There are few things as consistent as our unstable Wi-Fi, existential dread, and a go-to playlist of Korean dramas to cushion reality’s blows—especially for Gen Z, myself included. To love K-dramas is to willingly suspend disbelief, bask in a world where minor inconveniences spiral into grand epiphanies, and where misunderstandings are solved with monologues. The question is not why we watch K-dramas, but why, in a country that has its fair share of daily drama, we still crave more — and from 5,000 kilometres away, no less.

On Tuesday, Netflix revealed its largest-ever annual slate of Korean films and programs, stating that more than 60% of its global subscribers watched Korean content in 2022. In its 2023 slate release, the platform presented 34 projects, including 11 previously unknown projects.