Study: Malaysia Records 3rd Highest Number of K-Drama Viewers in the World Outside of Korea

Korean dramas, more commonly known as K-dramas, are Korean-language TV shows made in South Korea which transcend language barriers and international borders to become 1 of the most popular genres in the world.

K-dramas are super popular in Malaysia too, which alongside the Republic’s music industry, has skyrocketed the country’s popularity among Malaysians.

However, have you ever wondered how popular K-dramas actually are in our country? Well, according to a study by investing website Insider Monkey, Malaysia is actually the country with the 3rd highest number of K-drama viewers in the world outside of South Korea itself!

Countries that watch the most K-dramas in the world

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In the study, Insider Monkey identified 15 countries outside of South Korea that watch the most K-dramas by conducting in-depth research and consulted 6 different sources.

For an appearance in each source, a country was given 1 point and the total points tally makes up the rankings, which are as below:

1. Philippines 
2. Egypt
3. Malaysia
4. Indonesia
5. Nigeria
6. Thailand
7. Vietnam
8. Japan
9. China
10. Brazil
11. India
12. Turkey
13. France
14. Spain 
15. United States

Malaysia and 4 other ASEAN countries dominated the rankings

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As you can see from the rankings, Southeast Asian countries dominated the list with 5 different nations in the top 5.

These include the Philippines topping the rankings, Malaysia in 3rd place, Indonesia in 4th, Thailand in 6th and Vietnam in 7th.

Insider Monkey noted how even ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Vongthep Arthakaivalyatee had previously recognised K-drama’s popularity in the region, asserting that ASEAN can benefit from the K-wave by emulating them and producing an ASEAN wave.

So, what do you guys think of Malaysia recording the 3rd highest number of K-drama viewers in the world outside of South Korea? Is the statistic surprising or expected?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Also read: M’sian Gen Z Intern Watches K-Drama at Work, Falls Ill When Given Deadlines Because “she’s stressed”