"How do you translate the Korean word 'oppa' into English?"
The term, used broadly for an older brother, a boyfriend or a close older male friend, has no single English equivalent. As Korean-language and other non-English content wins over global audiences, localization work that preserves the original language and cultural context is growing in importance. With subtitles and dubbing emerging as core elements that convey a work's emotion and meaning beyond mere translation, the industry has turned its attention to the role of specialized professionals.
The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and Netflix held a Global Localization Roundtable at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on the 15th. Catherine Letarte, senior director of global content localization at Netflix, presented on the overseas versions of "Physical: 100" and stressed the importance of localization work. "Subtitles and dubbing are not secondary work but effectively a second production," she said. "Subtitles must capture the core of the dialogue within the time a viewer can read, and dubbing must convey the original's meaning and emotion through the voice actor's performance."
The Mexican version of "Physical: 100" drew 2.5 million views in its first week, ranking fourth on Netflix's global top 10 list for non-English shows, while the Italian version entered the top 10 in 27 countries. The Korean original was dubbed in 16 languages, the Italian version in 13 and the Mexican version in 10.
Sander van der Pol, content localization director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Jenny Ross, content localization director for the United States and Canada (UCAN), said Korean content has become a routine viewing choice in Europe and North America. Localization tailored to varied viewing habits is becoming more important, they said, as some viewers choose subtitles to hear Korean actors perform in the original language while others opt for dubbing to follow the story while doing something else.
Localization extends beyond dialogue to music and typography. For the Netflix series "Scandal," a music director, a lyric adapter and voice actors worked together on translating and recording foreign-language lyrics to preserve Korean expressions. Korean typeface designs appearing on screen were also recreated for other languages. Conveying not only the language but also the cultural context embedded in music and visual elements is what draws overseas viewers into a story, the company said.
KOCCA and Netflix have jointly run a Production Academy for broadcast and video production professionals since 2024. A global content localization workshop on the 15th and 16th will cover localization trends for new content formats, English subtitle and dubbing production, and case studies from individual overseas markets. "For K-content to keep growing in the global market, it needs an ecosystem of localization specialists that helps it cross language and cultural barriers, alongside strong creative capabilities," said Koo Kyung-bon, head of KOCCA's content infrastructure division.