The Global Impact of the Hollywood Strikes: Looking at South Korea

The Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes have sent shockwaves throughout the industry, causing a significant halt in production and raising concerns about the industry’s future. Now, with the possibility of actors joining the writers in their strike, the repercussions are set to become even more severe​.

It has been two months since the writers’ strike began, a unanimous call led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The strike came after a six-week negotiation with major companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount, and Sony, where the companies’ business practices were said to have slashed the writers’ compensation and undermined their working conditions​. The strike has significant implications not just for the writers but also for other professionals in the industry. Many productions have shut down, affecting actors, directors, and below-the-line workers such as those in wardrobe, makeup, and production design.

Meanwhile, the South Korean film and television industry has become a beacon of content production for major streaming platforms like Netflix, particularly amidst the Hollywood strikes. Netflix’s K-Content library has thrived since the success of Squid Game, which reportedly earned the platform an estimated $900 million. Netflix’s investment in South Korean content is significant, with the company making a $2.5 billion bet on it​.