Disney+ loses 1 million users in Korea, rushes out original content to fight back

Can an early content push save Disney+ in Korea?

Amid a wave of user complaints — "nothing to watch," "this is too much," "just leave Korea" — Disney+'s user base in South Korea has been shrinking steadily. Monthly active users have fallen by about 1 million from a peak of more than 4 million to the 3 million range.

According to Mobile Index, a data service run by IGAWorks, Disney+'s monthly active users stood at 3.12 million last month, down more than 15 percent from the previous month — the steepest drop among all OTT platforms.

In response, Disney+ has moved to mount an aggressive early rollout of original content.

Disney+ announced Saturday that "Made in Korea" had confirmed a Season 2 premiere in September, releasing a teaser poster and pre-teaser trailer.

Season 1 of "Made in Korea," released last year, drew audiences at home and abroad with its story of a man driven by ambition for wealth and power, a prosecutor who risks everything to stop him, and lives swept up in the turbulence of the era. Season 2 has already generated wide attention — Time magazine named it one of the most anticipated K-dramas of 2026.

Disney+ also said "Killers' Shopping Mall Season 2," which dropped its first two episodes Wednesday, became the most-watched Korean original series on Disney+ worldwide on its opening day. The original "Killers' Shopping Mall," released in 2024, was praised for both its quality and cultural buzz. The second season, arriving two years later, has made a strong start and is shaping up as a potential global phenomenon.

Disney+ is also pressing ahead with production of "Moving Season 2," the follow-up to its biggest hit. The budget for "Moving 2" is reported to be around 50 billion won ($36 million), the largest for any Korean OTT series since Netflix's "Squid Game."

Whether "Moving 2" can draw back users who have left Disney+ remains a key question. "Moving" is an action superhero series about parents and children with special abilities fighting against danger. Moving helped push Disney+'s monthly active users past 4 million, driving a period of sharp growth for the platform.

Disney+ was once seen as Netflix's main rival in Korea but has since fallen to last place among major OTT platforms. Users have voiced strong frustration over the lack of hit content.

Rumors once circulated that Disney+ was pulling back its investment in Korean content, but the platform is instead expanding that investment in a bid to stage a comeback in a market where Netflix has built a commanding lead.

Meanwhile, in contrast to Disney+'s declining numbers, Netflix surpassed 16 million monthly active users in Korea for the first time. Tving climbed to second place in the OTT market, growing its user base despite a personal data breach.

According to Mobile Index, Netflix recorded 16.17 million monthly active users last month, up 840,000 from the previous month. Tving reached 9.69 million, adding 870,000 users month-on-month. Coupang Play logged 8.85 million and Wavve 3.96 million. Disney+ trailed at 3.12 million, last among the major OTT platforms.