Call for Papers
Asian Journal of Communication Special Issue
Is Netflix Riding the Korean Wave or Vice Versa? II: Shifting Local and Global Relationships
Over the past year, Squid Game 2 and 3, produced in South Korea, have once again created a global sensation. Regardless of negative observations by some media critics and outlets, this brutal survival drama series quickly took the top spot in 93 countries upon its release. The Squid Game series is the latest example of Korean cultural content distributed globally by Netflix. Netflix had already invested in several Korean cultural products, including Bong Joon-ho鈥檚 film Okja (2017) and the historical epic Mr. Sunshine (2018). In 2019, Netflix released its first original Korean zombie drama series, Kingdom, followed by D.P. (2021) and The Glory (2023). Netflix has also circulated numerous K-dramas and films. Other global OTTs are not left behind. Moving (2023), The Worst of Evil (2023), and Light Shop (2024) on Disney+ show the increasing role of global OTTs in relation to the Korean Wave. As Korea has talented content creators and cultural products, Netflix and Disney+ are tactically riding the Korean Wave.
Netflix and Disney+ have undoubtedly shifted the ways in which people consume visual narratives, ranging from television dramas to full-length films tailored to global audiences. In so doing, these global OTTs have influenced the Korean entertainment industry. Due to the significant impacts of Netflix and Disney+, Korean cultural creators are reorienting their production norms to adapt to the new world these global forces are designing. This rapidly shifting media environment creates tensions between global and local cultural industries, which are concerned about the decreasing role of the local cultural industries as well as the loss of cultural identity. However, Netflix鈥檚 strategic emphasis on producing local original content has significantly contributed to creating culturally diverse, multilingual international audiences.
The current development of the Korean Wave content on global OTTs, as can be seen in Squid Game, Moving, The Glory, Physical: 100, Culinary Class Wars (2023), and Light Shop (2024), asks scholars to advance new theoretical and practical approaches in understanding the power relations between local and global cultural actors in the Korean context, which is becoming part of the global cultural sphere. The impact of these global OTTs is expected to change the face of the Korean Wave, one of the most powerful examples of transnational cultural flows. It is crucial to create new perspectives that elevate the Korean Wave to new heights. In this special issue, we plan to analyze new horizons generated by global OTT platforms, including Netflix, in tandem with the Korean Wave.
We welcome contributions that address the recent development, which has triggered a fundamental shift in our understanding of Hallyu and OTTs. As a group, we plan to discuss the possibility of advancing non-Western theories and/or new theoretical perspectives amid the continuation of the Korean Wave on global OTT platforms. Throughout the discussions, we hope to shed light on current debates and place them in perspectives relevant to future transnational cultural studies.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Cultural/critical analysis of the Squid Game series
- Transnational cultural flows from the Global South
- Netflix鈥檚 effects on Korean Wave content
- Shifting cultural genres in the Netflix era
- Netflix audience research: methods and perspectives
- Comparative studies of Netflix鈥檚 original productions
- Case studies of individual production companies and/or filmmakers before and after their cooperation with global OTTs
- Historical perspectives on streaming technologies and services and Korean media
- Shifting power relationships between global and local OTTs
- Shifting media ecology surrounding the Korean Wave and OTTs
- Effects of Netflix on storytelling and aesthetics of Korean cinema and TV
Submission Instructions
All authors are required to submit an abstract of their paper by November 15, 2025. Abstracts should have a length of 500 words (excluding tables, figures, and references). Extended abstracts should be submitted in a PDF format through email to djin@sfu.ca. Special issue editors will screen the abstracts to ensure they fit the above descriptions. Authors will be informed about decisions on the extended abstracts by December 10, 2025. Authors who are invited to submit full papers will need to submit their manuscripts by January 10, 2026. Each full paper of the special issue should be between 6000 and 9000 words, inclusive of tables, references, figure captions, and endnotes, with an abstract of 200 words. Full papers should be submitted following the Asian Journal of Communication standard submission process.
Important Dates:
Abstract submission deadline: November 15, 2025
Decision for abstract acceptance deadline: December 10, 2025
Full paper submission deadline: January 10, 2026
First round review decisions: February 15, 2026
Second round review decisions: March 21, 2026
Final submission: April 5, 2026