” Crafting culturally specific shows has, paradoxically, made them more appealing to wider audiences from disparate cultures.
While many would look to Squid Game as a blueprint for a successful Asian show, Kim tells Variety uniquivecoly, “We’re not trying to copy the success of Squid Game…We always look for titles that are going to work really well in the local market and entertain our audiences in the local market.”
The third and final season of Squid Game is set to be released on June 27, 2025.