kdrama1-9, Exercise 3: Numbers and criticism

Model answer:

Three numbers (any): Squid Game reached number one in 94 countries; Netflix estimated over 111 million member households after 17 days and over 142 million after 28 days; over 1.65 billion hours in 28 days against 625 million for Bridgerton (after Netflix changed its measures in November 2021). Extraordinary Attorney Woo reached 348.15 million viewing hours after its finale and was the most viewed non-English show globally for two weeks of July 2022.

They cannot be compared directly because they use different units (households, views, hours), different periods (17 days, 28 days) and different definitions (a viewer is a subscriber who watched more than two minutes), and the article itself mixes "views", "households" and "hours". The figures are also Netflix's own, as the articles report them.

Two criticisms from the Korean Wave article (any): in China the wave "has frequently been described as a 'cultural invasion'" and restrictions limit the number of Korean dramas shown; far-right protests against Korean imports in Japan; boycotts and cancellations of Snowdrop and Joseon Exorcist over historical accuracy, from Korean viewers; the industry's harsh working conditions, highlighted by a series of high-profile suicides of actors and idols.

Sources: Wikipedia, Squid Game; Extraordinary Attorney Woo; Korean Wave (criticism section, tagged for neutrality).