Is Netflix Riding the Korean Wave or Vice Versa?| Questioning Platform-Driven Diversity: Diasporic Korean Storytelling on Netflix

Abstract

This study examines the recent emergence of diasporic Korean storytelling on subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms. Drawing on a multimodal discourse analysis of two acclaimed shows on Netflix portraying diasporic Koreans in North America, The Chair (2021) and Kim’s Convenience (2016–2021), the study explores how the streaming platform engages with cultural diversity. In doing so, the article initiates a preliminary discussion of how diasporic cultures and identities are integrated into the platformized media environment while suggesting that diasporic storytelling in SVOD catalogs may involve the risk of commodifying and continuing the marginalization of underprivileged groups.