In 2021, the Korean drama Squid Game caused a global phenomenon. Behind its success as #1 on Netflix in 94 countries was professional localization.
Published: December 2024
🎬 A Global Success Story
In 2021, the Korean drama 'Squid Game' caused a global phenomenon. It became the biggest hit of all time, ranking #1 on Netflix in 94 countries.
But there's something many people overlook: Behind this success was professional localization.
The secret to how viewers worldwide could feel the same tension and emotion in their own language as Korean speakers did - that's transcreation.
💡 Beyond Translation: Transcreation
Most people think subtitles are simply "translated." But professional localization is "recreation."
Example 1: Preserving Cultural Context
- Korean Culture: "456번, 넌 이미 죽은 목숨이야" (Number 456, you're already a dead man)
- Simple Translation: Literal translation fails to convey meaning
- Transcreation: Recreated with idiomatic expressions actually used in each culture
- English: "You're a dead man walking"
- Spanish: "Tu vida ya terminó"
Example 2: Maintaining Emotional Arc
- Original: "엄마... 미안해" (Mom... I'm sorry - desperation and regret)
- Goal: Convey the same emotional weight
- Solution: Select the most powerful expression in each language's cultural context
📊 The Impact of Quality Localization
According to industry research:
Website Localization Impact:
- 53.6% of global website content is in English, but English users are only 25% of the total (Essential Localization Industry Statistics In 2024)
- 72% of consumers prefer product information in their own language (Common Sense Advisory)
- 56% value native language information more than price
OTT Content Localization:
- High-quality localization: Viewing completion rate over 80%
- Basic translation: Viewing completion rate under 50%
- Impact: Direct effect on subscription retention and recommendation intent
🎯 GloZ's Localization Expertise
Strengths of our 80,000 professional network:
Key Challenges in Korean Drama/Webtoon Localization:
- Expressing honorific/informal speech systems in over 70 languages
- Conveying nuances of cultural customs and etiquette
- Delivering Korea-specific emotions and humor codes
GloZ's Approach:
Cultural experts for each language find equivalent emotional expressions:
- English: Differentiate through vocabulary and tone selection
- Japanese: Utilize keigo (honorific) system
- Spanish: Utilize formal/informal (usted/tú) distinction
Game Localization Case:
The game localization market is $2.35B in 2025, projected to grow to $4.48B by 2033 (Global Game Localization Services Market Report 2025).
Key Challenges:
- Onomatopoeia expressions (Bang!, Swoosh!, Rumble!)
- Maintaining character personality in dialogue
- Real-time chat and community terminology
Solutions:
- Research gamer culture in each language region
- Select local expressions that maintain visual impact
- Deploy game specialists from our 80,000-member network
🔑 5 Principles of Effective Transcreation
Principles followed by GloZ's 80,000 professionals:
- Cultural Context Over Literal Accuracy
Cultural context takes priority over literal accuracy - Emotional Equivalence
Goal is to elicit the same emotional response - Natural Expression
Use expressions that are natural in the target language - Visual-Audio Harmony
Subtitles must be in perfect harmony with visuals and audio - Cultural Sensitivity
Pre-review religious, political, and social sensitivities
💼 The Business Case
Korean Content Industry Status:
- Continued rise in global popularity of K-Drama, webcomics, K-Pop, etc.
- Key success factor for international expansion: Professional localization
Investment Value:
- Basic translation: 5-8% of production cost
- Professional transcreation: 12-18% of production cost
What you gain from additional investment:
- Significant increase in global viewership
- Enhanced brand image
- Increased opportunities for secondary revenue (merchandising, remakes, etc.)
🌏 Regional Considerations
Looking at regional distribution of the localization industry, Europe is the largest market at 49.8%, with North America accounting for 35.6% (2020 data, Essential Localization Industry Statistics In 2024).
However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the fastest growth rate of 16.5% during 2021-2028 (Essential Localization Industry Statistics In 2024).
GloZ's Regional Expert Distribution:
- Asia: High language diversity, cultural nuance experts
- Europe: Multilingual regulatory compliance experts
- Middle East: Cultural/religious sensitivity experts
- Latin America: Regional Spanish variation experts
Optimized services for all regions with our 80,000-member global network
🚀 The Future of Content
The global language services market is projected to grow from $52B in 2022 to $65.5B by 2026 (Global language services market size | Statista).
As digital content consumption increases, audience expectations are rising:
- Simply translated content is increasingly rejected
- Growing preference for culturally adapted content
- Simultaneous multilingual releases becoming the standard
With our network of 80,000 professionals, GloZ localizes 3.2 million video minutes and 4.5 million words annually in over 70 languages. This network spanning 210 countries can turn your content into a true global hit.
"Great stories deserve to be felt, not just understood."
— GloZ Transcreation Team
Make your story resonate globally.
Explore GloZ Solutions: E'nuff Platform
Contact: sales@glozinc.com