Twitter: #BeyondKpop from Music to Drama

Following the release of Squid Game, Twitter saw 29M Tweets globally about #SquidGame premiered on Netflix on September 17. Before Squid Game, other K-content including movies, drama series, and webtoons (comics, manhwa) was talked about a lot on Twitter on a global scale. Here are some insights from Twitter about #BeyondKpop from Music to Drama, Webtoon, and Movies.

Speaking at the 2021 Seoul International Music Fair(MU:CON 2021), Twitter introduced big data insights with the theme of ‘#BeyondKpop: Globalization of K-Culture from Music to Drama, Webtoon, Movie and beyond’, and Top 20 most Tweeted K-content. Twitter has been at the center of global conversations about K-pop music scenes, and this new announcement reflects Twitter’s effect on the global spread of various K-content like Korean popular dramas, webtoons, and movies as well as K-pop music.

The full presentation can be watched at ‘#BeyondKpop : Globalization of K-Culture from Music to Drama, Webtoon, Movie and beyond‘.

Here is the summary of the announcement at MU:CON 2021.

The results of data aggregation were conducted by Twitter and VAIV company through big data text mining techniques that analyzed global English Tweets from July 2018 to June 2021.

Most-mentioned K-dramas show a clear connection to K-pop

Top 20 Most-Mentioned K-Dramas on Twitter in the World (July 2018 ~ June 2021)

• Kingdom (2019, Netflix original)
• Itaewon Class (2020, JTBC)
• True Beauty (2020, tvN)
• Vincenzo (2021, tvN)
• Sky Castle (2018, JTBC)
• Hotel Del Luna (2019, tvN)
• Start-Up (2020, tvN)
• Hospital Playlist (2020, tvN)
• Goblin (2016, tvN)
• The Penthouse (2020, SBS)
• Vagabond (2019, SBS)
• Sweet Home (2020, Netflix original)
• Crash Landing on You (2019, tvN)
• Voice (2017, OCN)
• Love Alarm (2019, Netflix original)
• It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020, tvN)
• Kairos (2020, MBC)
• Arthdal Chronicles (2019, tvN)
• Extracurricular (2020, Netflix original)
• Forest of Secrets/Stranger (2017, tvN)

“Twitter’s analysis of the word cloud for Tweets mentioning Itaewon Class confirmed that many Tweets about Itaewon Class mentioned the OST song “Sweet Night” by V, a member of the male K-pop group BTS. The word cloud also connected Itaewon Class to 11 other dramas during the first half of 2021. This shows that interest in Itaewon Class led fans to other K-dramas, making Itaewon Class a critical influence for K-content and new fans getting more interested.”

Most-mentioned webtoons boosted interest in webtoons with related K-dramas

Top 20 Most-Mentioned K-Webtoons on Twitter in the World (July 2018 ~ June 2021)

• True Beauty (2018, Naver Webtoon)
• Sweet Home (2017, Naver Webtoon)
• Tower of God (2010, Naver Webtoon)
• Itaewon Class (2017, Kakao Webtoon)
• Noblesse (2007, Naver Webtoon)
• Navillera (2016, Kakao Webtoon)
• Romance 101 (2018, Naver Webtoon)
• Omniscient reader (2020, Naver Webtoon)
• Eleceed (2018, Naver Webtoon)
• Dice (2013, Naver Webtoon)
• Along with the gods (2010, Naver Webtoon)
• Weak hero (2018, Naver Webtoon)
• I Love Yoo (2017, Naver Webtoon)
• Wind breaker (2013, Naver Webtoon)
• Annarasumanara (2010, Naver Webtoon)
• Unholy blood (2020, Naver Webtoon)
• Sole leveling (2016, Naver Webtoon)
• Random chat (2017, Naver Webtoon)
• Kubera (2010, Naver Webtoon)
• Gosu (2015, Naver Webtoon)

Most-mentioned movies show the impact of Korea’s biggest directors

Top 20 Most-Mentioned K-Movies on Twitter in the World (July 2018 ~ June 2021)

• Parasite (2019)
• Minari (2020)
• Snowpiercer (2013)
• Oldboy (2003)
• Space sweepers (2020)
• Swing kids (2018)
• Okja (2017)
• Train to Busan: Peninsula (2020)
• Train to Busan (2016)
• Mother (2009)
• The Call (2020)
• Along with the gods (2017)
• Exit (2019)
• Forgotten (2017)
• Voice of silence (2020)
• Thirst (2009)
• Samjin Company English Class (2020)
• Little forest (2018)
• Burning (2018)
• The Host (2006)

The conversation around K-content will continue to expand

“Twitter has proven that K-pop – along with many other fandoms – thrive due to the characteristics of Twitter: live, public, and conversational. People are consuming K-content through various channels, but in the end, the conversations are being held on Twitter.”

As Squid Game trends worldwide, Twitter says that they will continue to do their best to help you enjoy content around the world on Twitter. Until then, enjoy your favorite content and talk about it on Twitter!