The Zone: Survival Mission Story:-
While Disney+’s star-studded unscripted series “The Zone: Survival Mission” garnered significant attention from local viewers, its underwhelming performance outside Korea raised doubts about the potential for Korean reality shows to achieve sustained success on global streaming platforms.
Movie Ratings
| Release Date | 8 September 2022 |
| Language | Korean |
| Genre | Comedy, Game Show, Mystery |
| Episodes | 8 |
| Cast | Yuri Kwon, Kwang-Soo Lee, Yoo Jae-suk |
| Certificate | 13+ |
According to data from streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, the final episode of “The Zone: Survival Mission” became the second most popular show on Disney+’s Korean top 10 chart upon its release last Wednesday. The series had consistently maintained its position on the Korean top 10 chart since its debut on Sept. 15, emerging as the platform’s most prominent Korean unscripted program.
Featuring renowned comedian Yoo Jae-suk, actors Lee Kwang-soo, and Kwon Yuri of K-pop group Girls’ Generation, “The Zone: Survival Mission” stood out as the sole non-drama series on the Korean top 10 chart until the premiere of the dating show “Pink Lie” on Oct. 5. Its incorporation of a zombie apocalypse theme, a popular trope in successful Korean series, contributed to its domestic success, along with its distinctive format diverging from typical escape room-style games.
However, the series struggled to garner attention on a global scale. Despite its popularity in Korea, “The Zone: Survival Mission” failed to make an impact on the European, American, or African charts. It managed to reach the top 5 in only three Asian regions: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, largely due to the existing popularity of stars Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Kwang-soo in these areas, thanks to their roles in SBS’ long-standing TV variety show “Running Man.”
Cultural critic Jung Duk-hyun highlighted the challenges faced by unscripted shows in gaining global traction, attributing this difficulty to differences in humor, cultural context, and storytelling conventions. Despite “The Zone: Survival Mission” making efforts to appeal to global audiences by exploring universal themes like surviving disasters and minimizing the use of subtitles, it struggled to resonate beyond its domestic audience.
Jung emphasized the ongoing efforts of Korean creators to produce content that appeals to both local and international viewers, citing recent releases such as Disney+’s “Pink Lie” and Netflix’s “Take 1.” He also noted the global success of Netflix’s “Singles Inferno,” which became the first Korean reality show to reach the No. 5 spot on the platform’s global chart in January.
As streaming platforms continue to invest in Korean content, the industry remains focused on developing formats that can capture the interest of audiences worldwide, learning from both successes and shortcomings to create content with broader appeal.
