What streaming services are available in Korea and how do I sign up as a foreigner?
What streaming services are available in Korea and how do I sign up as a foreigner? Can I still use Netflix and other international services?
1 Answer
Korea has a rich streaming landscape with both global services and Korean-exclusive platforms. Netflix Korea is the dominant service with the largest international content library and exclusive Korean originals like Squid Game, Glory, and Kingdom. Sign up at netflix.com/kr with any foreign credit card, no Korean account required. Netflix detects your IP and shows the Korean content library, which is generally larger than the US library for Korean dramas and films.
Disney Plus Korea launched in 2021 with Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and Korean originals like Moving and Big Bet, and foreign cards are accepted. YouTube Premium Korea includes YouTube Music, ad-free YouTube and downloads.
Korean-exclusive platforms carry the best K-content: Wavve (formerly Pooq — Korean dramas, variety shows and news), Tving (CJ ENM dramas such as Goblin and Reply 1988, plus tvN content), Coupang Play (bundled with Coupang Wow membership, includes K-League football and premium dramas), and Watcha (older series and arthouse films). U+ Mobile TV and SK Broadband Btv are tied to Korean carrier subscriptions.
For music: YouTube Music (with Premium), Melon (the Korean giant, dominant for K-pop), Genie, Bugs, Apple Music Korea and Spotify are all available.
Monthly prices move with plan changes and promotions on every one of these services, so take the current figure from the service''s own Korean pricing page rather than from a guide.
Setup tips: most Korean services want a Korean phone number at signup, a Korean card or KakaoPay for payment, and have limited English UI. Coupang Play, Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube Premium are the most foreigner-friendly. To set up KakaoPay or get a Korean card, use a bank with foreign-customer desks such as Hana Bank — note that the old Korea Exchange Bank merged into Hana in 2015 and the KEB Hana name was retired in 2021, so there is no separate "KEB Hana" to look for. Using a VPN to reach other countries'' libraries is against Netflix''s terms. For sport, KBO baseball runs on Naver Sports and the Premier League on Coupang Play. Most Korean platforms offer a free trial month, so test before committing.
Last verified: 2026-09-28