Netflix said on Wednesday it held a K-content media session in Paris on Tuesday local time with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency. The event took place at the Palais des Congres de Paris and was part of the "2026 K-Expo France" marking 140 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France.

The session was hosted by culture critic Seong-eun Yoon (윤성은). Participants included Seung-hyun Choi (최승현), vice president of Netflix Korea, Hyeong-seok Kim (김형석), head of Nongshim's Europe unit, Seon-hwa Jeong (정선화), head of the Korea Tourism Organization's Paris office, In-nam Park (박인남), a division head at KOCCA, and film critic Dong-jin Oh (오동진).

Choi said more than 80 percent of Netflix subscribers worldwide have watched at least 1 Korean title. He said an external survey of 11,511 people in 8 countries in 2025 found that 83 percent of the main K-content viewing audience in France picked Netflix as a key channel for accessing Korean works.

Kim said the K-content boom and scenes of ramen consumption in content have stimulated local consumers' desire for cultural experiences, helping Nongshim's first-half sales in the European market grow 46 percent from a year earlier. He said French distribution buyers are also seeking out Korean products first.

Jeong said the customer base at K-beauty shops, K-food restaurants and Korean supermarkets in Paris has fully shifted from being centered on Koreans living abroad or international students to being centered on local French consumers. She said descriptions of places and food in K-content are directly linking to motivations to visit South Korea.

Oh said France first built a romantic image of a "Parisian lifestyle" through Nouvelle Vague films and then developed luxury goods and the fashion industry, while K-style creates simultaneous global trends by riding global digital platforms.

Park stressed that with total K-content exports hitting a record high of $14.075 billion in 2024, efforts are being focused on preempting markets in Europe and North America to diversify beyond traditional Korean Wave regions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA will hold "K-Expo Mexico" in Mexico in September, following events in the United States in May and France in June.