'I never thought I'd seek out a Chinese drama' — Netflix hit spawns sequel

Official poster for "Zao Chun Qing Lang" [Photo: Youku]

"I never thought I'd go looking for a Chinese drama," wrote one Netflix user about "Zao Chun Qing Lang."

The Chinese drama series released on Netflix in August generated such strong buzz that a sequel is now in the works — an unprecedented wave of popularity for a Chinese title on the platform.

The surge has prompted a broader reassessment of Chinese content in South Korea's streaming market, with industry observers saying Chinese titles are carving out a meaningfully stronger position in the domestic online video platform landscape.

According to streaming industry sources, Chinese video platform Youku has officially announced plans to produce a sequel titled "Seong Ha Cheong Rang." The original series' production team is set to return, with the follow-up expected to be released next year.

"Zao Chun Qing Lang" is a Chinese drama series that Youku and Netflix released simultaneously on Aug. 26. Set in Beijing, it is an office romance depicting a workplace relationship between a prickly boss and a warm-hearted new employee, rendered with a grounded, realistic touch.

Its global release through Netflix brought unexpected breakout success. Shortly after its debut, the series climbed to No. 2 on Netflix's global non-English TV chart — the highest ranking ever achieved by a Chinese drama on the platform.

The buzz has not faded even after all 24 episodes concluded. Word of mouth has spread across social media, with viewers posting reactions such as "Don't start 'Zao Chun Qing Lang' — you won't be able to stop" and "I finally understand how middle-aged Japanese fans felt about Bae Yong-joon in 'Winter Sonata.'"

The show's popularity appears to be lifting other Chinese titles as well. On domestic streaming platform Tving, Chinese content has been gaining notable ground — the Chinese drama series "Zuo Gu" has broken into the platform's top 20 most-watched titles, while "Zhe Yi Chao Guo Hua," "Jia Ye" and "Jia You Tian Cheng" have also maintained steady viewership.

Responding to growing user demand, streaming platforms are ramping up their Chinese content supply. Tving has created a dedicated "Chinese Drama" section within its app, actively competing for exclusive titles and placing them prominently. Wavve and Watcha have similarly strengthened their Asian series curation and expanded their Chinese content offerings.

The Chinese drama series "Zuo Gu," available on Tving [Tving]

The industry is watching closely to see whether the momentum extends beyond Chinese content itself — and whether Chinese streaming platforms might begin establishing a direct presence in the South Korean market.

In the short-form drama segment, Chinese platforms have already made significant inroads domestically. According to Mobile Index, Chinese short-drama platforms swept the top three spots for new app installations in South Korea's entertainment category in August — Drama Wave at No. 1 with 840,000 installs, Netshort at No. 2 with 800,000, and DramaBox at No. 3 with 740,000.

sjpark@heraldcorp.com