Netflix orders new seasons of hit Korean originals including ‘Squid Game’

Global streaming giant Netflix has recently announced its plans to renew a slew of its hit Korean-language originals, like the smash-hit survival drama “Squid Game,” for more seasons in an apparent bid to gain fresh momentum as the pandemic winds down.

Earlier this week, Netflix confirmed that “Squid Game” (2021) will return for a second season.

It was the official announcement by the streamer of the continuation of the nine-part series that grabbed headlines in the West, although there had been news reports that creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is working on a followup.

But the streamer did not give details on the cast and schedules of production.

Released in September last year, the all-Korean survival drama “Squid Game” became Netflix’s most successful series in the streamer’s history, attracting 1.65 billion hours of viewing in the first four weeks of release.

This image provided by Netflix shows a letter by “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, confirming the second season. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Stars of the first season, including leads Song Kang and Lee Jin-uk, will appear in the new seasons, with director Lee Eung-bok returning to the helm.

“Sweet Home” was the first South Korean series to enter Netflix Top 10 in the United States, reaching third place.

Last week, Netflix announced that it will bring back its hit Korean zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead” (2022) for another season.

It said the new season will tell the follow-up story of a group of students who survived the zombie attack on their high school.

The main cast of the first season — Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young and Cho Yi-hyun — will reprise their roles in the second season, which is also directed by first-season helmer Lee Jae-kyoo, also known as Lee JQ, according to Netflix.

The 12-episode zombie series became the fourth most-watched non-English TV program within its first four weeks, with a cumulative 560.8 million hours of streaming, following “Squid Game” with 1.65 billion hours, “Money Heist: Part 5″ with 792.2 million hours and “Money Heist: Part 4″ with 619 million hours.

Netflix’s hit military drama “D.P.” (2021), a story about the “deserter pursuit” team in the Korean Army, was confirmed for a second season last month.

The series, which gained wide popularity in Korea, where all able-bodied man must carry out mandatory military service, will star season 1 actors Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun and Son Suk-ku.

The second season of another Korean original “Hellbound” (2021), a dystopian horror series by Yeon Sang-ho of “Train to Busan” (2016), is also expected to be produced.

Upon the lifting of COVID-19 distancing rules throughout the world, global streamers that had enjoyed an increase in the number of subscribers during the pandemic suffered a decrease in subscribers.

Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in April, the company’s first loss in 10 years and dismissed more than hundred of its employees last month.

Insiders noted that Netflix is seeking ways to get out of the deadlock on the back of sequels of the bankable Korean-language originals.