The rise of Korean drama addiction: Squid Game

Watching Squid Game means playing red light, green light is no longer a fond memory for you, but a terrifying prospect.

The Korean thriller led Netflix to reach its biggest series launch ever in its first 28 days -- streaming 111 million times in that time. In its world premiere, four debt-ridden people fight for a giant prize in a deadly children's game.

Its exit from the top spot proved that Korean dramas - commonly referred to as simply K-dramas - are most definitely enjoying worldwide popularity.

How can we explain this rise, and what are some of the other K-dramas you should look out for if you're a newcomer to the genre?

The South Korean culture tsunami that spread across the west in recent years has reached a new peak with the popularity of Squid Game.

It follows in the footsteps of K-pop stars such as BTS and Blackpink, as well as Hollywood films such as Parasite and Minari that have become Oscar-winners and household names.

K-dramas have not overtaken the world overnight, as one might expect.

Korea's K-dramas have long been a favorite in Asia, even though they have only recently gained global attention.

During the 90s, the entertainment industry received huge amounts of money from increasing liberalisation. With Japan in economic decline and China rising, South Korean culture pounced on the opportunity by offering TV that was both more relatable than US shows and morally acceptable to Beijing.

Within a decade, it challenged Japanese might to become the new purveyor of Asian cool, with 20% of Japanese viewers watching the drama Winter Sonata in 2003.

As reported by the Korean Culture and Information Service in 2011, "Korean dramas are influencing styles of living and consumer behaviors in many Asian cities, which strongly suggests their cultural appeal.".