"Chief Kim" Tops Netflix Non-English TV Chart for 3rd Week; Five Korean Dramas Make Top 10

"Royal Palace" Rises to Second Place Just Three Days After Its Release

A scene from the drama "Chief Kim". Provided by SBS "Chief Kim".

Five Korean dramas have made it into Netflix’s Global Top 10 for non-English shows. "Chief Kim," starring So Jisub, held the No. 1 position for the third consecutive week, and the new release "Donggung" climbed to second place just three days after its release.

According to Tudum, Netflix’s official statistics site, "Chief Kim" topped the non-English TV shows category with 8.2 million views between July 13 and 19. The view count is calculated by dividing total watch hours by the show's runtime.

"Chief Kim," which was first released on June 26, reached No. 1 in its second week and has remained at the top for three consecutive weeks. It ranked No. 1 in 19 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, and Bolivia, and made the Top 10 in 73 countries.

"Chief Kim," based on a popular webtoon of the same name, tells the story of a former special agent who reveals his hidden skills to rescue his kidnapped daughter. So Jisub plays the lead role of Chief Kim.

After airing as an SBS Friday-Saturday drama, it was also released on Netflix. The drama surpassed a 20% nationwide viewer rating after just four episodes, and episode 8, which aired on July 18, hit a series high of 23.1%.

"Donggung," starring Nam Joohyuk and Noh Yunseo, reached second place with 4.9 million views — a result achieved in just three days since its release on July 17. It ranked No. 1 in South Korea and Thailand and entered the Top 10 in 27 countries.

"Donggung" is a historical fantasy set in an imaginary, East Asian-inspired era, tracking the secrets of a cursed palace. It follows a court lady who can hear ghosts and a man who can cut down spirits with a sword as they unravel the mystery together.

"Apartment," starring Ji Sung, jumped five spots to No. 5 after ranking 10th the previous week, with 3.3 million views and Top 10 rankings in 19 countries. The drama revolves around chaos among residents concerning major repair funds for their apartment complex.

Still from "True Education." Provided by Netflix

"True Education," starring Kim Muyeol and focusing on issues in public education, ranked sixth with 2.9 million views. Although it dropped four spots from last week, it still made the Top 10 in 48 countries.

"Chilling Romance," featuring Park Eunbin and Yang Sejong, entered the chart at No. 8 just two days after release, with 1.7 million views and Top 10 entries in 17 countries. Based on a feature film of the same name, this occult romance follows a chaebol heiress who can see ghosts and a prosecutor who fears them as they solve cases together.

The Japanese Netflix series "Gas Human," produced and written by director Yeon Sangho, ranked ninth among non-English shows with 1.6 million views.

In the English-language movie category, the animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" secured sixth place with 3.4 million views, rising four spots from the previous week and maintaining a streak of 57 weeks in the Top 10.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.