Streaming giant Netflix is showing increasing confidence about its prospects in the Korean entertainment market, despite fierce competition from several global media platforms, including Disney Plus, gearing up to enter the fray. “The creation of diverse content means a wider selection for consumers to choose from. This is encouraging news for us since it will serve as an opportunity to grow together,” Kim Min-young, vice-president of content for Netflix in Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, said in an online press conference. “Right now, it’s time to grow our own piece of pie instead of fighting over a little piece.” Have G-Dragon and Blackpink’s Jennie really been dating for a year? Citing the success of its Korean original series – such as the plot hole-ridden period zombie horror Kingdom and Lee Do-hyun-starring monster thriller Sweet Home – Kim said she was convinced of the rising reputation of South Korean content as a potent cultural force. “The local production industry’s ecosystem is very solid. There are many talented writers, directors and actors, who contribute to the birth of diverse, high-quality stories,” she stated, at the February 25 press briefing. This year, Netflix announced it will invest US$500 million into the development of Korean original content. Such a decision comes in addition to providing filming studio spaces in Paju and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and working to improve the accessibility of its content through captions, subtitles and dubbing. She explained that these efforts are part of the company’s “step to create Korean content that the entire world can enjoy and accompany the growth of the domestic production industry”, highlighting its coexistence with the local market and personnel. Will Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin get married this year? The streaming giant’s ambition to lead the future of global “K-content” is evident in the raft of original series and films that will be unveiled in 2021. The line-up of 13 works includes Kingdom: Ashin of the North , Hellbound , Squid Game and The Silent Sea , all taking place in settings of overwhelming scale and radically imagined narratives. Kingdom: Ashin of the North is the highly-anticipated spin-off of the Kingdom series that helped popularise the Korean zombie genre . It will reveal the secret of the resurrection plant that has been central to the storyline through the mysterious character Ashin, played by top-paid star Jun Ji-hyun , who surprised viewers by appearing at the very end of the show’s second season. K-pop fashion for Song Hye-kyo, Blackpink’s Lisa and Aespa “The existence of the Kingdom series was made possible only through Netflix. It’s a show that could not be born elsewhere. The platform has been our continuous supporter and ally during our attempts to experiment with new things without prejudice, obstacles or fear,” its director Kim Sung-hoon said. Train to Busan filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho’s Hellbound begins with the sudden arrival of angels to Earth. The news is far from heavenly, however, as the supernatural beings are there to condemn humans to hell, creating unimaginable chaos and confusion. Meanwhile, the action thriller Squid Game , directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, transforms a children’s street game popular in Korea during the 70s and 80s into a mysterious survival game where participants risk their lives for the grand prize of US$40.5 million. 5 items BTS’ Jungkook caused to sell out Another sci-fi blockbuster set in space after the hit Space Sweepers is The Silent Sea , directed by Choi Hang-yong and produced by actor Jung Woo-sung. Starring Bae Doona, a regular member of hit Netflix shows , the mystery thriller follows the journey of a special team sent on a mission to an abandoned research facility on the moon, in a dystopian future where the Earth’s desertification leads to a global shortage of food and water. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter . This article originally appeared on Korea Times