APOS 2022: Netflix East Asia Content Chief Minyoung Kim On Pushing Into Southeast Asia, And How ‘Squid Game’ Is A Local Show
deadline.comCreating locally authentic content has been key to Netflix’s success in producing shows in Asia that have resonated globally, according to Minyoung Kim, Netflix Vice President of Content, APAC ex India, speaking at APOS, which is taking place virtually and in-person in Singapore this week (September 27-29).Kim said she always believed that Asia would eventually produce a show that worked globally, but that “honestly” she had no idea it would be Squid Game or that it would happen so fast. “We truly believe that in making Korean content we need to prioritize our local audiences in Korea,” said Kim, speaking to Media Partners Asia executive director Vivek Couto on-stage at the event.She added that audiences in Korea, Japan and India have all shown a preference for high-quality local content, so the streamer’s priority has been to create shows that work within the local market, rather than consciously striving for global success.“When we first started in the region, a lot of our producers came to me with English-language bibles, saying Netflix is a global platform, and we need to make global shows from Korea and Japan.
But with series like Kingdom, Squid Game and Alice In Borderland, they’ve realized they can make content in their own language, with everything they know and breathe, and that their local content can become a global show.”Kim added that when Netflix first launched in the region in 2016, it had all its APAC content teams working out of Los Angeles, but quickly pivoted when it realized it needed to be much closer to local creative communities. “Building teams on the ground in Japan, Korea and India, and finding the best talent to communicate with that creative community, has been one of the most important
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